Christmas Coin Features Traditional Manx Ball Game

A special coin collection has commemorated Cammag, a traditional Manx ball game with origins in the 1760s, played annually on Boxing Day. This Manx sport involves participants from the north competing against those from the south, bearing resemblances to Scotland’s shinty and Ireland’s hurling. The yearly contest takes place at the Tynwald Fairfield every 26 December, where teams utilize homemade sticks in an effort to score the maximum number of goals. The commemorative £2 coin portrays two players engaged in the competition, which has roots extending to at least the 1760s, set against the backdrop of the Royal Chapel in St John’s. This coin represents the newest addition to a collection of Christmas-themed coins issued by the Isle of Man Post Office over the past few years. Cammag continues to hold a significant place in the Manx calendar, with the community assembling for the match at 14:00 GMT on St Stephen’s Day. Despite its similarities to other traditional ball games, the sport lacks formalised rules and imposes no restrictions on team sizes. James Franklin of Culture Vannin characterized it as a “community sport” that emphasizes “coming together and having fun”. Franklin noted that although the game’s prevalence had diminished over the last 130 years since football was introduced to Manx shores, certain individuals still recall participating in it during their youth in the streets of Peel. He further stated that interest in the sport, which he described as a “key part of culture and identity”, had been “growing” again recently, and he found it “wonderful” that the post office was celebrating it.