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Tuesday, 13th May 2008

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Salmond to open Gaelic centre



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THE First Minister will today open an £8 million facility at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the national college for Gaelic language and culture.
Alex Salmond will open Fàs, the centre for the creative and cultural industries, at Ostaig, Sleat, on Skye.

The full article contains 47 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 10 April 2008 8:58 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

,

11/04/2008 00:10:23
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
2

McX,

11/04/2008 00:13:59
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is in an utterly beautiful location. A great asset to Scotland.
3

haggis 10,

11/04/2008 04:09:26
Not before time !!!!!
4

haggis 10,

11/04/2008 04:11:43
a natural progression would a University in the not to distant future!!!!!
5

Dave from Barra ©,

Western Isles 11/04/2008 08:01:15
Good. Golden opportunity, lets not waste it.
6

Roy,

11/04/2008 10:09:31
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is to be part of the University of the Highlands & Islands - although UHI seems a long time in transition.
7

A Better Way,

Edinburgh 11/04/2008 11:54:35
Well done Prime Minister Salmond. You do Scotland proud, keep up the great work as Scotlands Voice.
8

Liberal for life,

Dunblane 11/04/2008 12:57:27
Another hedrum-hodrum photo shot opportunity for the high and almighty chieftain o'the puddin' face !

Oh, I really enjoyed getting that one off my chest!!
9

The Canadian,

11/04/2008 16:52:21
Good to see Alex Salmond The First Minister opening such an important facility on the Island of Skye.

I do hope though that this new government does not see education as being the way to either stabalising a minority language or ensuring that any new long term advances occurs in this way.

Sadly, in many countries and communities education has been the so-called saviour and it simply doesn't work or add up to having for any minority language.

The situation in Scotland I understand is one where the Labour Party set up a new body to keep Gaelic development under control and not allow it to expand and in this the new body is effective.
10

The Canadian,

11/04/2008 17:11:38
con't
This same scenario has occured in a number of places throughout the Developed World and in particular among the Native Communities in North America.
Many have ceased any meaningful progress on the language front and have embarked on trivial programmes which do not deliver anything substantial and sustainable since these bodies came into existence.
11

Stepford Nat,

11/04/2008 22:56:00
Nach brill é?!
12

Nikostratos,

12/04/2008 09:02:54
Well done.......I look forward to alex salmond and the rest of the snp leadership learning Gaelic......lead by example
13

Elizabeth I (1558-1603 AD),

edinburgh 12/04/2008 09:03:11
Not before time? You mean a complete waste of time AND MONEY. Plus the 20million on a Gaelic channel for a few thousand chippy folk that still speak the language. Give me a break!
14

Masterpiece,

12/04/2008 10:58:12
Good to see the SNP being so supportive to the Gaelic language at Sabhal Mor Ostaig in Skye. This should stop a number of the critics, who think Scots aren't supportive to the Gaelic language, in their tracts.

It is clear for anyone who has either learnt Gaelic, or spoke the language from birth that Gaelic is integral to being very Scottish.

BBC Radio nan Gaidheal should provide an explanation as to why they didn't cover the story this morning on Aithris nam Maidne.
15

The Canadian,

12/04/2008 15:07:35
It is clear that Gaelic speakers in Scotland are used to getting crumbs from the masters table and it seems this situation will not change for many years to come.

How come English songs are played on Gaelic programmes on Radio nan Gaidheal. Are all the programme producers from England, or are they simply lazy or unaware of the damage they are doing to the long-term sustainability of the Gaelic Culture. In other words are they just dog-day lazy and couldn't care a thing.
16

Calum Crubag,

16/04/2008 14:31:09
True, it must be difficult for those without Gaelic to understand its place in our history and present. It's like trying to understand Germany without German. The langauge is such a key to our identity. Not the only one - but probably the central one.

S math an naideachd seo. An dochas gun tig piseach air aireamh nan sgoiltean Gaidhlig cuideachd.

There are places though where Gaidhlig is mostly confined to the elderly and are in dire need of a Gaelic unit. Places like Colonsay and Lios Mor where Gaelic is dying. Places like Bernery, Uist were Gaelic is the majority language still, have to send their kids to North Uist for GM education. Not good enough.
17

Dave from Barra ©,

Western Isles 16/04/2008 15:14:08
16

By your logic then, the 5 million Scots that DON'T speak Gaelic are, well, then English by culture? As well as the Australians, NZealanders, Amercians and Canadians?

And the 65,000 Poles that live here and speak English are no longer Polish?

And what proof have you of your last comment? I live a couple islands down from there and have heard of no problems with access to Gaelic, considering Bernery is attached to NU's (and considering you live in Edinburgh).

You want to maek a case for Gaelic? Cut the emotional crap and lies.
18

Calum Crubag,

16/04/2008 18:15:00
Dave - presumably, these Poles would have a major difficulty understand personal and placenames as well aspects of Polish history without their language. Time and time again when researching Scottish history, even until relatively recent times, i see Gaelic. From the Lords of the Isles to monks in the Borders to Rabbie Burns to placenames of Edinburgh.

AS to Bearnaraigh na Hearadh - why should local Gaelic speaking kids travel to North Uist for education? If we want not only to preserve Gaelic but expand it, then all kids in 'Gaidhealtachd' areas should be in GME as in Wales. Ironically, as has been proven in many studies here and in Wales, this will improve their grasp of English.

Emotional crap and lies? Well, you may be an emotional basket-case - it seems so with your consistent contrary attitude here - but i find possession of emotions rewarding. As to lies, point them out.
19

eamon,

16/04/2008 23:59:38
17
Calum does not say it is the key, just a key. And if you want to understand place names for example then an understanding of gaelic is very important. And I am sure the natives of the former colonies you list feel a need to preserve their language every bit as much as we do. Plus you also use the poles to back up your arguement, but in a lot of situations they also use gaelic medium through choice. There are 2 young poles in the gaelic nursery in Roy Bridge who get along wonderfully with both polish and gaelic and virtually no english. Their parents say that as english is so widespread anyway they are bound to pick it up anyway and this is another string to their bow as such. My own children have gaelic, english and german fluently. Not bad at age 6 and 4. The more languages the better i say, including our own.
20

Calum Crubag,

17/04/2008 09:29:36
#19 - agree. I met an 8 year old Rubhach a couple of years ago who could trace his 'sloinneadh' back 300 years or more in the traditional style. To him, Gaelic WAS necessary in understanding his family and community.

I'm willing to bet that his general linguistic skills and academic acheivment were way more advanced than the average monoglot Scots' kid. Why should these advantages be denied to our kids - for all reasons, both emotional (family, community, history) and practical (linguistic, pedagogy, employment).

I've met literally hundreds of young 'Gaels' who wish their parents had passed on the language. But the auld 'Gaelic is useless and backward' attitude persists. Especially in auld folk like Dave. He's lost his tongue it seems. Nach truagh siud.
21

The Canadian,

17/04/2008 12:45:19
17
How can Dave be Scottish with attitudes like these?
Where does he come from? Has he no self-respect?

The Native Peoples in the Americas see that language is central to who they are and once you change your language you get another soul. This in turn creates a new kind of person; often contrary and at odds with the ancestors.
This is why they are doing so badly at present.

 

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