Articles > The Isle of Man

It’s like being in a parallel universe; a small island midway between Ireland and England that belongs to neither, the Isle of Man mints its own currency, is not part of the EU and still allows smoking in public places. The parliament here is called the Tynwald and meets on a hill in the open air. The last native speaker of Manx, a cross between old Irish and Norse, has died, but schoolchildren are being encouraged to learn it. Horse-drawn trams and steam trains are in daily use and the island is reached by the oldest passenger ferry company in the world – the Steam Packet Company.

I arrived in mist and rain, but the next day the sun shone and the island sparkled. The atmosphere is village England, while the scenery is pure County Cork. The Isle of Man is familiar and strange at the same time. In the local paper, I read of decisions made by the Council of Ministers and the Chief Minister, while the Treasury Minister and Health Minister have names I’ve never heard of. The biggest crime stories are a rifle being broken off a war memorial (meriting a half-page picture) and on page three, the theft of a Save the Children charity box, which did not contain much money. Houses are left unlocked and on returning hire cars, you are told to leave the car open and the keys visible on the dashboard.

On an island with a population of 80,000 and measuring 53 kilometres by 20 kilometres, you don’t get away with much. I’m reminded of the 1960s TV series, ‘The Prisoner’, starring Patrick McGowan. There is the same manicured neatness and general affability. Not that there is anything sinister here – everything is jolly and old-fashioned, in keeping with the values of the island’s heyday, which lasted from Victorian times to the end of the 1950s.

My visit coincided with a Viking festival, where a village had been reconstructed on the beach at Peel, and it ended, unfortunately, before the 36th World Tin Bath Championship in Castletown, which the posters said would also feature man-powered flying and snake racing.

The dream-like atmosphere has made a film set of the Isle of Man several times over. More than 80 television dramas and feature films have been made here since 1995. Island locations have doubled as a Cornish fishing village, the Scottish Lowlands, London and even the Caribbean. In ‘Waking Ned’, Cregneash became the village of Tulleymore, as nowhere in Ireland seemed Irish enough. The phone box there is still painted green. The steam railway was used for a Thomas the Tank Engine film. Julie Andrews, Kathleen Turner, Maggie Smith, Patrick Swayze and David Schwimmer turned no heads as they pottered around the island. The islanders are not easily impressed by fame. Norman Wisdom has been a long-time resident and Jeremy Clarkson has a home in a lighthouse.

This is a place for eating home-made ice cream and visiting castles. Castle Rushen in Castletown, the ancient capital, has never fallen out of use since it was the home of Magnus, last Norse King of Man, who died here in 1265. It has since served as an administrative centre, a mint, a law court and, for over 100 years, a prison. Consequently it is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Europe, having never had the chance to fall into ruin. Kindly, authoritative guides tell you stories in each room, decked out with figures in period costume, historical furnishings and realistic food of the time.

Another must-see is the Great Laxey Wheel, a giant red wooden wheel in the middle of nowhere, built in 1854 to pump water from the Laxey mines. It’s the world’s biggest industrial water wheel and worth a climb to the top for the views of the surrounding Glen Mooar – and to watch the terror of fully grown men suddenly afflicted with a fear of heights.

The House of Manannan in Peel is an imaginative exhibition guiding you through the island’s Celtic, Viking and maritime past. It’s full of atmosphere, sights and smells. At one point I witnessed a very realistic argument between a Nordic husband and his Celtic wife about whose farming methods were best and which language flowed more gently off the tongue.

If you visit during the mad two weeks of the annual TT (Tourist Trophy) motorbike races, when the population all but doubles, you will see a very different Isle of Man. The races, held in May, celebrated their centenary this year. During the rest of the year, the Isle of Man is a treasury of peaceful seaside pleasures and easily accessible outings. It has changed little since the 1950s, when it attracted many Irish families.

Accommodation has gone a little more upmarket and there are more self-catering options, replacing the many old-style B&B’s. The Sefton, the only four-star hotel on the island, has had a recent makeover. The standard of food and service has also improved. The Tanroagan restaurant in Douglas stands out. A tiny place – if the dishwasher is opened the path to the toilet is blocked – it is newly opened and has great seafood. Prices are cheap compared with Ireland and you may be unwilling to leave the Isle of Man and return to the real world.

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