Tynwald Day 2017
It's that time of year again, when we all come together to celebrate our Manx National Day. In 2017 Tynwald celebrates the 600th anniversary of the passing of the Customary Laws in 1417, the very first written Act of Tynwald. This Act contains the earliest description of the Tynwald Day ceremony, the procedure for which has hardly changed in 600 years.
‘The Customary Law of 1417 is the earliest Manx statute we have in writing. It is significant because it sets out in detail the Tynwald Day ceremony itself - the very pattern which we follow on Tynwald Hill in St John’s to this day. Even back then it was referred to as "the constitution from old times" so we can see that our ancient ceremonial was already rooted in the distant past way back then. ‘It was Sir John Stanley, Lord of Man, who ordered the 1417 Law to be set down, and it is right and poignant that his descendant, Edward Stanley, the 19th Earl of Derby, should have kindly accepted my invitation to come as a guest on Tynwald Day to help us mark the 600th anniversary and celebrate our long unbroken history of parliamentary tradition.’
The President of Tynwald, the Hon Steve Rodan MLC
What is changing this year are the supporting activities after the ceremony, with the biggest change being the introduction of the new TynwaldFest stage. Located on the little Fairfield next to Cooil y Ree, the TynwaldFest tent and stage area will give additional space for activities, music, and refreshments. If the weather is wet, the TynwaldFest tent will keep everyone a little drier! Events start in the TynwaldFest tent at 10am when Sue Quilliam will be running family arts and crafts sessions and in the afternoon there will be performances by dancers from Gena’s Dance Academy. The tent will then be the main focus of events in the evening.
Watch Again
The show was broadcast live on 5th July 2017
| Watch again on the Tynwald YouTube Channel
media releases:
Tynwald - Welcome to Tynwald Day and Tynwald Fest
Tynwald - Tynwald Day 2017: Ceremony and celebration
Tynwald - Sea and Air Cadets recognised in Best Turned Out awards
Acts for Promulgation
Acts for Promulgation - Tynwald Day 2017
Marine Infrastructure Management Act 2016 which provides for a consenting process for certain activities in the Island’s marine environment.
Concessionary Travel Schemes Act 2016 which enables the Department of Infrastructure to make concessionary travel schemes.
Police (Amendment) Act 2016 which amends the Police Act 1993 and the Police Powers and Procedures Act 1998.
Preferential Payments (Amendment) Act 2016 which amends the Preferential Payments Act 1908 so that amounts owing by debtors in respect of certain deposits are preferential payments for the purposes of that Act.
Road Races Act 2016 which makes fresh provision about road races.
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Amendment) Act 2016 which provides for the marriage of same sex couples, for civil partnerships of opposite sex couples, and for permitting marriages according to the usages of belief organisations to be solemnized on the authority of a registrar’s certificate.
National Health and Care Service Act 2016 which provides for national health and care services and authorises the provision by the Department and others of private care facilities.
Highways (Amendment) Act 2016 which amends the Highways Act 1986 and repeals the Highway Act 1927.
Custody (Amendment) Act 2016 which amends the Custody Act 1995, makes provision about court security officers and restricts the power to pass extended sentences of custody.
Local Government and Building Control (Amendment) Act 2016 which amends enactments relating to local government, rating and building control and provides for the introduction of fixed penalties in connection with certain statutory notices and byelaws.
Legislative Council Elections Act 2017 which makes further provision about elections to the Legislative Council.
Treasure Act 2017 which abolishes treasure trove and makes fresh provision with respect to determining whether found objects are treasure.
Beneficial Ownership Act 2017 which makes provision about the beneficial ownership of certain legal entities.
What's On and Entertainment
Ceremony and Guests
The traditional Tynwald Day ceremony begins officially around 09.45 when the participants in the parade assemble at St John's School ready to march up to line the processional way. The Lieutenant Governor arrives just after 10.30 and receives the Royal Salute and inspects the Guard of Honour before laying a wreath on the War Memorial. Open the Order of Proceedings for further details.
The service in St John's Chapel begins at 11.00 and the Order of Service can be found here.
