By a stroke of good fortune, finding a reference in the excellent IOM family history society Journal, Nov 1989, vol XI no 4, which is on the family history website. I had been looking for a William Ball who married Jane Cleator. They had 2 sons, William and John. These 2 boys for some reason are on their own in IOM census in 1841. Have not yet found either parent in 1841( see earlier thread), but browsing the fhs site produced the article, which could not be William snr but is his son, as all other research and checks fit.
There are also other articles about manx fishermen going to Kinsale & elsewhere. They describe lots of things but no ref. to why bodies of deceased would not be returned to IOM
Kath