Dominique Corolleur's blog

The world's largest annual gathering of Celts is taking place in Brittany (Breton: Breizh) from 4th to 13th August 2023. This year the Le Festival Interceltique celebrates the country of Ireland. There will be 10 days and 10 nights of concerts, shows, entertainment and much more.  More than 5,000 musicians, singers, dancers, visual artists, academics, filmmakers from the Celtic nations and Celtic diaspora around the world gather in the town of Lorient (Breton: An Oriant) for the event.

The Celtic Media festival is an annual three day event that brings together media professionals from the Celtic nations and regions. This year the Festival will be held in Quimper, Brittany (Breton: Kemper, Breizh) from the 7th to the 9th of June 2022. The event sees conference panel sessions, workshops, pitching sessions and many networking events. It brings together delegates from the Celtic nations and regions to share and learn from each other’s experiences.

Happy St Yves' Day today 19th May. St Yves Day (Breton: Gouel Sant-Erwan) is widely celebrated in Brittany and around the Breton world. Saint Yves was born on 17th October 1253 at Kermartin, near Tréguier, Brittany (Breton: Landreger, Breizh). He graduated in civil law and became a lawyer and judge who was famous for defending the poor without taking payment. Saint Yves was ordained in 1284 and when he retired from law in 1287 became a preacher. The feast day marks the date of his death on 19th May 1303 at Louannec, Brittany (Breton: Louaneg, Breizh).

A Bronze Age slab found in Brittany (Breton: Breizh) is thought to be Europe’s oldest 3D map. It is believed to date from the early bronze age between 2150BC and 1600BC. Researchers from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap), Bournemouth University, the CNRS and the Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO – University of Western Brittany) examined the carved slab from Saint-Bélec (Leuhan, Finistère Department). The results of which have been published in the French journal Bulletin de la Société préhistorique française.

Menhir Champ-Dolent is the largest menhir in Brittany (Breton: Breizh). Brittany is famous for its many megalithic sites. Where large pre-historic stones have been used to create a structure or monument, which can either be alone or in groups. The giant Menhir Champ-Dolent standing stone is a granite Neolithic monument located 2 kilometres (1 mile) south of Dol-de-Bretagne (Breton: Dol). Its height above ground is between 9.3 and 9.5 metres (about 31 feet). It has an estimated weight of around 100 tonnes.

Carnac (Breton: Karnag) is beside the Gulf of Morbihan (Breton: Ar Mor Bihanon) in the south coast of Brittany (Breton: Breizh). It is home to one of the largest megalithic complexes in Europe with over 3000 standing stones. It is famous for the unique way in which these stones are aligned in rows. They are of differing sizes and each granite stone seems to have been erected in the place where it was excavated. There are three large groups of stones Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan.

The singing of a sea shanty is associated with traditional sailing ships. Bringing back memories of the era when wind-driven packet and clipper ships sailed the world's oceans. A shanty was the type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany the labour of the crew on board these large merchant sailing vessels.  These traditional ships in full sail are a magnificent site and during the month of August many can be seen around the coasts of Brittany (Breton: Breizh).

The Breton football team of Stade Rennais Football Club, commonly referred to as Stade Rennais, SRFC or Rennes are celebrating victory over the English side Arsenal on Thursday. It was the first leg of the their EUFA League 16th round match, which they won by 3 goals to 1. They are based in Rennes (Breton: Roazhon), a city in the east of the Celtic nation of Brittany (Breizh).  Rennes plays its home matches at the Roazhon Park, located within the city.  They are one of the clubs that can play in what is known as the Derby Breton.

Patrick Malrieu passed away last week. He is highly regarded for all of the work that he undertook for Breton culture. He was the founder of Dastum in 1972, which is a Breton cultural organisation with the objective "to collect, protect and promote the cultural heritage of Brittany." He was also the President of the Cultural Council of Brittany. There has been unanimous tribute paid by cultural associations throughout Brittany to Patrick Malrieu and condolences go to his family.