Peel
PEEL, anciently called Holme, or Holme Pile, is situated in the parish of Kirk German, on the west coast, at the mouth of the river Neb, is affectionately known as the Sunset City. It does indeed see some spectacular sunsets throughout the year, made all the more memorable by the magnificent ruined castle that stands on a small island at the west end of the town. Amongst its ruins is an ancient Celtic cathedral dating from the 13th century. It's this cathedral that makes Peel into a city, or so the locals will claim! The cathedral is surrounded by the pink sandstone walls of Peel Castle, which dates from the 14th century. The name 'Peel' is a corruption of the word 'pile' which refers back to the stockade or enclosure which was there in mediaeval times, but the ancient Gaelic name for Peel is Purt ny Hinshey, which means 'Port of the Island'.
This tiny island, at the edge of the bay, is called St Patrick's Isle, and tradition has it that the great Irish Saint stepped ashore here in the 5th century to bring Christianity to the Manx.
The town of Peel has flourished over the centuries partly because it has provided services for the Castle and Cathedral, and partly because it became, in the 19th century, the main fishing port for the Island. Many hundreds of boats would go out from Peel each season, bringing back thousands of tons of herring from the Irish Sea and beyond, and boats from Scotland and Ireland would also land here. Hundreds of people were employed in the industry, curing the herring by cooking them over smouldering oak chippings to make them into kippers.
Peel's narrow streets, mostly built of sandstone, are full of character, and it's here that you are likely to find speakers of Manx Gaelic, the ancient tongue of the Isle of Man, as well as being able to enjoy some fine Manx traditional music played at one of the many 'sessions' in local pubs.
A recent addition to the town has been The House of Manannan, a new multi-million pound heritage centre which explores and interprets the long and fascinating history of the Isle of Man through moving images, animatronics, music and speech and multi-media presentations. Peel has the finest sandy beach on the Island as well as many restaurants and cafes and its own home-made ice cream is popular throughout the Island.
If you'd like to find out more about St Patrick's Isle and the ancient castle and cathedral, then why not join us on a virtual tour through 8,000 years of history - Peel Castle.
To make it even more interesting, we have included a number of audio clips next to each picture. These short sound pictures will tell you even more about the various buildings on the Island, and will let you hear some of the sounds and music associated with this ancient site.
More information can be found by visiting the Peel Heritage Trust website. The Peel Heritage Trust aims to promote the preservation, development and conservation of the buildings and amenities of Peel, and its history.
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Author of this Article: Isleofman Dot Com Ltd
In this area:
- Glen Helen
- Tynwald Arboretum
- German
- Peel
- StJohns
- Eary Beg
- Glen Helen
- Glion Gill
- Greeba Plantation
- Knockaloe
- Slieau Whallian
- Slieu Maggle
- The Vaaish
- Peel Hill
- Peel Castle
- Manannans Chair
- Tynwald Hill