Michael ( gv, Maayl) is one of the six sheadings of the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. It is located on the west of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) and consists of the three historic

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es of Ballaugh, Jurby and Michael.

Historic parish

Michael ( gv, Maayl) is one of the seventeen historic

es of the

. It is located on the west of the island (part of the traditional ''North Side'' division) in the sheading of Michael. Other settlements in the parish include

Barregarrow Barregarrow ( gv, Bayr Garroo ) is a district located between the 13th milestone and 14th milestones on the A3 Castletown to Ramsey road including the area of the Barregarrow cross-road junction and the C4 Ballaleigh Road and B10 Sartfield (Bran ...

Local government

For the purposes of

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

, the whole of the historic parish forms a single

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

with Commissioners. The district of Michael was formed in 1989 by the re-amalgamation of two local authority areas, Michael village and the larger rural area of Michael parish. These two local authority areas had been separated from one another in 1905. The

Captain of the Parish The Captain of the Parish is an official in each parish in the Isle of Man—formerly the title was ''Captain of the Parish Militia'', but it is now only a titular honour. Historically the Captain of the Parish was authorised to raise his own mi ...

(since 1970) is

John James Martin Cannell John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Politics

Michael parish is part of the

Ayre & Michael Ayre & Michael is a House of Keys constituency in the north of the Isle of Man. It was created for the 2016 general election and elects 2 MHK It is easily the largest Keys constituency in area, and includes the parishes of Michael (parish), Micha ...

constituency, which elects two Members to the House of Keys. Before 2016 it was in the Michael constituency.

Geography

Michael Parish has, according to the 2016 census, 1,591 residents, down from 1,729 in 2011. It is a mainly agricultural area on the west coast of the island. It was until 2016 a

House of Keys constituency These are the constituencies used in the elections to the House of Keys, the lower house of the parliament of the Isle of Man. Constituencies from 2016 Constituencies from 1986–2011 The constituencies used for the 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, ...

. The only significant settlement in the parish or district is the village of Kirk Michael. The TT motorcycle race course known as the Snaefell Mountain Course runs through Kirk Michael village. Michael District stretches from the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

in the west, inland to Druidale in the east and from Orrisdale in the north to Glen Cam in the south. The district contains few settlements; the main village is Kirk Michael. There is a coastal strip, about 3 km wide, of agricultural land, and the remainder of the parish consists of moorland, of which the highest points are Slieau Freoaghane (), Sartfell (), Slieau Curn () and Slieau Dhoo () (together known as the Michael Hills). The main road running through Kirk Michael village forms part of the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

road race course, on the A3 leading towards Ballaugh Bridge. Kirk Michael is served by buses between Peel and Ramsey (and also between Douglas and Ramsey via Ballacraine). It is on the course of the former

Manx Northern Railway The Manx Northern Railway (MNR) was the second common carrier railway built in the Isle of Man. It operated as an independent concern only from 1879 to 1905. History When the people in the town of Ramsey realised their town was not going to ...

The village

The name of the village is derived from "Kirk" ("Church") of Michael. The parish church of St Michael in the village contains a large collection of Manx Norse crosses. The village is served by several small local shops, a primary school and a public house. The

Mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

Hotel, the local public house is named in connection with Bishop's Court and was once patronised by

Fletcher Christian Fletcher Christian (25 September 1764 – 20 September 1793) was master's mate on board HMS ''Bounty'' during Lieutenant William Bligh's voyage to Tahiti during 1787–1789 for breadfruit plants. In the mutiny on the ''Bounty'', Christian se ...

(

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

). "Christian" is a popular Manx surname. On the same plot of land as the Mitre Hotel stands the Ecclesiastical Courthouse. First built in 1766, at the request of Bishop Wilson, and then later rebuilt in 1835, it was the last working rural courthouse on the Isle of Man. Infrequent bus services run to the towns of

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

, Peel and Douglas.

Other places of interest

Local areas of interest include: *Glen Wyllin village and Glen Wyllin itself (the Glen was once the site of a trout farm but the farm was lost due to

coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...

). Glen Wyllin now has a seasonal camp site. *Cooildarry Nature Reserve (in the upper part of Glen Wyllin). *Bishop's Court, the former residence of the Bishop of Sodor and Man but now a private residence, is located about 2 km north of Kirk Michael village, on the boundary with Ballaugh. The grounds and chapel of Bishop's Court are opened to the public occasionally. Bishop's Court Glen, on the other side of the TT course, and shared with Ballaugh, was once the private garden of the Bishop. The glen includes an artificial mound called Mount Aeolus, which resembles Tynwald Hill, and The Cave of the Winds. Until 1987 the mound had two

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

on top. The mound was built under Bishop

Mark Hildesley Mark Hiddesley or Hildesley (9 December 1698 – 7 December 1772) was an Anglican churchman. He served as vicar of Hitchin in Hertfordshire and later as Bishop of Sodor and Man between 1755 and 1772, where he encouraged Bible translations in ...

to commemorate the victory of Captain Elliot over the French

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

François Thurot François Thurot (22 July 1727 at Nuits-Saint-Georges near Dijon in eastern France – 28 February 1760 off the Isle of Man) was a French privateer, merchant naval captain and smuggler who raided British shipping during the Seven Years' War. E ...

off the coast near Ramsey in 1760. * Cronk Urleigh is a small hillock near Kirk Michael which until 1428 was the site of the Tynwald Courts. File:Douglas Road Corner IMG 0003.JPG, TT course safety devices at Douglas Road Corner, the right-hander entering Kirk Michael village File:Kirk Michael, The A3 - geograph.org.uk - 481850.jpg, The main A3 road leading through Kirk Michael village after Douglas Road Corner

MHKs & Elections

The following information is incomplete. The constituency was abolished in 2016.

In literature

Most of the action of '' The Deemster'' takes place in Michael Sheading.

In film

Glen Wyllin (Glen Mooar) beach was used as a location in the 2004 film Five Children and It.

References

External links

Isle of Man Building Control Districts
showing parish boundaries
Glenology - Manx Glens
An ongoing study of Manx glens, their locations and meanings.
A Manx NotebookIOM Guide: Kirk MichaelIOM Guide: Bishop's CourtMultimap of the areaManx National HeritageIsle of Man Census 2006 PDFConstituency maps and general election results
{{House of Keys constituencies Sheadings of the Isle of Man Constituencies of the Isle of Man Parishes of the Isle of Man