After facing a potential whitewash of all outdoor public entertainment events across the island, the organisers of the main cultural festival are looking forward to holding the first big public gathering since lockdown was eased.

This weekend sees the main public events of the 2020 Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering festival, with a concert held tomorrow night (Friday), a ceilidh on Saturday evening and a family day of outdoor music and performance and an indoor artisan market on Saturday afternoon in the grounds of Peel Cathedral.

All these events are taking place alongside a virtual, online festival, called Yn Chruinnaght ’Tannaghtyn Sthie’, literally ’Yn Chruinnaght Staying at Home’, which features a range of video performances and workshops, hosted by artists each from Celtic nation that would have taken part in this year’s festival.

Also, throughout this week there have been a series of daytime ’food and folk’ sessions at Noa Bakehouse, from 1pm.

The organisers of the Yn Chruinnaght Celtic Gathering Festival said, after being determined not to cancel what is the 40th anniversary of Yn Chruinnaght and organising the virtual event, they had to move quickly to create a public event at short notice.

’We planned the public events in three weeks,’ said organiser Jo Callister.

’Miles and Pippa were good enough to let us hold the food and folk sessions during the week at Noa Bakehouse.

’Then we planned the Friday night at the centre, the Saturday afternoon at the Corrin Hall, followed by a family ceilidh, and then the Mollag band playing at the Whitehouse in Peel on Sunday night, followed by a session. It was all done in three weeks!

’One thing we didn’t want to do was just cancel Yn Chruinnaght outright. All around us, everything was being cancelled and we didn’t want to do that.

’We decided to do the "Tannaghtyn Sthie" festival, with all the artists who would have been playing this year.

’But as time ticked on, and after we had put everything together, the Covid-19 situation started to improve and we started to get emails from people saying that they assumed Yn Chruinnaght would be back on, now that the restrictions had been lifted.

’However, it was a worry as it’s one thing to decide to do the concert but it is another thing to sell the tickets for an event.

’Luckily, people have responded really positively and the Friday night concert is sold out. We still do have tickets for the ceilidh, but they are going well too.’

The online festival has helped the Yn Chruinnaght team stay in touch with people from across the world who would normally travel or take an interest in the Manx cultural festival.

’It’s not just about the people in the island,’ said Jo.

’We get so many people who come over to the Yn Chruinnaght festival from off-island every single year.

’We have seen people from America, Philippines, all the Celtic countries, all from the places where people normally come over from, get in touch and say how much they are enjoying the videos. They are all tuned in.

’Even today, we are live streaming the food and folk sessions, and we have just heard from somebody in Brazil who is watching.

’It’s important that we didn’t just scrap the online section of the festival as we have to think about the rest of the Celtic nations and the people who want to come, but can’t.’

This year’s event should have featured the reformed Scots trad group Deaf Shepherd and the Cornish Sea Shanty ensemble, Bryher’s Boys.

Jo said they have been able to secure this year’s line-up for 2021 instead.

The free family day at the Corrin Hall begins at midday on Saturday.

It will feature dance performances from Skeddan Jiarg, Perree Bane and the Irish dancers from the Sharon Rye school of dance and music from the youth groups Bree and Share ny Veg.

Tickets are still available, for the evening ceilidh, which takes place from 7.30pm, priced £5 and £3 for children.

More information is available at ynchruinnaght.com

by Mike Wade

Twitter:@iomnewspapers