New initiative seeks to promote Gaelic in Tiree

Thugadh gairm car eadar-dhealaichte le coimhearsnachd eileanach a tha air dòigh ùr a lorg air taic a thoirt don Ghàidhlig ann an aon dhe na sgìrean mu dheireadh far a bheil i fhathast na cànan coimhearsnachd.

 

Tha Urras Thiriodh air a bhi air chùlaibh iomadh leasachadh sòisealta agus economach air an eilean thar 27 bliadhna, le Gàidhlig a-measg nam prìomhachasan. Tha mu 650 neach a’ còmhnaidh an Tiriodh, le beagan a bharrachd air 30% sa cheud dhiubh a’ bruidhinn Gàidhlig, crìonadh eagalach de chòrr is a leth uiread ann an 40 bliadhna. Chuir Rhoda Meek, cathraiche an Urrais, agus na neach-gnothaich, croitear agus neach-coiteachaidh ainmeil air cuspairean dùthchail, roimhpe dealbh a thogail air miannan agus feumalachdan èiginneach a’ chànain ann an Tiriodh, agus chaidh an t-iarrtas ma sgaoil, feuch cò dh’fhaotadh ùidh a nochdadh ann a bhi cuideachadh gus amasan an Urrais a thoirt gu buil.

As dèidh fairleachadh obraiche Gàidhlig fhasdadh tro na dòighean àbhaisteach, cho-dhùin Urras Thiriodh slighe eadar-dhealaichte a ghabhail gus an obair a choileanadh. An àite clàr-obrach teann is uairean stèidhichte a thabhann, thugadh gairm air daoine a dh’fhaotadh a bhi airson obair còmhla riutha, ag ainmeachadh grunn raointean-obrach – Gàidhlig nam measg – agus ag iarraidh air daoine brath a chur thuca. Foirmean cha robh ri lìonadh an toiseach, dìreach “deànamaid crac ri chèile feuch dè dh’fhaotadh tighinn às”.

Tro neart nam meadhanan sòisealta, ràinig an cuireadh an neach-ciùil is craoladair Gàidhealach, Màiri Anna NicUalraig, a bha air a piobrachadh gus barrachd fhaighinn a-mach. Tha a gnìomhachas fhèin aig Màiri Anna, stiùidio Watercolour Music ann an Loch Abar, agus tha dàimh làidir aice ri Tiriodh tro a h-athair, Alasdair. As dèidh còmhradh eadar i fhèin is Àrd-Mhanaidsear an Urrais, Phyl Meyer, ràinig iad freagairt a dh’fhàgas Màiri Anna ag obair mar phàirt de Sgioba Ghàidhlig, còmhla ri ban-Thirisdeach òg, Lauren NicArtair. 

Bidh Màiri Anna ag obair eadar tir-mòr agus Tiriodh dà là san t-seachdain, agus bidh Lauren a’ leudachadh na h-obrach a th’ aice cheana aig an Urras, airson taic a thoirt do phròiseactan Gàidhlig.

 

Thuirt Màiri Anna, “Dh’èirich mi suas ann an Glaschu le pàrantan à Tiriodh agus às an Eilean Sgitheanach, a roghnaich a dh’aona-ghnothaich an teaghlach a thogail le Gàidhlig agus a bha gu mòr a’ coiteachadh airson na Gàidhlig thar nam bliadhnaichean. Tha min dùil, tha min dòchas, gum biodh dad moiteil às mo cho-dhùnadh amas air a bhi airidh air an dìleab sin le bhi tighinn a Thiriodh aig àm far a bheil an cànan ann an càs ann.”    

 

Thuirt Phyl Meyer, “Tha Urras Thiriodh ag aithneachadh cho riatanach sa tha Gàidhlig do dhualchas agus muinntir an eilein, an-diugh agus san ùine ri teachd, agus tha fiughair oirnn feuch dè mar a dh’obraicheas ar sgioba ùr leis na h-eileanaich airson luaidh is cobhair a dhèanamh air an cànan. Tha sinn gu mòr an comain Bòrd na Gàidhlig airson taic a chur ris an obair seo.”

 

Thuirt Rhoda Meek, “Is i a’ choimhearsnachd anam a’ chànain. Ma chailleas sinn sin, cha bhi ann an Gàidhlig ach cuspair sgoileach. Le Màiri Anna agus Lauren, a bhuinneas dhan choimhearsnachd, ag obair air a’ phroiseact chudromach seo, tha mi den bheachd gu bheil fìor chothrom againn deifir a dhèanamh.”

