The historical significance of 19th century Manx ballads and songs has provided the basis for an article that has been accepted into a prestigious Irish academic music publication.

Manx researcher, author and musician David Speers has had his research into the links between Manx traditional ballads and those performed in Ireland, England and Scotland published in the pages of Béaloideas, the Journal of the Folklore of Ireland, vol 84.

This particular journal is peer reviewed, and rarely publishes articles that are not based on Irish traditional or folklore subjects.

David’s article looks at the links between ballad titles in music manuscripts contained in collections held by the Manx Museum, and compares them with music published as broadside ballad sheets in Britain and Ireland during the 18th and 19th centuries.

From studying 63 different ballads brought to the island on ballad sheets during the 19th century from areas such as Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin and London.

David’s research shows that these were not only learned and sung across the island, but in many cases they were adapted to suit the Isle of Man.

’This shows that the Isle of Man was fully integrated into the broader community of traditional singing that existed in Ireland and Britain,’ said David.

’It also shows that a considerable proportion of secular ballads known and sung in the Isle of Man were in English. However, there was also a tradition here of replacing the English with Manx Gaelic words for those who didn’t speak English.’

David said that many of the songs covered topics that reflected important themes in the Isle of Man at the time, such as sea faring and the island’s role in the English wars at the time.

Only two other Manx authors have had research printed in the Béaloideas, Anne Gilchrist, who was published in the 1920s, and Professor George Broderick, who was featured twice in the early 1980s.

’There has not been that much research published on Manx music and ballads,’ he said. ’I’m glad to be able to get this work published in such a respected journal.’