Tynwald Day 2013: Thousands celebrate at St John's
- Published
Thousands of people gathered in St John's earlier to celebrate Tynwald Day, which is the Isle of Man's national day.
This year's event is the second to be presided over by Clare Christian, the President of Tynwald, which is the world's oldest continuous parliament.
The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Scotland entertained the crowds in St John's.
Dignitaries had travelled from all over the world to attend the ceremony, including Ibrahim Pat-Sowe from Sierra Leone.
The Queen's representative in the Isle of Man, Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood, inspected the Guard of Honour before taking part in the Tynwald sitting.
The Guard of Honour was given by members of the Royal Navy.
The ancient ceremony has been held at Tynwald Hill for more than 1,000 years.
Hundreds watched the ceremony, which is the only day of the year when parliament is held in the open air and the public can lobby the law makers.
Local artists and dancers performed on the fair field as part of the celebrations.
Isle of Man entertainment group the Play People performed live as well as giving workshops in activities such as parkour and unicycling.
The historic day was first codified by the Manx parliament on the hill in 1417. New laws are promulgated in both English and Gaelic.
- Published5 July 2012