 

Tha Màiri Anna cuideachd gu mòr airson an ceangal coimhearsnachd a bhrosnachadh, is dhiùlt i an tiotal ‘Oifigear Leasachaidh Gàidhlig’. Ghabh i ge-tà ri ‘Leasaiche Gàidhlig’, a mhol prìomh eòlaiche Gàidhlig an eilein, an t-Àrd-ollamh Dòmhnall Meek. Ann an Gàidhig Thiriodh, tha ‘leasachadh’ cuideachd a’ ciallachadh innearadh no a’ beartachadh na talmhainn, a’ toirt ciall a bharrachd a tha a’ ceangal na h-obrach ris an fhearann agus ris na daoine.  

Thuirt Màiri Anna, “Tha seo mu choimhearsnachd, agus bidh mi fhìn is Lauren a’ cur seachad ùine an toiseach a’ daingneachadh nan ceangalan sin. Tha ar doras fosgailte agus tha sinn gu mòr an dòchas gum bi daoine deònach bruidhinn rinn agus obair còmhla rinn gus gnothaichean a chur gu dol.”

 

Thuirt Lauren, a bhuinneas do Shanndaig an taobh siar an eilein, “Dh’fhàs mise suas le Gàidhlig na mo theaghlach agus na mo sgoil. Tha mi airson cuideachadh gus dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil àite aig mo chànan fhìn ann am beatha Thiriodh san ùine ri teachd.”

An unusual job call out from an island community has led to a whole new approach to supporting and developing the Gaelic language in one of its few remaining native-speaking communities. 

Urras Thiriodh has been promoting a wide range of social and economic developments in the island of Tiree for the past 27 years, with Gaelic being one of its priorities. Part of the Inner Hebrides, Tiree is a small island of around 650 people, where just over 30% of the population are Gaelic speakers, a serious decline of over half in the past 40 years. Their chair, the well-known businesswoman, crofter and rural campaigner Rhoda Meek, wrote up her vision for the aspirations and immediate needs of the language in Tiree, and the call went out to see who could be interested in helping to realise the Trust’s ambitions.

Having tried the usual means of finding a Gaelic worker without success, the Tiree Trust decided to take an unusual approach to job recruitment. Instead of a rigid job description and hours being advertised, the Trust simply put out an open call for people interested in the possibility of working with them on various fronts – Gaelic prominent among them – and invited expressions of interest. No off-putting application forms or formalities at first, just “let’s have a chat and see what might work”.

Through the power of social media, that call reached Highland musician and broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy, who was intrigued to find out more. Mary Ann runs her own business, the highly successful Watercolour Music studios in rural Ardgour, and has close ties with Tiree through her father, Alasdair. Following discussions between herself and Trust General Manager, Phyl Meyer, they settled on an innovative solution which will see Mary Ann working as part of a Gaelic team alongside young Gaelic-speaking local islander Lauren MacArthur.

Mary Ann will be working a hybrid combination of remote working and time in Tiree for two days a week, while Lauren will be expanding her existing role in the Trust to include days working on Gaelic-related projects. 

 

Mary Ann said, “I grew up in Glasgow with parents from Tiree and Skye who made a conscious decision to bring their family up as Gaelic-speakers and who were very active in the language over the years. I think, I hope, my dad would be proud of my decision to earn that legacy by coming to work in Tiree at a time when the language is in a very fragile state on the island.”

 

Phyl Meyer said, “Urras Thiriodh recognises how important Gaelic is to the culture, people and future of Tiree, and we are excited to see how our new Gaelic team will work with islanders to celebrate and support their language. We are very grateful to Bòrd na Gàidhlig for supporting this work.”

 

Rhoda Meek said, “The community is the soul of the language. If we lose that, we reduce Gaelic to an intellectual exercise. Having Mary Ann and Lauren, who belong to that community, working on this vital project, I believe we stand a chance of making a real difference.”

 

Mary Ann is also keen to reinforce the community connection, declining to be called a ‘Gaelic Development Officer’, and taking the title of ‘Leasaiche Gàidhlig’, a suggestion offered by the island’s pre-eminent Gaelic scholar, Prof Donald Meek. In Tiree Gaelic, ‘leasachadh’ has an additional meaning of ‘improving the land’, giving its usual connotation of development a real connection to land and people.

 

Mary Ann added, “This is about the community, and Lauren and I will be spending our initial time in making those vital connections. Our door is open and we really hope that folk will be up for talking to us and working with us to make things happen.”

 

Lauren, who hails from Sandaig in the west of the island, said, “I grew up with Gaelic around me in my family and in my school. I want to help make sure that my language has a place and a future in Tiree.”

 

English (UK)