the club
The 13th of July 1993 – sadly a Tuesday – is the day that the Moddey Dhoo MCC officially formed and took to the road for the first time.
Back then times were different as was the club; it was a simple small group of friends who spent more time drinking than riding. However necessary evolution over the years through many parties held here, rallies attended there, good times and bad the club has changed dramatically from what it once was to what it has become today.
That said the Moddey Dhoo have long stood by four key principles which we like to think sums up what we are about, these are:
1 - To enjoy all aspects of motorbiking in the company of like minded people
2 - To attend and organise social functions as a group
3 - To help other members in any way possible
4 - To have a bloody good time
The club has seen several Chairmen and Treasurers over the years and at its peak had some 80 members which called for a change to how things were being done and thus was born the committee.
Our current committee members are these poor folk below with one being elected Chairman.
The Name
"Moddey Dhoo" is Manx Gaelic and translates as "Black Dog". The dog in question is one which haunted Peel Castle in the late 17th Century. Back then the castle was garrisoned by soldiers and the guard room near the main entrance was connected via a passageway to the Captain of the Guards room. The guards on duty would lock the gates in the evening and in pairs return the keys to the Captain each night. Legend has it that a huge black dog would emerge from the passageway, enter the guardroom and lie in front of the fire. The guards didn't know anything about it nor did they know who owned it and were wary of it when it was in the room.
One night one of the guards had been drinking and bravado took the better of him, he mocked his companion’s cowardice and volunteered to take the keys to the Captain on his own daring the dog to follow him. The dog left the room soon after the guard and after a moment terrifying screams could be heard from the corridor.
The guard returned to the room, his face contorted and pale. He never spoke another word and died three days later. The Moddey Dhoo has not been seen since and the passage was sealed up never to be used again.
As a footnote, the remains of Simon, the Bishop of Sodor and Man from 1226 to his death in 1247, were unearthed in 1871 in the chancel of St German’s Cathedral - his skeleton was wrapped in embalming clothes and lying along side of him was the skeleton of a dog.
The Website
The website was started in 2002 by Steps, it first went live at some point back then but due to the quantity of beer consumed in the intervening years the exact date is lost. This is something along the lines of v6.5
The Poem
Written by Ali this is an interesting mix of history and nicknames and is worth a read, The Poem
