Walter Clarke: The Old Manx Speakers

Walter Clarke speaks about the old native Manx speakers he grew to know over the years in which he and others recorded them.

In this public talk, Walter Clarke here offers humorous and affectionate memories of some of the people whose recordings have proven to be enormously important for the survival of Manx today.

Discussed in this talk are the following figures: John Kneen "The Gaaue," John Thomas Kaighin, Harry Boyde, Annie Kneale, Ned Maddrell, Eleanor Karran, Sage Kinvig and John Kinvig.

Mixed in here are wonderful stories of smuggling to Scotland, avoiding debts in Ireland and the reciprocal stealing of rope in Cregneash. Also, towards the end, we get a short foray into some of the traditional folklore practices of the Manx in the past.

This is a wonderful insight not just into an enormously important set of people in Manx cultural history, but also a brilliant insight into a part of Manx history now long gone.

This is a recording from an unknown event at an unknown date. It was made by Roy Kennaugh and it is released here with thanks to the families of those involved.

Extracts from this full talk are available as follows: