Canadian students take in 'precious' Manx history

Professors Andrew McDonald and Reneé-Claude Breitenstien are supervising the students' visit

A group of Canadian students are visiting the Isle of Man to learn about its medieval history and Viking era in what professors described as a “very precious” first-hand experience.

The 22 students have been exploring the island as part of a programme run by Brock University in Ontario.

The group, many of whom are expected to go on to become high school history teachers, have spent several days visiting sites around the island.

Prof Reneé-Claude Breitenstien said seeing some of the sites and artefacts up close would give the students “another way of understanding” how the island fitted in to the period.

The group visited several churches to see the island's Viking age stone crosses

The visit follows two weeks of classroom study, which involved the students researching some of the Manx stone crosses.

During the trip the students saw some of the stone memorials at Kirk Michael, Jurby, Andreas and Maughold churches in the north of the island.

The trip was led by the university's professor of history Andrew McDonald, who has written several books about the island's Viking era along with Prof Breitenstien, who is director of the establishment’s centre of medieval and renaissance studies.

Prof McDonald said while history tended to focus on dates, he always taught his students it “happens in a place too”.

'Find meaning'

“Particularly when you want to understand the history of this place it’s so closely linked with the environment and that maritime context,” he said.

That sentiment was echoed by Prof Breitenstien, who said the visit would allow the students to “find meaning in what they do by discovering and experiencing it first hand” rather than reaching it “through books only”.

“The experience is absolutely key for them, for the programme, for the university and I think for a well-rounded education,” she added.