Following the service the outdoor part of the ceremony begins with processions to Tynwald Hill. During the ceremony on the Hill the Acts are promulgated, Coroners are sworn in and there is an opportunity to to present Petitions for Redress. Those assembled then process back to the church for sittings of Tynwald, during which the Acts are captioned, and the House of Keys.
Full details of the ceremony on Tynwald Hill and the sittings in the Chapel will be detailed in the Tynwald Day programme. This is available free to Grandstand ticket holders or for £2 from the Information and Ticket point on Tynwald Day.
Official Guests 2017
Richard Arkless
Sir William Bailhache QC
Bailiff of Jersey
Lord Chidgey
Dr Gareth Davies
Medical Director, London’s Air Ambulance
Professor Peter Edge
Oxford Brookes University
Linda Fabiani MSP
Deputy Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament
Zachary Harkenrider
Political Counselor, US Embassy
Ann Jones AM
Deputy Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly
Eamon O Cuiv TD
Sean O’Fearghail TD
Ceann Comhairle of Dail Eireann, House of the Oireachtas
Hon Asad Qaiser
Speaker of the Kyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
Gavin Robinson MP
Dr Jane Roskams
University of British Columbia
The Rt Hon The Earl of Derby DL (Edward Stanley)
Transport and Parking
Bus Services To/From St John's
On Tynwald Day the Bank Holiday bus service operates. Extra buses are provided which operate between Douglas (Lord Street), St Johns and Peel via Union Mills and Crosby to provide a bus every 15 minutes from Douglas between 0907 and 1107 and then every 30 minutes until approximately 1807 hours. An hourly service operates during the evening. Return buses to Douglas operate every 30 minutes until 1910. An additional morning Service 8 journey operates from Port Erin and Castletown to St Johns and Peel- with a return journey in the late afternoon. Details are shown in Tynwald Day Bus Services shown in Bus Travel Info Updates on the Bus Vannin website www.bus.im.
Parking
Parking for the general public will be available at St John's - see map.
Disabled Parking
There will be a designated area at St John’s School for reserved parking for persons in possession of a disabled badge. If you wish to apply for a parking pass (free of charge) please contact the Tynwald Administration Office. The passes will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis and despatched two weeks prior to the Ceremony.
Road Closures
Location: A1 Ballacraine to St Johns Main Road, extending westwards from a point opposite the west gable of the former Ballacraine Hotel to its junction with Station Road and that portion of the Glen Moar Road from the A1 Douglas to Peel Road with the Glen Moar loop road. Closed from 10:00 -16:00 for the Tynwald Ceremony.
Location: Station Road from the Tynwald Inn junction to the Patrick Road junction closed from 10:00 -10:30 for the forming up of the Youth Parade.
Location: Station Road from the Tynwald Inn junction to the Patrick Road junction closed from 12:45 - 13:30 for the dissolution of the Youth Parade.
Location: Clearway Glen Moar Road, length of Glen Moar to its junction with the Poortown Road from 08:00 - 15:00 for the Tynwald Ceremony.
Location: A1 Douglas to Peel Road from the Arboretum, St John's to its junction with the Glen Moar Road (Station Road junction and Glen Moar Road remain open) from 19:10 - 19:50 for the Sunset Ceremony.
Grandstand Tickets
Tickets for a grandstand seat are £4 each which includes a Tynwald Programme. These may be purchased, in person, from the ground floor reception of Legislative Buildings from 10th June 2019. Opening hours are of Legislative Buildings are 9-5, Mon-Fri.
Alternatively, tickets can be reserved by phone and may be collected from the Information and Ticket point at St. John's on Tynwald Day.
Tickets for the grandstand will also be available to purchase from the Information and Ticket point until 10.15am on Tynwald Day.
The Information and Ticket point is located on the back fairfield behind the Grandstand.
Petitions of Redress
There are two ways to submit a petition to Tynwald, a public petition and a Petition for Redress.
There is a page on the public website designed to guide anyone through the process. In all cases the Petitioner should contact the Clerk of Tynwald to ensure the petition is in good order.
Report: Standing Orders Committee of Tynwald Second Report for the Session 2016-2017: Petitions for Redress
Tynwald Day Social Media
The Tynwald Day social media accounts will provide up-to-date information and images from events: