Allan Campbell - 27.6.24
Bho chionn seachdain bha mi a’ bruidhinn air a’ mhisneachadh a fhuair mise is feadhainn eile aig Mod Ionadail Obar Pheallaidh na bliadhna seo, agus abair gun d’ fhuair na bha an sàs togail spioraid às ùr eile aig Mòd Ionadail Inbhir Nis, Dihaoine agus Disathairne seo chaidh.
Le faisg air còig ceud a’ gabhail pàirt bha e follaiseach gun robh am Mòd seo a’ tilleadh gu neart an dèidh crìonadh bhliadhnaichean ghlasaidh Còbhaid. Bha farpaisich air siubhal bho thuath is deas, bhon ear ’s bhon iar, gus strì an aghaidh muinntir Sgìre Inbhir Nis fhèin, agus le aimsir thlachdmhor bha faireachadh aighearach feadh Thaigh-cluiche Chùirt an Aodainn.
Ged a tha inbhich nam pàirt chudromach de na Mòdan uile saoilidh mi gur iad an òigridh, mar sgàthan air a’ chànan anns na coimhearsnachdan, prìomh fhòcas nan cuirmean. Anns an t-seadh sin fhuair mise toileachas ag èisteachd ri clann bho aois prìomh a trì suas gu aois aona bliadhna deug ag aithris bàrdachd. Gun teagamh, agus mar a bhiodh dùil, bha mearachdan rin cluinntinn an siud ’s an seo, ach bha cuideachd sàr chomasan cànain agus misneachd a’ nochdadh cuideachd. Rud eile a thug toileachas dhuinn uile a bha ri britheamhachd ’s e mar a bha mòran dhen chloinn a bu shine a’ brosnachadh agus a’ cumail taic ri chèile, modh nach robh sinn air fhaicinn idir chun na h-aon ìre ann am bliadhnaichean roimhe.
Seadh, aig àm far am bheil uimhir de dhroch theisteanas aig òigridh na dùthcha, bha e taitneach da-rìribh a bhith coimhead giùlan aig òganaich a tha gu cinnteach na theisteanas air dachaighean agus sgoiltean!
Tha tachartas mar Mòd na ghucag a tha gad sgaradh bhon t-saoghal a-muigh, agus tha e daonnan na annas tighinn bhuaithe! Cha robh feasgar Disathairne seo chaidh eadar-dhealaichte is mi a’ tighinn bho àrainneachd aoigheil chiùil Gàidhlig gu saoghal aimhreiteach agus rapach phoilitigs far am bheil tagraichean a’ casaid is a’ glamhadh a chèile, mar radain ann am poca, a’ sireadh aire agus taic an t-sluaigh. Mar fhois bhon sin ’s dòcha, tha saoghal dùbhlanach, ach fhathast dòchasach(aig àm sgrìobhaidh seo), luchd-taice Sgioba Bhall-Coise Fhear Alba a bhios a’ farpais leis an Ungair feasgar na Sàbaid. Taobh seach taobh na thachras dhan sgioba, tha e na adhbhar moite dhan dùthaich seo gu lèir mar a tha luchd-taice Alba air iad fhèin a ghiùlan san Roinn Eòrpa, chun na h-ìre ’s gum bheil fàilte mheasail air a bhith orra anns gach baile. Deagh bheus, mar a chunnaic sinn cuideachd a’ nochdadh aig a’ Mhòd an Inbhir Nis, agus nach bu mhath smaoineachadh gur dòcha gum bheil seo na fhianais air leasachadh ann am modhalachd na dùthcha! Ach tha amharas agam, gu mì-fhortanach, gum bheil mi air mo mhealladh!
Seachdain bhon diugh anns an Taghadh Choitcheann Nàiseanta thèid, gun teagamh sam bith, mòran den luchd-bhòtaidh a mhealladh cuideachd leis gun cuir iad taic ri tagraichean nach coilean, airson caochladh adhbharan air nach bi smachd aca, na geallaidhean leis an do bhiath iad dubhan an cuid tagraidh!
In last week’s column I praised this year’s Aberfeldy Provincial Mod, and this past Friday and Saturday saw Inverness host a similarly enjoyable and successful event. With just under 500 competitors it was clear the annual Inverness event is well on the way to recovery following the impact of the Covid lockdown period.
Competitors travelled from all points of the compass to challenge the Inverness district entrants, and with the added benefit of fine weather there was a celebratory cultural atmosphere at Eden Court Theatre.
While adult competitions are extremely important, it is the children’s competitions which best reflect language strength in the community, and I had the pleasure of adjudicating poetry recitation by competitors from Primary three through to 11-year-olds. As one would expect there were errors to be heard, but there were also strong confident performances, and this year we were also aware of children supporting each other enthusiastically, something we had not seen to such an extent in previous years. Where young people’s behaviour is so much criticised nationally, it was extremely encouraging to see such commendable behaviour which reflects home and school environments.
Attending a Mod tends to become a unique bubble immersion and exiting it can feel something of a different cultural shock. Such was last Saturday’s experience for me departing a comfortable Gaelic music environment and being catapulted into a shabby political melee where contenders savage each other, like rats in a sack, in pursuit of voter support.
As, perhaps, a respite from that arena was the challenged, yet still hopeful (at the time of writing!), Tartan Army of support for Scotland’s National Men’s Football Team which will face Hungary on Sunday. Whatever the result of that match Scotland can be justifiably proud of how our supporters conducted themselves in Europe, where their good humour and courtesy has made them welcome in every city in which Scotland played.
Might this and conduct of the sort witnessed at the Inverness Mod be indicative of a national improvement in general behaviour? An unlikely dream I suspect, and I fear that many voters will be similarly misled when promises made by successful Parliamentary candidates are not fulfilled, often for reasons beyond the individual’s control!
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