A respected Manx scholar has stepped in to the debate over whether the Chronicles of Man should be returned to the Island, and have a permanent home here.

The Chronicles, seen by some as the most important document in Manx history, are currently on loan to the Manx Museum.

A campaign has begun to keep them here, but Professor George Broderick, a noted academic and writer, says it doesn't matter where they are kept, as long as they are well looked after.

James Davis reports (text, below, from attached audio file):

The Chronicles are part of a collection of various manuscripts owned by the British Library, which came into being by an Act of Westminster.

Professor Broderick says ownership could only be changed by another Act of Westmintser authorising transfer of the manuscript to the Isle of Man, and an act of Tynwald accepting ownership back into the Island.

Another possibility is an approach to the United Nations committee which deals with the return of artifacts to their country of origin.

So it's a matter for the Manx authorities to decide what they wish to do.

Professor Broderick who has consulted the Chronicles manuscript for various publications, says it's immaterial where they are housed as long as they are properly stored and remain accessible.

And on both counts, he says, the British Library is doing the job well.