Mòd open mic performers keep Gaelic flame alive

Throughout the night there was also poetry, comedy and rapping. Some performers were regulars to the open mic but others were in Oban specifically for the Mòd.

Kirsty Macdonald, one of the Let’s Make a Scene organisers performed two poems - one in Gaelic and one in English. Her second poem ‘Three Sails’ was about “the renewal of Gaelic language that is taking place in Oban at the moment”.

She spoke to the audience about her hope for the language with "the Gaelic census improving" and her seeing Gaelic spoken more amongst her own family. She explained that when she was younger she felt as if speaking Gaelic was frowned upon but now her son goes to a Gaelic medium school.

Kirsty said: “We try to use Gaelic with him as an everyday language and I didn’t get to do that as a kid. It feels as if we’re clawing something back.”

Fifteen-year-old Fionnlagh Moireasdan from Glasgow Gaelic High School also got up on the stage after a busy week competing in the Under-19 Battle of the Bands, winning first place in traditional solo singing 13-15 and being a part of the winning choir in the Choral Puirt-à- Beul 13-18 competition.

Fionnlagh performed his own song Fuiaim Na Fèise (The Sound of the Festival) and joked with the crowd that he might forget his words after having to memorise so many for competitions. Luckily the pressure was off and without any adjudicators watching him with beady eyes he could just have fun. 

He said afterwards: “I was itching to sing a song which I had written that we didn’t end up using in my band. They were looking for people to sing original songs in Gaelic and so I thought why not, and I’m glad I did it because I really enjoyed it.”