Annie Named Manannan’s Choice of the Year

Manannan’s Choice of the Year has been awarded to a woman who ‘truly lives and breathes Manx culture’, Annie Kissack.

Annie has been awarded the island’s highest cultural honour for her lifelong contribution to creativity and education in Manx culture.

With a particular emphasis on the Manx language, traditional and original song, music and choral arranging, poetry, literature and folklore.

Annie Kissack

Annie is someone who tells and shapes the stories of these shores with care, passion, and the deepest of integrity.

She is one of life’s natural communicators, and her contagious enthusiasm and often no-nonsense delivery ensure that everyone, young and old, can get involved in or simply sit back and enjoy Manx music, song, and poetry.

She wears her learning lightly, though, for Annie has honed her knowledge for more than five decades.

All that she carries with her embodies this living spirit of the Manx tradition, as expressed in the poems, songs and music she creates; in so many ways, Annie represents the beating heart of the Isle of Man.

Manx Movement

Annie says that her interest in Manx Gaelic was first awakened by her teacher at Onchan School, Leslie Quilliam RBV.

Annie and sister Jenny joined Mona Douglas’s Manx youth movement, Aeglagh Vannin in the mid 1960s.

A talented singer and musician, she has represented the Isle of Man at inter-Celtic festivals from her teenage years right to the present day, as a soloist, and as part of groups such as Perree Bane dance group and Caarjyn Cooidjagh Manx Gaelic choir.

As an accordion, piano and whistle player, she was a founding member of the Arthur Caley Giant Band playing Manx tunes at festivals, ceilis, sessions, and weddings.

Manx Language

She seemingly never tires of promoting the Manx language, music and culture, both in her own time and through her long career as a teacher at the Manx Gaelic medium school, Bunscoill Ghaelgagh.

In 1989, inspired by a competition at Yn Chruinnaght, she gathered musical friends together to form Caarjyn Cooidjagh (Friends Together), which has just celebrated its 25th year.

As young parents living in Cregneash, Annie and her husband Phil Gawne ensured that the Manx language was passed onto their children.

The couple played a key role in establishing Manx language provision for early years, helping set up Yn Chied Chesmad (The First Step) playgroup in 1993 and developing Mooinjer Veggey (Little People), a pre-school initiative in 1996.

These early successes led to the establishment of the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh in 2001, driven by the growing demand for a Manx language primary school.

Annie the Fifth Manx Bard

In more recent years, Annie has been rightfully recognised as a poet, actor and playwright.

She was crowned the fifth Manx Bard in 2018, publishing her collection of poems, Mona Sings in 2022, as well as having poems published in various international anthologies.

An authority on the Manx dialect, she is often consulted by the BBC and recently voiced one of the characters in their radio play of Hall Caine’s The Manxman.

Manannan’s Choice of the Year

The Reih Bleeaney Vanannan or Manannan’s Choice of the Year is the Isle of Man’s highest cultural honour.

It’s awarded by Culture Vannin, and decided by a selection panel made up of representatives from Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh, Yn Chruinnaght, Manx National Heritage, IOM Arts Council and Culture Vannin itself.

Annie was presented with the medal at a concert at Barregarrow Methodist Chapel, along with £500 prize money from Culture Vannin.

She nominated Mooinjer Veggey Manx language educational charity for a further donation of £500.