TIRELESS WORKER FOR THE MANX LANGUAGE DIES CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION
TIRELESS WORKER FOR THE MANX LANGUAGE DIES
Walter Clarke who has died, aged 78, was one of a small number of
Manx Gaelic speakers who through their efforts in the late 1940s and
early 1950s ensured the survival of a spoken record of the Manx
language
by undertaking an exercise to record the surviving native Manx
speakers.
Initial recording of the native speakers had been undertaken by the
Irish Folklore Commission and this work was continued by Clarke and
other dedicated enthusiasts to ensure that a spoken record of Manx
was not lost to future generations. Clarke, together with Dougie
Fargher,
Charlie Craine, Bill Radcliffe and Mark Braide ensured that a treasure
trove of spoken Manx was not lost.
He continued his work for Manx by teaching evening classes and also
undertook a number of workshops on the language together with the
late Freddie Cowle.
Walter Clarke was one of that small number of enthusiasts who worked
tirelessly to maintain a profile for the Manx language when it was
in a parlous state. He, like the others, received little
acknowledgment
for many years of the vital work that he did, outside of the small
circle of like-minded proponents of Manx, although he did in 2001
receive the National Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award
However, he was more fortunate that some of his contemporaries in
that he did live to see the cause to which he gave a life's work come
to fruition with the official recognition given to the Manx language
through its introduction onto the curriculum of Island schools.
An obituary in the Isle of Man Newspapers was entitled 'Helped to
Keep Language Alive' and that is exactly what Walter Clarke dedicated to.
J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League
10/02/07
The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It
highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.
TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609
Internet site at
http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/
TIRELESS WORKER FOR THE MANX LANGUAGE DIES
Walter Clarke who has died, aged 78, was one of a small number of
Manx Gaelic speakers who through their efforts in the late 1940s and
early 1950s ensured the survival of a spoken record of the Manx
language
by undertaking an exercise to record the surviving native Manx
speakers.
Initial recording of the native speakers had been undertaken by the
Irish Folklore Commission and this work was continued by Clarke and
other dedicated enthusiasts to ensure that a spoken record of Manx
was not lost to future generations. Clarke, together with Dougie
Fargher,
Charlie Craine, Bill Radcliffe and Mark Braide ensured that a treasure
trove of spoken Manx was not lost.
He continued his work for Manx by teaching evening classes and also
undertook a number of workshops on the language together with the
late Freddie Cowle.
Walter Clarke was one of that small number of enthusiasts who worked
tirelessly to maintain a profile for the Manx language when it was
in a parlous state. He, like the others, received little
acknowledgment
for many years of the vital work that he did, outside of the small
circle of like-minded proponents of Manx, although he did in 2001
receive the National Reih Bleeaney Vanannan award
However, he was more fortunate that some of his contemporaries in
that he did live to see the cause to which he gave a life's work come
to fruition with the official recognition given to the Manx language
through its introduction onto the curriculum of Island schools.
An obituary in the Isle of Man Newspapers was entitled 'Helped to
Keep Language Alive' and that is exactly what Walter Clarke dedicated to.
J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League
10/02/07
The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It
highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.
TEL (UK)01624 877918 MOBILE (UK)07624 491609
Internet site at
http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/
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