An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volumes 44--45, January 1949--December 1950

Thall a Illiow
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Self-Help
THERE could be no better
reply to those who sneer-
ingly speak of the High¬
land people^ as ever begging for
outside assistance than the in¬
creasingly numerous instances of
local people taking in hand the
betterment of local conditions.
The islanders of Bernera,
Lewis, have for a long time
been agitating for a bridge or
causeway to link their island
(with six hundred inhabitants)
with ithe Lewis mainland 130
yards away. They have now
begun to raise funds for this
purpose and recently a very
successful concert was held in
Glasgow in support of this fund.
The people of Kyle of Lochalsh
are setting about providing
a playing-field, which will cost a
considerable amount of money
and labour, and, while they may
receive some outside help, they
intend to do most of the work
themselves. The villagers of
Avoch in the Black Isle are
following a similar policy in con¬
structing a recreational centre.
They have already improved the
harbour.
In other places a like spirit is
manifest, while the local develop¬
ment associations in Lewis and
Skye and elsewhere are a further
indication that the “ stay-at-
home ” 'Highlander can be as
enterprising as his brother who
journeys afar to seek his fortune.
The most recent instance of
the self-help movement was the
conference at GairlocE, organised
by the Scottish Council of Social
Service, to study the problems
of Wester Ross and formulate a
practical policy for development.
Transport
TRANSPORT remains the
crux of the Highland
problem. Not only is the
cost of living increased, the com¬
fort of living decreased, the
pursuit of agriculture and fishing
and other occupations rendered
more difficult and less profitable,
but even the work of the Church,
as statements at the recent
General Assemblies have shown,
suffers many handicaps.
Craignure, for example, has
for many years been crying out
for a pier, instead of the steamer
ferry which must at present
suffice for South Mull and Iona.
Instead of a pier, however, it
seemed recently that even the
ferry would be withdrawn^ The
state of the roads in Lewis has
recently caused the withdrawal
of bus services to certain villages.
Social amenities also are re¬
stricted by inadequate transport.
As a Scottish newspaper has been
pointing out, young people will
not stay in places where they
have no chance of meeting others,
and in many cases no social life
is now possible without transport.
I illeam Itos
Le TORMOD DOMHNALLACH
u leantainn bho t.d £0)
HERE are folk who gauge
a person’s academic quality
by counting the letters
appended to his name. It is not
the number of initials but what
they stand for that matters, and
the Fellowship of the Educational
Institute of Scotland is a coveted
distinction, and deservedly so.
It is conferred only on persons
who have “ rendered signal
service to education.”
We cordially congratulate Mr.
Donald Thomson, Gaelic Master,
Oban High School, and Mr. J.
N. McConochie, Headmaster of
Kent Road School, Glasgow, on
having this degree conferred upon
them recently. In addition to
their fine record of service in
their own profession, both have
done excellent work for the Gaelic
Cause, the former as a member of
the Executive Council of An
Cpmunn Gaidhealach — a man
with ideas and energy—and the
latter as the conductor of the
“ G.G.” Choir and as arranger
of Gaelic music.
Mr. A. MacCallum, D.O.A.S.
MR. Alexander MacCallum,
M.B.E., M.C., who has been
factor and land officer of
the Department of Agriculture
for Scotland in Skye for almost
forty years has retired. Mr.
MacCallum belongs to the Loch
Etive district, and was educated
at Oban High School. He served
with distinction in the First
World War. Many fine tributes
have been paid to him, both by
officials and by the tenants on the
Department’s estates. We wish
him a long and happy retirement.
R. A. S. Macalister
THE death took place
recently of Dr. R. A. S.
Macalister, who was Pro¬
fessor of Celtic Archaeology at
University College, Dublin, from
1909 to 1943. He was born in
Dublin in 1870 and was a brother
of Lady Macalister, wife of the
late Sir Donald Macalister,
formerly Principal and Chancellor
of Glasgow University. Dr.
Macalister wrote many
articles on Celtic and pre-Celtic
archaeology and on the archae¬
ology of Palestine. He was an
authority on the Celtic lan¬
guages, on Ogam script, and on
Shelta (the language of the
tinkers). He was a past nresi-
dent of the Royal Irish Academy.
Dhiuchd mar aingeal, mu mo
choinneamh,
’N ainnir 6g bu ghrinne snuadh;
Seang shlios fallain air bhlath
canaich,
No mar an eal’ air a’ chuan;
Suil ghorm, mheallach, fo chaoil
mhala
’S caoin’ a sheallas ’g amharc
uath’,
Beul tla, tairis, gun ghne
smalain,
Dha’n gnath carthannachd gun
uaill.
Mar ghath grein’ am madainn
Cheitein,
Gun mheath i mo leirsinn shul.
’S i ceumadh urlair, gu reidh
iompaidh,
Do reir pungannan a’ chiuil:
Ribhinn mhodhail, ’s Fior-ghlan
foghlum,
Dh’fbion-fhuil mhordhalach mo
Reul nan oighean, grian gach
coisridh,
’S i ’n chiall chomhraidh, cheol-
bhinn, chiuin.
Ann an sealladh, bha am bard
fein ’na dhuine bg, snasmhor.
tlachdmhor, gearr air sia troidh-
ean a dh’airde le fait truime
dhonn, agusdar-aghaidh an fhior
Ghaidheil. Thuilleadh air a sin,
fhuair e de riaghailt foghluim,
ann an teagasg ’s an canainean.
na choisneadh latha-eigin dha
dreuchd no inbhe mhath an
cuisean timeil. Chan ’eil e
iongantach ged a thaitinn oig-
fhear cho buadhmhor ris an
ribhinn eireachdail, Mor Ros, cho
math ’s gun do gheall i a
phbsadh, a’ daingneachadh a
boid le guidhe thoirt a bodhaig
a bhith air a losgadh nam b’e
agus gum bristeadh i orra. Ach.
mar a theireadh na seann daoine,
(An corr air t.d. 99)
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