The Celts of The Isle of Man

ISLE Of MAN, or Monapia, as it was know during the early Roman occupation, is an island in the Irish Sea, about 30 miles East of Northern Ireland, and 30 miles West of England. Among the important historical remains on the island are prehistoric stone pile dwellings, runic and druidic monuments, and ancient forts, castles, round towers, and stone crosses. The shore of the Isle of Man is lined with tall cliffs and indented by bays. Most of the surface is covered with wooded glens and rounded hills that reach their greatest height in Snaefell (2034 ft. above sea level). A mild climate makes possible the growth of many subtropical plants. Principal seaport towns include Douglas, the capital, Ramsey, Peel and Castletown. Area of the island, 227 Sq.mi.; Population. (1991) 59,248.
 
 

                       Early History and Culture

Rich in history, the Isle of Man can look back on a tapestry of events from the introduction of farming in the fourth millennium BC, the Manx Iron Age from 500 BC to 500 AD, the Celtic traditions, through to Christianity and Viking rule of the ninth century.

Throughout the centuries the Isle of Man has developed a way of life and a culture all of its own. Many world events such as the Roman and Norman invasions of Britain passed it by and the Island quietly took visits from Irish and Scottish freebooters in its stride. The arrival of the Vikings however, did leave a lasting mark on this tiny Celtic nation.

After a period of turbulence the Celts and Vikings came together as one nation and without a doubt the greatest single gift left by these fearsome Northern warriors was a unique system of Government that exists to the present day - the Court of Tynwald consisting of an eleven member legislative council, or upper house, at the head of which is a crown appointed lieutenant governor; and by the House of Keys, or lower house, composed of twenty-four elected representatives.The Isle of Man has always been and remains a soverign nation voluntarily associated through the crown with Great Britian and has never been a part of England or Great Britian. Manx a language of the Goidelic group of Gaelic tongues persists among a small Segment of the population, but English is the chief language of the island.