Building Networks
Gàidheil Éirinn air Chuairt // Gaels visit from County Derry
Bho chionn seachdain no dhà, chaidh Oifigear Cultair Ghàidhlig Àdhamh Ó Broin gus coinneachadh ri Gàidheil eile a bha air chuairt taobh Ghleann Chille Mhàrtainn à Sgìre Dhoire. Ghlac e an cothrom beagan mu dhéidhinn eachdraigh ’s dualchainnt na dùthcha a thoirt seachad tro mheadhan Gàidhlig na h-Éirinn ’s ghabh e òran a bhuineas don àite cuideachd.
In August 2023 our Gaelic Culture Officer Àdhamh Ó Broin met some fellow Gaels on tour in Kilmartin Glen from County Derry, Ireland. He grabbed the opportunity to share a little about the Gaelic history and dialect of the region through the medium of Irish Gaelic and sang a song belonging to the district too.
“ ’S e rud gu math brosnachail a bh’ ann a bhith a’ tachairt air Gàidheil òga ris an iomain moch sa mhadainn ’s aig an robh Gàidhlig gu ìre fileanta ’s miann leotha bhith ga bruidhinn mar an ciadna!
// It was a very encouraging thing to be meeting young Gaels who were at the hurling early in the morning and who had Gaelic to a fluent level and the desire to speak it to boot!” - Àdhamh Ó Broin
“Bhí muid iontach sásta bualadh le hÁdhamh i gCill Mhártainn, áit ar thug sé léargas iontach dúinn ar stair an Mhuine Mhóir, Dhún Ad agus Earra Ghael, agus cheol sé cúpla amhrán dúinn chomh maith.
// We were incredibly pleased to meet with Àdhamh at Kilmartin, a place that he shared some fantastic history with us about; Am Mòine Mhór, Dunadd Fort and Argyll generally and he even sung a couple of songs for us too!” - Séamus Mac Conmidhe, ball de Choiste Forbatha Chárn Tóchair ’s tuismitheoir le Cumann Óige Charn Tóchair // Séamus Mac Conmidhe, member of Carntogher Community Association and parent with Carntogher Irish Medium Youth Group.
Le taic bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig ’s Foras na Gaeilge and An Carn
A Chiad Oidhche // Opening night of FLIGHT by Frank McElhinney
Na bu tràithe sa mhìos, chaidh Àdhamh ’s Deirdre thun a’ chiad oidhche de thaisbeanadh ùr ann an Ionad Acha’ na Creige san Óban.
CHARTS’ Àdhamh and Deirdre attended the opening night of FLIGHT by Frank McElhinney at The Rockfield Centre
“’S ann mu dhéidhinn mar a thachair air Gàidheil Éireannach mu mheadhan na 19mh linn ’s gu sònraichte mu dhéidhinn na b’ fheudar dhaibh dèanamh gus tighinn beò, a’ teicheadh às an dùthaich aca fhéin an tòir air obair ’s sàbhailteachd.B’ fheudar do shinnsearan Frang an dearbh leithid a dhèanamh; ’s ann mu dhéidhinn an dà chuid eachdraigh fharsainn agas phearsanta a tha an taisbeanadh seo.
// FLIGHT explored what happened to the Gaels of Ireland around the middle of the 19th century and especially about what they had to do to survive, fleeing from their own country in search of work and safety. Frank’s ancestors had to do the very same thing; this exhibition is about both this broader and very personal history.” - Àdhamh Ó Broin
Chòrd e gu mór ri Àdhamh aig a’ bheil an sgeul ciadna am measg muinntir athair, Séamus Ó Broin.
It was thoroughly enjoyed by Àdhamh, who has the very same story amongst the people of his father Séamus Ó Broin.
Clas Gàidhlig an Àrchair // Arrochar Gaelic Class
Eadar crìoch a’ Chéitein ’s meadhan an Iuchair, chuir CHARTS an cuid taic ri clas Gàidhlig ùr anns an Àrchair air a theasgasg leis an Oifigear Cultair Ghàidhlig againn Àdhamh Ó Broin.
Between the end of May and the middle of July, CHARTS supported a new 6-week-long Gaelic class in Arrochar taught by our Gaelic Culture Officer Àdhamh Ó Broin.
Bha deagh mheasgachadh de dhaoine ann, bho luchd-tòiseachaidh gu luchd-fileantachd, a’ ciallachadh gum b’ urrainn dhuinn dà bhuidhean a chur air dòigh!
The class was a great mix of folk, from beginners to fluent speakers, allowing us to set up not just one but two groups!
