A week-long programme to celebrate Gaelic culture is taking place across Edinburgh next week.
Seachdain na Gàidhlig Dùn Èideann – Edinburgh Gaelic Week – will run from Monday 20 to Sunday 26 February.
Traditional performances of poetry and music, Gaelic taster sessions and an evening of storytelling are highlights among the 26 events across the city.
On Thursday 23 February, writers Robbie MacLeòid and Rona Dhòmhnallach will join the University of Edinburgh’s Gaelic Writer in Residence and award-winning author, Martin Macintyre, to perform poetry and take part in a discussion about their own creative journeys with Gaelic prose.
Later in the week, Martin Macintyre will host an evening of bilingual stories as part of Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club night. Audience members will also have the opportunity to share their own poetry, stories or songs.
Edinburgh Gaelic Week is a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and City of Edinburgh Council to showcase Gaelic language from Scotland’s capital and beyond.
This year’s annual events series will be held in conjunction with the second ever World Gaelic Week, an international festival to connect people across the globe and promote Gaelic language and culture.
The University of Edinburgh launched the festival in 2014. It is now run by a committee of volunteers led by the University’s Gaelic Officer, with events run by organisations and individuals from across the city.
Martin Macintyre, author and Gaelic Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh, said: “I’m delighted to be able to support the festival and help bring people together to celebrate Gaelic language, arts and culture. It is such an important element of Scotland’s culture and I’m pleased to be able to play a part in something that enables us to showcase all of the amazing work happening in the Gaelic community.”
Councillor Joan Griffiths, Chair of the Gaelic Implementation Group at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Edinburgh’s Gaelic Week as it reinforces our commitment to growing Gaelic in Scotland’s capital city. These are exciting times for Gaelic in Edinburgh; we are working collaboratively with the Gaelic community to produce our third Gaelic Language Plan this year, alongside a long-term strategy for the development of Gaelic medium education in the city.”
And now for those of you who can read Gaelic:
Sgeulachdan, bàrdachd is ceòl a chuireas Gàidhlig air thoiseach aig tachartasan sa bhaile mhòr
Bidh prògram fad seachdain a bhios a’ dèanamh fèill air cultar na Gàidhlig a’ gabhail àite ann an Dùn Èideann.
Bidh Seachdain na Gàidhlig, Dùn Èideann – Edinburgh Gaelic Week – a’ ruith bho Dhiluain 20 gu Didòmhnaich 26 Gearran.
Gabhaidh na bàrr-phuingean a-steach coileanaidhean traidiseanta dhe bàrdachd is ceòl, seiseanan blas na Gàidhlig, agus oidhche de sgeulachdan am measg 26 tachartasan a ghabhas àite air feadh a’ bhaile.
Air Diardaoin 23 Gearran, bidh na sgrìobhadairean Robbie MacLeòid agus Rona Dhòmhnallach cuide ris an Sgrìobhadair Ghàidhlig air Mhuinntireas aig an Oilthigh, Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir, gus bàrdachd a choileanadh is pàirt a ghabhail ann an còmhradh mu na turasan cruthachail aca fhèin le rosg Gàidhlig.
Nas anmoiche san t-seachdain, cumaidh Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir oidhche de sgeulachdan dà-chànanach mar phàirt de oidhche club sgeulachdan Dhùn Èideann a bhios ga cumail gach mìos. Bidh cothrom aig na luchd-èisteachd sgeul, dàn no òran a ghabhail cuideachd.
’S e co-obrachadh eadar an Oilthigh is Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann a th’ ann an Seachdain Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann, a bhios a’ brosnachadh na Gàidhlig ann am prìomh bhaile na h-Alba is nas fharsainge.
Bidh an t-sreath thachartasan bliadhnail ga chumail ann an co-bhonn ri dàrna Seachdain na Gàidhlig, fèis eadar-nàiseanta leis an amas gus ceanglaichean a dhèanamh air feadh an t-saoghail agus a’ Ghàidhlig a bhrosnachadh.
Chuir an t-Oilthigh Seachdain Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann air bhog ann an 2014. Tha e air a ruith le comataidh saor-thoilich is air a stiùireadh le Oifigear Gàidhlig an Oilthighe, le tachartasan a bhios gan cumail le buidhinn is daoine fa leth bho air feadh a’ bhaile mhòir.
Thuirt Màrtainn Mac an t-Saoir, ùghdar is Sgrìobhadair Gàidhlig air Mhuinntireas aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann, “Tha mi air mo dhòigh glan gun urrainn dhomh taic a thoirt dhan fhèis agus daoine a thoirt còmhla gus cànan, ealain is cultar Gàidhlig a chomharrachadh. ’S e eileamaid air leth cudromach de chultar na h-Alba a th’ ann agus tha mi toilichte gun urrainn dhomh pàirt a ghabhail ann an rudeigin a bheir comas dhuinn cudrom a chur air an obair sgoinneil a tha a’ tachairt sa choimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig.”
Thuirt Comhairliche Joan Griffiths, Cathair Sgioba Gàidhlig aig Comhairle Baile Dhùn Èideann, “Tha sinn air leth toilichte a bhith a’ toirt taic do Sheachdain Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann, agus e ag ath-neartachadh an dleastanas againn Gàidhlig fhàs ann am prìomh bhaile na h-Alba. ’S e amannan brosnachail a tha seo dhan Ghàidhlig ann an Dùn Èideann; tha sinn ag obair gu co-obrachail còmhla ri coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig gus an treas Plana Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh am bliadhna, cuide ri ro-innleachd fad-ùine airson leasachadh an fhoghlaim tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig sa bhaile.”
Tha prògram tachartais ri fhaighinn air làrach-lìn Seachdain Gàidhlig Dhùn Èideann: Gaelic Week Edinburgh – Seachdain na Gàidhlig Dùn Èideann
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
