Abair spòrs a bh’ aca aig Cothrom ann an Ormacleit, latha no dhà ron Nollaig!
‘S cinnteach gun deach tòrr obair a dhèanamh ro-làimh, ge-tà, gus dealbh-chluiche sgoinneil mar seo a chur air dòigh.
Nach do rinn iad uile glè mhath, an dà chuid a’ chlann fhèin agus na daoine a bha gan cuideachadh!
An all-star cast from the ranks of Cothrom‘s full-time Gaelic nursery put on a stunning performance shortly before Christmas.
Congratulations all round to the young performers as well as the many helpers!
Ewen MacAskill from North Uist talks in Gaelic to Mary Morrison about the impact of the First World War on various family members and the wider community.
As with many Uist families there were members with direct experience of the war, and some who did not return – and those who did would often not speak about it.
The impacts on the community were brought into sharp focus through his mother’s position as Grimsay postmistress, and therefore deliverer of telegrams to other local families.
This short video was filmed by Laura Donkers for the “An fheadhainn tha laighe sàmhach” project, led by North Uist Historical Society.
Donald 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 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.
Four 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!
Here’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.)
Air 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…
Tha 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…
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Neil Comer of Ulster University is a man of many talents… Ceòl nam measg!
https://www.facebook.com/GuthanVoices/posts/933118706717864
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.
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.