The Cooish is a fun and friendly Manx language festival, which takes place annually every November. Bee feailley yn vlein shoh er 1ed – 5oo Mee Houney 2023. This year’s festival will be 1st – 5th November 2023. Whether you're compltely new to Manx or a seasoned speaker, and no matter what age you are there will be something for you to enjoy!
Scroll below and click on each day to see what will be taking place, and to find booking details.
With tonnes of lovely events island-wide, and for all ages and levels of Manx, there'll be something for everyone!
You can also find PDF versions of the programme here: English version / Manx version / Festival overview
Published: Fri, 15 Sep 2023
• 9.15am – 10am: Learn numbers in Manx!
Get ready for Oie Vingo – Bingo Night! Have fun with numbers in Manx. Suitable for all levels.
Limited space: email gaelg(at)culturevannin.im or ring 694753.
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Greens Café, St. John’s
• 12pm – 1pm: Cozy lunchtime cooish
Grab a bite to eat, and join a friendly group of Manx speakers for a chat. All welcome!
Hosted by Pobble.
Venue: Atrium, Tower House, Douglas
• 12.20pm – 12.50pm: Come and try Manx!
Pop-up Manx class for total beginners. Grab a coffee and join in!
Booking essential: www.workcafe.im/events/
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Santander Work Café, Market Hall, Douglas
• 1.20pm – 1.50pm: Come and try Manx!
Pop-up Manx class for total beginners. Grab a coffee and join in!
Booking essential: www.workcafe.im/events/
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Santander Work Café, Market Hall, Douglas
• 7pm: Bunscoill Ghaelgagh presents – “Film Night”
Come to St John’s Mill for an evening with the stars! Come to the glittering premiere of Bunscoill Ghaelgagh productions 'Lhiannan Shee' and 'Lioar y Doofyr'. An introduction will be given by Megan Dale, project lead at Astar media, a Gaelic projects agency based in Stornoway (Isle of Lewis).
Tickets, available on the door, will be £5, to include a glass of fizz on arrival. As this is a movie premiere, you are encouraged to dress accordingly! Free entry for members of the cast. Numbers are limited, so if you wish to secure your ticket, please email: bunscoillenquiries@sch.im and ask for your name to be put on the PFS list. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm screening. Films are in Manx Gaelic and are not subtitled.
Hosted by Bunscoill Ghaelgagh.
Venue: St John's Mill, St. John's (*please note change of venue from printed programme!*)
• 9.15am – 10am: Useful Manx phrases
Get familiar with ‘by vie lhiat?’ and ‘by vie lhiam’ in this open Manx class. Suitable for all levels.
Limited space: email gaelg(at)culturevannin.im or ring 694753.
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Greens Café, St. John’s
• 11am – 11.45am: Learn numbers in Manx!
Get ready for Oie Vingo – Bingo Night! Have fun with numbers in Manx. Suitable for all levels.
Limited space: email gaelg(at)culturevannin.im or ring 694753.
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Greens Café, St. John’s
• 12pm – 1pm: Cozy lunchtime cooish
Grab a bite to eat, and join a friendly group of Manx speakers for a chat. All welcome!
Please email gaelg(at)culturevannin.im or ring 694753 by 30th October to let us know that you’re coming.
Hosted by Culture Vannin.
Venue: Greens Café, St. John’s
• 6pm – 9pm: SOLD OUT Bake bonnag in Manx!
Have fun learning how to make bonnag, butter and jam through Manx! BILINGUAL event - all welcome
*Special Cooish festival price £30! (normally £40!)* This event is designed for adults, but young adults (14+) may attend if accompanied by a responsible adult.
Advance booking essential - further information and tickets are available here.
Hosted by Jo Callister and Adam Horne in collaboration with Juliette’s.
Venue: Juliette’s, 2 Michael Street, Peel
• 8pm onwards: Manx conversation at the Whitehouse
All welcome to join Jonathan Ayres and friends
Venue: Whitehouse Pub, Peel
• 10am – 10.45am: (1 spot remaining) Manx songs and rhymes for mini musicians
Fun for children aged 0-4 years old (with a parent/carer). £2 per child.
Booking essential: www.manninmusic.shop
Hosted by Mini Musicians by Mannin Music.
Venue: Mannin Music Studio, Pulrose
• 10am – 11am: Manx conversation at Mad Hatter’s
All welcome! Hosted by Tantaran.
Venue: Mad Hatter’s Café, Ramsey
• 11am (approx. 1 hour): Guided walk in Manx around Ramsey
Hosted by Tantaran.
Venue: Meet at the green on East Street, opposite Penny Farthing. Weather dependent – see updates nearer the time on this page!
• 12pm – 1pm: Cozy lunchtime cooish
Grab a bite to eat, and join a friendly group of Manx speakers for a chat. All welcome!
