About the Isle of Man:
The island is 33 miles (53 kilometers) long and 13 miles (22 kilometers) wide at its widest point. The Isle of Man was permanently settled by Celts and fell under Viking control in the 11th century.
The Isle of Man passed to the Scottish crown in 1266, and then to the feudal lordship of the Stanley family under the English crown. The British crown acquired the lordship in 1764, but never incorporated the island into the United Kingdom; rather, it is a possession of the United Kingdom. For this reason, although it is not technically part of the United Kingdom, we have listed the Isle of Man under United Kingdom on our destinations page.
The Isle of Man has one city, Douglas, which is the capitol, as well as several towns and villages.
Catholic places of interest on the Isle of Man:
Although the Isle of Man has a predominantly Anglican population, there are Catholic churches in each of its’ four main towns, a legacy from the early 19th century influx of Irish Catholics fleeing from the results of the failed Irish rebellion of 1798. The persecutions under King Henry VIII were not largely felt here on the island, although technically, it was a punishable crime to attend Mass. There are six Catholic Churches on the Isle of Man…quite a number considering the relatively small size of the island and the fact that Catholicism is not the major religion on the island.
Even though the Isle of Man it is not technically part of the United Kingdom (and geographically closer to Normandy, France than mainland England), we have listed it under United Kingdom in our destinations page since it is a British Dependency.
Saint Mary of the Isle Co-Cathedral