Culture Vannin and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture are pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the Sophia Morrison Award, which recognises and celebrates the achievement of young people learning the Manx language.
The annual Sophia Morrison Award honours the highest grading under-18 student in the Teisht Chadjin Ghaelgagh (GCSE equivalent), and celebrates the efforts of young students in learning and promoting the Manx language. The winner is selected by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture’s Manx Language Unit. Prize money of £500 and an engraved medal are given to the successful recipient, who has to produce a short piece of work in Manx. For 2024, the winner of the award was Fergus Quayle, a former pupil of the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, who took the exam at the end of year 9 along with his peers from the Manx-speaking primary school. Fergus gained an A* in the examination, and the highest mark in the Island.
For 2024 there was an additional award, for the highest grading under-18 student who did not go through Manx medium education. This was awarded to Cara Leadley, who took the examination at the end of year 11. Cara is now studying A-level Manx, and was delighted to receive the Sophia Morrison Commendation Award, along with a bursary of £350.
The annual award was made possible thanks to the T C M and C N Frost Bequest to Culture Vannin. Passionate about Manx language, the Frosts recognised its importance to the island and its people. They had witnessed the upsurge of interest in the language in recent years, and wanted to acknowledge the key role that young people hold in the future of Manx through the creation of this award.
As part of the award, a bronze trophy in the shape of a Viking longship was presented to the school of the overall award winner. For 2024, this was QEII High School. Mrs Clarke, headteacher of QEII High School, expressed her delight on behalf of the school:
“We are incredibly proud of Fergus and Cara for their dedication and success in their Manx studies. Their achievements reflect not only their hard work but also their commitment to preserving and celebrating our island's unique language and heritage. They are true ambassadors for the Manx language.”
Both Fergus and Cara were taught by Jen Hampton, one of the peripatetic Manx teachers from the Department of Education, Sport and Culture’s ‘Skimmee Gaelgagh’, who make Manx available to all primary and secondary schools on the Island. She added:
“I am delighted that the hard work and enthusiasm of these two exceptional students has been recognised. Fergus and Cara should be very proud of achieving some of the highest Manx GCSE results on the Island and, in fact, in the whole world!”
Sophia Morrison, after whom the award is named, is best known today for her Manx Fairy Tales, but was a cultural activist, folklore collector and writer, who worked for many years as Secretary to Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, the Manx Language Society. So much of Sophia’s work focussed on the need to pass on Manx culture and language to young people, so it is very apt that the award was named in her honour.
Published: Tue, 01 Jul 2025
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