This year’s entries to the FilmG Gaelic Shorts competition include (as usual) several with Uig connections, including an atmospheric look around the Established Church at Baile na Cille, just prior to its imminent renovation.
Read more →Some of the Chessmen will be on display in Uig on 13 September 2011 and in honour of this very special occasion, an Uig bard has written a welcome.
Read more →Chaidh an amhran seo a dhèanamh an deidh a Chogaidh mhòir an uair a thoisich iad a’briseadh sios nam bàiltean ùra. Bha Domhnall Donn, mar a bha a’ chuid mhòr an Uig, airson Lever agus a’ smaoineachadh gu robh e dèanamh ceart agus a’ toirt obair dhan an eilean.
Read more →Tha Peigi Oighrig NicÌomhair (anns a mheadhan) air iomadh òrain a sgrìobhadh thar na bliadhnaichean. Rugadh Peigi air a’ Chnìp, Sgìre Uig ann an 1926 agus gu dearbha fhèin bha teanga nam bàrd a’ ruith troimh ‘n teaghlach aice. Bha grand uncle dhith ‘Dòmhnall Donn’ na bhàrd baile air a’ Chnìp na latha, agus sgìobh Aonghas Coinneach, bràthair Pheigi fhein, mòran òrain agus rannan.
Read more →Do lorg ‘s do bhata treun Tha iad a tabhairt comhfurtachd Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm XXIII, v4 Do Lorg ‘s Do Bhata Treun was written by Murdo Macdonald of Crola during his stay in Lewis Hospital, while awaiting his operation for goitre. The operation was unsuccessful and he died at [...]
Read more →This song of lament for the people and places of Uig was written by Donald Morrison, born 1858 to 3 Valtos, who left Uig in 1886 and settled in Winnipeg. Donald had been involved in the land struggle in the early 1880s and tradition maintains that he had to leave as things were getting too [...]
Read more →Two tales from when Alexander MacRae and then his widow had Ardroil Farm (see also our new list of Uig farms and their owners and rental). English follows. Bha bean Alasdair na Riobhach ‘na boireannach diadhaibha bha cumail smachd theann air na searbhantan. Glè thric, anns a’ mhadainn an dèidh na leabhraichean bhiodh cùirt ann nam [...]
Read more →[singlepic id=1174 w=600] From the People’s Journal, 27 September 1958. It’s a while now since Dr Donald Macdonald [Dolly Doctor] of Gisla in Lewis practised at his profession. But the jovial, big-hearted doctor is still a cure and a tonic for many folk not only in his native island, but in many other circles. Take [...]
Read more →This is the final section of an interesting and detailed piece on the Pygmies Isle (first mentioned by Dean Monro in 1549 as having been inhabited by “little people”) near the Butt of Lewis , published by WC Mackenzie in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland, 13 March 1905 (vol XXXIX, p257). It’s [...]
Read more →Just now I am up in a cold land And a message has arrived for us to go to sea, That the ships are now assembled and when night comes We have to move off with them. -Murdanie Macritchie This song was written by Petty Officer Murdanie Macritchie, Brenish, whilst serving during the Second War [...]
Read more →Maggie Smith and John Murdo Macdonald have recently produced a DVD of songs of Uig, an excellent record for which the Comann Eachdraidh is grateful. The DVD can be purchased for £10 plus postage from Maggie on 01851 860204. Traditional singers Pèigi Oighrig Smith of Kneep and Agnes Fraser originally from Reef, sing songs from [...]
Read more →[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Verses written by Norman “Conter” Macleod, am Bard Bochd and for many years headmaster at Lochcroistean, on the occasion of the marriage of Agnes Smith, Lochcroistean, to Kenny Maclennan, 15 Kneep. It was sung at the wedding by Kenny Dan Smith, 2 Ungeshader; and the reading here is [...]
Read more →[singlepic=620,390] Ciorstaidh Mhòr, Christina Matheson, was born in 1861 in Enaclete, a daughter of William Ruadh and a sister of William Dearg. Her father came with his family to Geshader in the late 19th century and built this house at 2 Geshader, on the hillside overlooking the loch on the right as you drive into [...]
Read more →The BBC Alba series A Reir na h-Aimsir, which looks at how weather affects us, was this week in Lewis, looking at how traditional blackhouse architecture has been adapted for a new house in Brenish, amongst other things. There’s a trio of well-known Uig bodachs on local weather lore at about the 22-minute mark. To [...]
Read more →Sgeulachdan goirid air a’ chuspair ‘Cianalas’. Duaisean air leth airson fileantaich & luchd-ionnsachaidh: Bun-Sgoil: 1. £40 : 2. £20 : 3. £15 (suas gu 200 facal) Àrd-Sgoil: 1. £60 : 2. £40 : 3. £20 (suas gu 500 facal) Inbhich: 1. £150 : 2. £100 : 3. £ 50 (suas gu 2000 facal) Cuiribh na [...]
Read more →A Mhealisbhal bhòidhich ‘s do mhullach air chòmhdach Le uisge agus ceò agus frasan de d’fhuachd Bho làithean m’ òige bha mise ort eòlach ‘S tu ag èirigh cho còmhnard os cionn a’ Chuan Siar. Cha robh maidne a dh’eirinn nach fhaicin do shlèibhtean Do ghillean ‘s am beulan’s iad daonnan bho ghruaim, ‘S e [...]
Read more →Pròiseact nan Ealan and Murray International Language Centre, both in Stornoway, have collaborated on the production of a new Gaelic Karaoke DVD, to be launched this Friday (23 January) at Celtic Connections in Glasgow. There are nine songs in the collection, including Eilean an Fhraoich, Hè mo Leannan and our own Fear a’Bhàta, with the [...]
Read more →Donald Òg was the younger of two sons called Donald, born to Dugald Macaulay, tacksman of Brenish, in the late 17th century; he was the great-grandson of Domhnall Càm. Rev William Matheson’s columns on the Macaulays, published in the Gazette in the 1950s, include several stories about Donald Òg drawn from the Morrison manuscripts. He [...]
Read more →MG Alba, which in partnership with the BBC runs BBC Alba, the new Gaelic digital TV service, is also running a Gaelic short film competition, FilmG. This is an entry with Uig connections, Am/Àite, written by Eric Macdonald, directed by Alasdair Macleod and featuring a few faces you might know. You can see other films [...]
Read more →A song by Peigi Eiric Smith, Kneep, which was performed at our Good Night Out in Uig last Friday. O tha mi dol dhachaidh gu Eilean mo ghràidh A dh’ionnsaidh a’ bhaile ‘s an robh mi nam’ phàisd’ a dh’fhaicinn gach machair gach loch agus tràigh ‘S mi’n duigh iomadh mile bho dhuthaich mo ghràidh. [...]
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