An Suidheachadh. The Situation.

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

In this piece, Fiona NicÌosaig (MacIsaac) reflects on the difficulties faced by Gaelic speaking communities. Strong communities are vital to the longevity of the language, but how do we ensure that communities are supported? What is the situation actually like on the ground, amongst younger generations? How beneficial is it that Gaelic is the language […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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The Vernacular Gaelic Community in Crisis; A Liminal Perspective

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

I’m on the Isle of Lewis as we come out of lockdown and I have spoken only Gaelic today. I had a yarn with the dog but didn’t get much back and wrote a message in Gaelic to my daughter in Shetland. I spoke with a family friend for a while and then at length […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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A Child Eye’s View of Language Revitalisation: Hope and opportunity for the future of Gaelic in Scotland

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

As part of our ongoing series about Gaelic in Scotland we ask: What could we learn from research in Ireland about how to support language regeneration? The announcement last week that Gaelic is predicted to perish as a community language within the decade hardly came as a surprise to me—as others have pointed out, those […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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Falach-cuain

Le Steaphan

Falaich thu fhèin mar chùlanach
am broinn do sheòmair chadail
a dh’ullaich do mhàthair chaomh dhut,
bhon a tha buirb air do thòir.

Buirb thapaidh nach do stad
gus do chiont a chur an teagamh,
cha d’ chuir ’ad ceist anns a’ chasaid
a chuala thu nad sheasamh.

Chan ann gun fhios a bha thu
dar ràinig ’ad do stairseach fhèin,
is cha do dh’fhan thu ann
a bhith gearrte às mar loch-bhlèin.

Stuigeadh annad na coin
bho stèisean gu port-adhair,
feadh frìthean an àrd-bhaile
ach ghabh na h-ùmpaidhean sgàth.

Is ann nach robh iad eòlach ort,
’s chan fhac’ ’ad broinn do mhàileid;
shaoil iad thu bhith teicheadh bhuap’
seach bhith dol am bad do nàmhaid.

Le Steaphan Mac Risnidh

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Bithidh coma – stop being so polite

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Uill, a’ Ghàidhlig chòir. Tòrr smuaintean a dol aig a h-uile duine, seo beagan meòrachadh bhuam fhìn [A few thoughts on the present situation about Gaelic. This is a very important juncture for Gaelic. English below]. Tha naidheachd mun rannsachadh ùr seo air eagal a chuir air grùnnd dhaoine. Tha tòrr ag radh air na […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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Responding Creatively to The Gaelic Crisis

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Like many Gaelic speakers, this week I was left reeling with the title of the new book by Conchúr Ó Giollagáin and aghast at the spin put on it by the mainstream print and online media. The news even travelled so far as CNN. When have they shown any interest whatsoever in our minoritised community? […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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Cumha a’ Chànain Chaillte

Le Alistair Paul

Bha mi ri ur taobh tro thoileachas is cruas
Aig bàs is breith, aig stèidh do sheanchais
Bu mhise air bilean ur Dè an àm breitheanais
Bu mhise a chùmadh blàths ri ur caidreachas

Is truagh mise on a thrèig sibh mi

Bha mi nur cuideachd nuair ’shiubhail sibh bho thùs
Tro tìr, is tonn, is teagamh bu mhise ur misneachd
Tromhamsa a chuireadh an sgeulachd air gleus
Bu mhise a thug tuairisgeul air na bha ri teachd

Is truagh mise on a thrèig sibh mi

Bha mi a’ cluich leibh is sibh nur pàistean
– Bu mhise a thug sibh ciall ur càirdeasan
– Bu mhise a chuir an cèill ur ciad ghaol
– Bu mhise a thug brìgh do ur saoghal

Is truagh mise on a thrèig sibh mi

Thàinig am buille is thàinig gu cruaidh e
Claidheamh air a shàthadh tro mo chridhe
Fo ur sùileansan a chaidh mo leagail
Nam ablach; mo dheò lem fhuil gam fhàgail

Is truagh mise on a thrèig sibh mi

Càit’ a bheil sibh a’ tàmh a chlann mo ghaoil?
Cò na briathran coimheach a-nis ur n-iùl?
A threòir bhuam sibh do thìr an aineoil
Fada bhon dùthchas a dh’fhàg sibh air ur cùl

Is truagh mise on a thrèig sibh mi

‘S mise a tha dìleas dhuibh agus bidh gu bràth
Ge dìmeas mo dhàimh cha traogh mo ghràdh
Am measg nam faileas an cùl ur n-inntinne
Sin mise a’ feitheamh gu foighidneach ur pilltinne

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Gaelic and the Hebrides are Valuable – Let’s Strengthen Them

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

Charles (Teàrlach) Wilson argues that the Hebrides are not a remote archipelago with nice views and old-fashioned ways of life: they are a crucial and important part of Scottish society, identity, history. If we reconceive the problems of Gaelic as not a crisis of language but a crisis of how we see rural and Highland […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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Smuaintean, fo Ghlasadh-Sluaigh

Le Bella Caledonia Editor

  In this piece Fiona MacIsaac explores the impact that the lockdown has had on her mental health. Isolated in a way in which is multi-layered, from friends and events on the mainland, the sense of loneliness is only heightened. Time has lost its rigidity and seems to stretch into one infinite day. Current events […]

Tadhail air Ghetto na Gàidhlig – Bella Caledonia

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Stòras Beò: Catrìona

Le Gordon Wells

Visitors to the annual Ceòlas summer school in South Uist, among many others with an interest in Gaelic cultural and educational activities, will need little introduction to Catriona MacIntyre. Here she is talking to Archie Campbell for UHI’s project, Stòras Beò nan Gàidheal.

Here, in the first part, Catrìona, from Iochdar in South Uist, recalls happy schooldays, first in Iochdar, then Daliburgh, and finishing in Fort William on the mainland. Having decided on a teaching career she trained in Glasgow, before returning to South Uist for her first job, in Lochboisdale, where she used her Gaelic extensively. On marrying she moved back to Fort William where she worked in a school for twenty years, noticing the close island and Gaelic connections of many in the town and the school.

A Clilstore transcript is available here: http://multidict.net/cs/8233

In the second part, Catrìona talks about her seminal involvement in the development of Gaelic Medium Education in Lochaber and neighbouring areas, together with the growth of the Fèis movement at the same time. She enjoyed her peripatetic lifestyle. On retiring home to South Uist, she was involved in supply teaching, and has become closely involved with Ceòlas, the summer school and associated activities, and been involved in teaching Gaelic to adults, for example, for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig.

A Clilstore transcript is available here: http://multidict.net/cs/8235


Tadhail air Island Voices – Guthan nan Eilean

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