THE group Ny Jinnyn has won the Arrane Son Mannin - a song for the Isle of Man - competition.

The event, sponsored by the Manx Heritage Foundation, was held at the Masonic Hall, Peel, as part of the Cooish Inter-Gaelic Festival.

It is held in order to select an original song in Manx Gaelic to represent the Island at the Pan-Celtic Festival in Ireland. Previous winners have included Cabbyl Ushtey, Katherine Crowe, Fiona Cain and Skeeal.

Entries for 2010 may have been thin on the ground, but quality made up for quantity.

Written and performed by Dave McLean's group, Ny Jinnyn, the winning song is about a night remembered only too well in the Isle of Man - the night that Summerland burned down.

Sy Ghrianane tells the story of one family's anguish which turned to joy when they learned that their daughter Vicky, thought to be in Summerland, had not actually gone there with her friends.

The song was written by Vicky's brother, Dave, in collaboration with fellow band members Laura and Dave Rowles. It was translated into Manx by Bob Carswell, and sung by Dave's daughter, Alanna.

The members of Ny Jinnyn will represent the Isle of Man at the 40th Pan-Celtic Festival to be held in Dingle Town, County Kerry, in Easter week 2011.

For details of next year's competition and to find out how to get help from a translator, contact Fiona on fmcardle@manx.net