“I don’t know how we would have managed without Àdhamh. The group members all really wanted someone there in person to teach us, rather than use impersonal online technology. It would have been prohibitively expensive for our wee rural group to pay for the hall hire, a tutor’s time and travel expenses. However Àdhamh, CHARTS and Argyll & Bute Council made this affordable and therefore possible for us to have a Gaelic language course in our Three Villages Hall. We all benefitted from having Àdhamh here in person and enjoyed the classes very much.” - Kirsten Easdale, Arrochar
“I really found the Gaelic classes very helpful in making me learn more about the language. Having Àdhamh in person to guide us was really beneficial. He was very encouraging and made the classes fun and interactive. I would definitely attend a class again.” - Giovanni Arsciwals, Tarbet
“Although I missed most of the classes due to various things, I found the evening I attended to be beneficial and it’s great to see so many getting on with the Gaelic. Many thanks for all for their efforts” - Ruairidh Owen, Arrochar
Dùthchas Beò | Ceangal ri Uachdar na Dùthcha // Dùthchas Beò | Revitalising Reciprocity With The Gaelic Landscape
Chaidh Dùthchas Beò a chumail ann an co-bhann ri SCCAN Earra-Ghàidheal agus rinn e sgrùdadh air dùthchas beò ann an ceann iar-thuath na h-Eòrpa, air cò ris a tha cleachdaidhean deas-ghnàthach Gàidhlig coltach, agus mar a dh’fhaodar cleachdaidhean an fhearainn a chur gu feum ann an saoghal an là an-diugh.
Dùthchas Beò was held in partnership with SCCAN Argyll and explored living indigeneity in the north-west fringes of Europe, what Gaelic ceremonial practice looks like, and how land-based ritual has a practical application in today's world.
"An dèidh nam bliadhnaichean de dheas-ghnàthasan le luchd-aoigheachd dùthchasach, bha an t-àm ann feadhainn de na dòighean practaigeach sam faod sinn beatha às ùr a thoirt dhan chàirdeas a th’ againn ris an fhearann a rèir na Gàidhlig tro chleachdadh na Gàidhlig a sgaoileadh gu farsaing. Taing dhan a h-uile duine a thàinig à coimhearsnachd Earra-Ghàidheal agus nas fhaide air falbh airson là a bha cumhachdach is drùidhteach agus thathar an dòchas gum bi tòrr a bharrachd dhiubh ann!
// After years of stepping into ceremony with indigenous guests, it was time to share more broadly some of the practical ways in which we can revitalise our relationship with the land in a Gaelic context and through use of the Gaelic language. Thanks to all who came along from the community in Argyll and from further afield during what turned out to be a very powerful and moving occasion and hopefully the first of many!" - Àdhamh Ó Broin
Gàidhlig aig Pàirc na h-Uamha // Gaelic at Cove Park
Ann an 2023 chruthaich Oifigear na Gàidhlig againn, Àdhamh Ó Broin, lìonraidhean ùra, a’ tòiseachadh buidheann Ghàidhlig san Àrchar agus a’ dèanamh cheanglaichean ri Pàirc na h-Uamha, far an robh CHARTS ag obair mar thaic ri ùghdaran Gàidhlig, Màiri NicLeòid agus Rody Gorman nam measg.
In 2023 our Gaelic Officer, Àdhamh Ó Broin, built new networks, starting a Gaelic language group in Arrochar and making connections with Cove Park, where CHARTS worked to support Gaelic authors, including Mairi MacLeod and Rody Gorman.
"Tha saothair ùr Màiri mu Ghlaschu na bliadhnaichean air thoiseach an dèidh do mhòran atharrachaidhean tighinn air an t-saoghal. Bha sgrìobhadh Màiri barraichte fhèin, le cainnt ghrinn, ruitheam math dha-rìribh agus ìomhaighean soilleir. Tha fiughair agam ris na sgrìobhas i sna mìosan a tha romhainn! Taing mhòr do Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean airson an cothrom seo a chruthachadh agus dhan sgioba aig Pàirc na h-Uamha – togalach làn solais agus sheallaidhean cho eireachdail is a gheibhear.
Bha oidhche sgoinneil ann a’ cumail Rody Gorman san Ògmhios 2023, le leughadh air an làthair às an leabhar air fàire aige Sweeney: an Intertonguing, tionndadh às ùr air Buile Shuibhne ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba, Gàidhlig na h-Èireann agus sa Bheurla, agus mìrean annasach eile de bhàrdachd is de rosg ann an iomadh cànan.
// Mairi’s new work is about a Glasgow years in the future after much change has come upon the world. Mairi's writing was excellent, with neat phrasing, great rhythm and clear imagery. I look forward to what comes to the surface through her pen in the coming months! A huge thanks to the Gaelic Books Council for creating this opportunity and to the team at Cove Park - a building full of light with views as lovely as it gets
It was a superb evening hosting Rody Gorman in June 2023, with live reads from his forthcoming book ‘Sweeney: An Intertonguing’ a new translation in verse and prose of the mediaeval epic Buile Shuibhne / The Frenzy of Sweeney in English, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic, as well as all kinds of other fascinating tidbits of verse and prose and multilingual wordplay.” - Àdhamh Ó Broin