Comunn Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis

We will be holding the Annual Culloden Remembrance service on Saturday 18th April 2009.

All are welcome, please meet at the Cairn for 11am.

Ann an 2007, chuir “Urras an Eilein” air doigh an dàrna turas (bha iad thall an toiseach ann an 2004) a dh’ionnsaigh cladhan a’ Chiad Chogaidh Mhòir ann am Flanders. An turas seo, chaidh seirbheis cuimhneachaidh shònraichte sa Ghàidhlig a cumail an sin. Thadhail an luchd-siubhail cuideachd air St Valery-en-Caux far an deach a’ 51mh Feachd Gàidhealach a ghlacadh an greim anns a’ Cheitean 1940. Dh’fhàg sin mòran Ghàidheil òga nam prìosanaich cogaidh sa Ghearmailt is sa Phòlainn fad còig blia

Bha Murchadh Peutan as a’ Bhaile Mheadhanach san Eilean Sgitheanach gu mòr an sàs ann an deasachadh an turais agus, air Dihaoine 21mh Samhain, rinn e òraid mun turas aig Comunn Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis. Sheall Bill McGonagle tòrr dhealbhan mun turais agus chaidh fiolm ghoirid a shealltainn mu eachdraidh a 51mh.

In 2007 the Skye based charity “Urras an Eilein” organised a second visit to the First World War cemeteries in Flanders. This journey responded to demand which followed a successful tour in 2004, and on this occasion a special memorial service was held there in Gaelic. The tour included a visit to St Valery-en-Caux in northern France where the 51st Highland Division was forced to surrender in May 1940, resulting in so many young Highlanders spending five harrowing years as prisoners of war in Germany and Poland.

Murdo Beaton from Balmeanach in Skye was one of the organisers of the tour and Friday 21st November he presented a talk to the Gaelic Society of Inverness on the tour. Bill McGonagle illustrated the talk with pictures that were taken on he tour and a short film on the 51st Highland division was shown.

Air Dihaoine 7mh Samhain, bidh Denis Rixson a’ toirt seachad òraid: “The Hebridean Traveller”. Bidh an òraid aig 7.30f aig an Ionad Netley, Rathaid an Easbaig, Inbhir Nis.

On Friday 7th November, Denis Rixson will deliver a lecture entitled “The Hebridean Traveller”. The lecture will be held at 7.30pm at the Netley Centre, Bishop’s Road, Inverness. All welcome.

The debate over bilingual signage in Caithness continues, the Press & Journal reports.

Nine out of the area’s ten councillors have come out against bilingual signage in their area.  

Speaking on the subject Independent councillor David Bremner said:

The council should respect the differences that exist within the different counties of the Highlands. We’re not anti-Gaelic, but let’s not waste public money on something the public don’t really want here.

Whilst Caithness council seems to be forming a bloc of opposition to the bilingual signage policy, the issue is unlikely to be resolved any time soon.

In a letter to the Inverness Courier Donald Morris, chair of Foram Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis, has stated that his organisation fully supports bilingual signage and that local councillors should accept them;  he notes that “Highland Council has voted on numerous occasions to use bilingual signage throughout the authority area”.

The letter ends with a stinging rebuke of those councillors who oppose the signage policies:

Their partisan and unreasonable behaviour flies in the face of the Gaelic Language Act and Highland Council’s own Gaelic Language Plan — both of which accept the place of Gaelic as a language deserving “equal respect” to English. It’s about time they showed some respect.

Caithness Councillor John Rosie has gone on record with the controversial view that the Highland Council’s bilingual signage policy “should not apply in his area because the heritage of Caithness is more Viking than Gaelic.”

His statement was quickly condemned by the Chairman of the Council’s Gaelic Committee, Cllr. Hamish Fraser.

The full article can be read on the Press and Journal’s website.