Venue: The Tea Caddy, Rowany Golf Club, Port Erin
• 7pm – 9pm: Mooinjer Veggey song night
Wallow in nostalgia with this opportunity to relive twenty-five years of rhymes and songs from Mooinjer Veggey and the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh. Cup of tea anyone? 😉
Hosted by Mooinjer Veggey.
Venue: Royal Chapel Hall, St. John’s
• 10am – 3pm: Cooish, Cappan as Croo
Come along to Castletown for a family-friendly pop-in event for all ages and abilities.
Venues: Civic Hall, Art Squared, The George, and Castletown Library – Castletown
There’ll be lots going on:
- Manx language craft and book stalls
- art and craft workshops incorporating Manx (for times and booking details, see below)
- Christmas song workshops (for times and booking details see below)
- Lyrics workshop - calling all songwriters! (see below)
- activities for all ages and levels of Manx, including 'Gaelg as Golf': mini golf with a Manx twist!
- Manx chat and easy games
- live music from Manx Gaelic community choir Un Choraa, and young harpists
- delicious refreshments available to purchase
- Manx language organisations and charities
Come and learn more about Manx!
Hosted by Culture Vannin, in conjunction with the Manx language community.
CHRISTMAS SONG WORKSHOP DETAILS:
LYRICS WORKSHOP DETAILS:
10am - 11.30am - FREE drop-in song lyrics workshop. Do you write songs in English? Have you ever wanted to have a go at singing your original songs in Manx, but aren't sure where to start, or need a bit of help? If so, this song workshop is for you! Come along for some free one-to-one help with Bob Carswell - bring along your English language song for some assistance. You might even like to enter your original song in the 'Arrane Son Mannin' competition, which takes place in January. You can read more about Arrane son Mannin here.
Workshop venue: Castletown library (upstairs, above the Civic Hall). **No need to book, but if you would like to have a slot with Bob, please email gaelg(at)culturevannin.im to express your interest.
ART AND CRAFT WORKSHOP DETAILS:
Space very limited: advance booking essential! £7 per person. Tickets available here.
*Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and an additional ticket for an adult must be purchased.
1pm - 1.30pm: ‘Wearable Manx’: beaded bracelet workshop (children*/adults welcome)
Space limited: advance booking essential £7 per person. Tickets available here (or by contacting 07846 017979, emailing brynz(at)hotmail.co.uk)
2.20pm – 2.50pm: SOLD OUT ‘Wearable Manx’: beaded bracelet workshop (children*/adults welcome).
Space limited: advance booking essential £7 per person. Tickets available here (or by contacting 07846 017979 or emailing brynz(at)hotmail.co.uk)
*Children under the age of 8 must be accompanied by a responsible adult, and an additional ticket for an adult must be purchased. Please note that the beaded bracelet workshops are not suitable for children under the age of 4.
(Please remember to replace (at) with the @ symbol - we have removed it here to avoid attracting unwanted spam!)
• 4.30pm – 6pm: *Last few spaces remaining!* Fastyr Fynoderee!
Cocktail making workshop and a mini distillery tour through Manx. Age 18+ only.
Cost: £28 per place.
Limited places available; advance booking essential: https://manxstuff.com/
Hosted by Jo Callister and Adam Horne, in collaboration with Fynoderee.
Venue: Fynoderee Distillery, Ramsey
• 7.30pm – 8pm: Fireworks!
Whether you live in Ramsey, or are coming in for the Cooish, don’t forget about the fireworks hosted by Ramsey Town Commissioners!
Venue: Mooragh Park, Ramsey
• 8.30pm onwards: Kiaull as Gailck
Manx chat, tunes, and cocktails! Bring your instrument and/or your voice, and join in!
*table booking strongly advised due to limited space (and Ramsey being very busy post-firework display); please contact Fynoderee via 812756 to book a table
Venue: The Fyn Bar, Ramsey
• 1pm – 2pm: Ned Maddrell Lecture 2023 (Academic lecture in English about the Manx language)
'Language, faith, society: preaching in Manx in the 17th to 19th centuries'
Dr. Christopher Lewin (University of Galway) and Dr Peadar Ó Muircheartaigh (University of Edinburgh)
Hybrid event: please register online, choosing the in-person or online option. Register here for the event.
Hosted by Possan Ronsee Gaelgagh – Manx Language Research Group, with support from Manx National Heritage.
Venue: iMuseum, Douglas
• 2pm – 4pm: Panel discussion: what’s next for Manx research?
Hybrid event: please register online, choosing the in-person or online option. Register here for the event.
Hosted by Possan Ronsee Gaelgagh – Manx Language Research Group, with support from Manx National Heritage.
Venue: iMuseum, Douglas
• 6.30pm – 9pm: Oie Vingo [Bingo Night]
Come along to a family-friendly, entertaining evening, playing bingo in Manx! Open to all, no matter what your age or level of Manx.
Cost: £5 adults / £2 children, including snacks and some bingo books.
Extra bingo books available to purchase. Tickets on the door. BYOB.
Hosted by Yn Chruinnaght
Venue: Corrin Hall, Peel