Category: UGC

Donald MacCormick: Highland Soldiers

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

DonaldBooksDonald MacCormick, the well-known book-collector, talks in Gaelic to Archie Campbell about the contributions and sacrifices made by Highland soldiers in the First World War, and the reputation they earned.

As the statistics he cites make clear, it came at a heavy price, especially amongst the pipers.

This is another short film, shot by Laura Donkers, made as part of the An fheadhainn tha laighe sàmhach project led by North Uist Historical Society, Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath, which is collecting some very distinctive “island voices” that have a special tale to tell.

Norman Johnson – Piper

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

PiperNorman2Norman Johnson talks in Gaelic to Mary Morrison about the special role of the piper in many regiments in the First World War – Canadian, Australian, Indian, and others, as well as Scottish. He relates anecdotes heard from old soldiers in the war, and finishes with a special tune – Donald’s awa’ to war.

Mary made this recording for the “An fheadhainn tha laighe sàmhach” project led by the North Uist Historical Society, Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath.

Community Voices Collected

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

NewPagesCompFour new pages have been added to the Guthan nan Eilean/Island Voices website in the past week. They bring together selections from the additional recording work that has been ongoing in the community since the original Series One and Two were completed.

The four themes are Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Great War, Gaelic Journeys, and Storytellers. Between all four you will currently find links to 48 separate recordings in four different languages. This number is liable to grow further as more recordings in these areas are made and added to the pages. The pages also contain links to relevant blogposts about the individual recordings, as well as Clilstore versions in some cases.

You can access the pages just by clicking on the above links in this post, or you will also find tabs for the pages across the top of this site and in the sidebar to the right, below the links to Series One and Two and others. Happy viewing/listening/reading!

The Road to Rueval and Beyond

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

GuthannagroupHere’s another video recording on the new Guthanna na nGael YouTube channel, set up by our Irish visitors on returning home after their recent visit to Benbecula. Here, from the top of Rueval, Archie Campbell explains to the visitors some of the historical background to the sights spread out below and beyond. They reached their viewpoint following the same road that Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora Macdonald took when escaping “over the sea to Skye”.

Archie also points to the settlement where another more contemporary Flora Macdonald was raised, and alludes to the bilingual book “Còco is Crùbagan” (with Gaelic audio) that she wrote about her upbringing there. It comes well recommended for any learner of Gaelic!

(Flora was also one of the earliest contributors to Guthan nan Eilean, featuring in the Craigard English and Gaelic documentaries, as well as providing an interview herself.)

Greenfinch

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

Greenfinch

Catherine Eunson worked hard behind the scenes during the recent Irish visit. And when she wasn’t cooking she was composing poetry – or taking pictures! So here’s another Island Voice – this one Orkney-born…

Greenfinch

Hopping along bright-eyed with my bonnie beak,
You stopped and you saw me
Through your kitchen window,
Me, the bird in the grass
Vibrant, like a Key lime envoy
With neat feathered edges, yellow and black,
Do you remember?

Yes, I remember,
I remember very vividly, yet
I forget the rest of that day,
And much of the next,
Though both contained plenty of goodness,
Industrious hours spent in the kitchen,
Chicken pie, apple crumble, carrots and cranachan hours,
Three soups, six gingerbreads, spuds and cheese scones.

All the Irish visitors were out walking
While I steamed, clattered, mixed and rolled,
Sometimes like a thing possessed,
All the while minutes dropped through the sieve,
It was over and done with in no time.
But the salmon pie was cooked through,
And didn’t they just love it?

So you were the herald, a éin bhig ghlais,
You were their leader,
That huge migratory flock of moments,
Those welcome winter visitors!
Slán abhaile, agus
Fad saoil agat!

Catherine Eunson, November 2014

Catherine

Aon chànan no dhà?

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

GuthannaAir an oidhche mu dheireadh bha còmhradh goirid “dà-chànanach” ann eadar Caoimhín Ó Dónaill agus Gordon Wells.

’S e Caoimhín, a tha ag obair aig Ollscoil Uladh, a chuir air dòigh a’ chuairt le taic bhon choimpàirteachas “Colmcille”, agus tha Gordon na cho-òrdanaiche aig Guthan nan Eilean, agus e ag obair mar oifigear phròiseactan airson Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

An seo tha iad a’ bruidhinn air mar a bha iad fhèin a’ faireachdainn mu na chunnaic iad agus na rinn iad sna beagan làithean a bh’ aca.

Tha tòrr air tighinn a-mach mar-thà, le bhidiothan gu leòr air seanail ùr “Guthanna na nGael”. (Tha iad air Facebook cuideachd). Agus thathas an dòchas gum bi barrachd ri fhaicinn agus ri dhèanamh còmhla fhathast…

Eairdsidh Caimbeul à Beinn na Faoghla

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

EairdsidhRuevalTha Eairdsidh Caimbeul, à Beinn na Faoghla, air a bhith a’ toirt taic dhan phròiseict Guthan nan Eilean ann an iomadach dòigh bhon a thòisich sinn. Agus ‘s e a bha cuideachail a-rithis air an t-seachdain sa chaidh nuair a thadhail na h-Èireannaich oirnn. Tha e an comhnaidh deònach Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn, rud nach eil furasta uaireannan le luchd-ionnsachaidh a tha dìreach air tòiseachadh air a’ chànan. Agus tha clasaichean air a bhith aige air feadh nan eilean – clasaichean Ùlpan nam measg.

Seo e ma tha, a’ bruidhinn agus a’ beachdachadh air an turas a bh’ aige gu Èirinn an uiridh, agus air na tha ri fhaicinn agus ri dhèanamh air an eilean aige fhèin…

Irish Hallowe’en

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

Sitting by the huge original fireplace in the historic Nunton House – on a dark and stormy night – Colm shares his childhood memories of what Scottish Gaels would call “Oidhche Shamhna” with Malachy.

Oidhche Shamhna Èireannach air Clilstore

The two of them are conversing in Irish. This would ordinarily be quite a challenge for Scottish Gaelic speakers, but help is at hand – through Clilstore!

Our Irish visitors have been very quick learners, not only recording, editing, and uploading fresh video, but also supplying a transcript and placing it on the Clilstore platform. This will allow speakers of Scottish Gaelic, and other languages, to read as they listen, and check any words they don’t know in an online dictionary at the click of a mouse. Try it out – Clilstore Unit 2355.

Sùilean Èireannach air an Fhoghar

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

Seo blasad dhen obair bhidio aig Máirtín Mac Crábhagáin nuair a thàinig muinntir Thír Chonaill a chèilidh oirnn ann am Beinn na Faoghla.

Chaidh seo a dhèanamh aig an òsdail ann am Baile nan Cailleach – àite snog, sàmhach, comhfhurtail – fhad ’s a bha iad a’ feuchainn a-mach dòighean ùra airson cànan nàdarra a chlàradh. Nach math a rinn iad!

’S ann an Gaeilge na h-Èirinn a tha iad a’ bruidhinn an seo – ged a tha deagh Ghàidhlig Albannach aig Aodán agus aig Caoimhín cuideachd. Saoil dè cho furasta agus a tha e do Ghàidheil na h-Alba a bhith gan tuigsinn? Èistibh, agus gheibh sibh a-mach!