The Mull Provincial Mod took place on the 9th and 10th of September. The Mod was a great success and was enjoyed by all!

Please click on the links below to view results:

ADULT PRIZEWINNERS.doc

JUNIOR DUET, GROUP & CHOIR.doc

JUNIOR INSTRUMENTAL.doc

JUNIOR ORALS.doc

JUNIOR VOCAL.doc

JUNIOR TROPHIES.xls

SENIOR TOPHIES.xls

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To view the Mòd results you can either open up Royal National Mòd in the left hand column and select Results from the drop down menu or go to the bottom of the home page and in the Royal National Mòd section, select Results.

A new page will open up with links to the 2011 Mòd results or the most recent Mòds.

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Graham Hood the official Mod photographer now has a collection of Mod 2011 photos available for viewing on his website.

Note: Click on the text below the Mod 2011 photo to see the photographs by day.

To enter Graham’s website please click on the link below :
http://grahamhoodphotography.com/?load=flash

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The first ever Barra & Vatersay Provincial Mòd took place on Friday 30^thSeptember and Saturday 1^st October in Castlebay school.The venue was ideal and the local committee had worked tirelessly to create a fantastic inaugural event. The committee were delighted with support from the local community and various Gaelic organisations.

Competition in Accordion, Piano, Fiddle, Instrumental and Folk Groups took place on Friday evening. Saturday was the turn of the Piping, Chanter, Oral, Vocal and Choral competitions. Over 300 participated over the two-day event, including 8 Junior choirs, and can only be an indication that this has been long overdue.

Riona Whyte, Provincial Mòd Liaison Officer with An Comunn Gàidhealach, who has visited the island on several occasions to help with organisation, said, ‘it was great to see the hard work of the local committee culminate in a friendly two-day event that worked well for everyone - organisers, competitors, adjudicators, helpers and audiences. It was a privilege to be involved in such a worthwhile and successful event and I look forward to Mòd Ionadail Bharraigh is Bhatarsaigh becoming a permanent fixture on the Provincial Mòd circuit.’

Adjudicators Roddy Campbell, Mary Bishop-Hunt, Anne Kearney, Rona Lightfoot, Paul MacCallum, Janet MacDonald, Katie Anne MacKinnon, Paul MacLean, Anna Wendy Stevenson and Riona Whyte were impressed with the high standards and had a difficult task choosing prize winners. Paul MacCallum commented ‘It is so refreshing to take part in an event that runs so smoothly where everybody works together for the greater good of our music, language and heritage.’

Many competitors had travelled from Uist to participate and this is an excellent indication that the re-established Mòd Ionadail Uibhist, scheduled to take place on 2^nd June 2012, will be another successful event. Penny Burgess, itinerant Music teacher for the Uists, Benbecula, Eriskay and Barra had done a tremendous amount of work bringing a total of 5 Junior choirs to take part and conducting many of them herself!

The committee were delighted with the level of entries and would like to thank everyone who took part, the army of volunteers who helped throughout the event, the adjudicators for their positive and encouraging remarks, sponsorship and advertising from local businesses and individuals and of course the audiences who came along to support the competitions and ceilidhs.

The venue was buzzing with activity and added to the competitive element there was space for the children and their teachers, tutors and supporters had time to relax in the performance area and canteen. The food was excellent, Gaelic organisations had displays, volunteers provided arts and crafts table to amuse the children between competitions and we even had a visit from Nip the dog from the Gaelic4Parents initiative!

Mòd Ionadail Bharraigh is Bhatarsaigh will be added to the already busy Provincial Mòd circuit and dates have already been released for next years event which will take place on Friday 21^st and Saturday 22^ndSeptember 2012. Further details at the Barra & Vatersay Provincial Mod page.

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The long anticipated month of October, which will see the Royal National Mod being hosted in the Western Isles, got off to a flying start as the local committee hosted a Gold Medal concert on Saturday evening at the Caberfeidh Hotel in Stornoway. The evening brought together a wealth of island talent who won either the Royal National Mod Gold or Traditional Gold Medals. Performing to a packed hall were; Cathie Ann MacLeod, Donald Angie Matheson, Iain MacAulay, Iain MacKay, Jenna Cumming, John Murdo Morrison, John ‘Tonkan’ MacDonald, Margaret McLeman, Murdo John MacKenzie and a guest performance from An Comunn Gaidhealach’s Mod Manager, James Graham.

A committee member commented:

“The evening could not have gone better and the feedback from the audience was incredibly positive. One lady even commented as she left the hall that ‘she didn’t want the evening to end’! It was a privilege to listen to the performers and it is perhaps an event that we would like to become a regular fixture on our fundraising calendar. We are blessed in the islands to have such a wealth of talent on our own doorstep and I am sure that everyone who attended the event felt that they were part of something very special”.

The concert was recorded by Isles FM and will be broadcasted in the very near future.

Below - the medallists who performed on Saturday evening.

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ROYAL NATIONAL MÒD ANNOUNCES EXCITING LINE UP FOR 2011 GAELIC SHOWCASE

Taking place in the Western Isles for the fifth time in its 120 year history, the 108^th Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail (The Royal National Mòd), which is Scotland’s premier festival celebrating Gaelic linguistic and cultural heritage, has today announced its 2011 Gaelic Showcase.

The eight day Mòd celebration of Gaelic music, dance, drama, arts and literature, running from Friday 14 until Saturday 22 October, is set to attract thousands of participants from across the globe and embrace the entire community of the Islands including Lewis, Harris, Benbecula, Barra and the Uists.

The showcase, which is taking place in The Nicolson Institute in Stornoway between 17 – 21 October, is a fantastic opportunity for visitors and competitors attending the Mòd to discover more about Gaelic language and Gaelic-related products and services.

Products on show include local produce, books, CD’s, artworks, photography and crafts - exhibitors who regularly participate at the Royal National Mòd include Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (Gaelic Books Council), MG Alba, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, SNH, Stòrlann, Comunn na Gàidhlig and the Gaelic Arts Agency (Pròiseact nan Ealan).

Local organisations taking part in the 2011 showcase include Caledonian MacBrayne, Acair Books and Hebridean Chocolate who will have their handmade truffles, chocolate bars and lots of other things to tempt visitors. There will be hand made Harris Tweed items, such as brooches, shoe clips, shoe bags, hats and cushions, and the West Highland Free Press is launching a book ‘Mòd

Memories’ which will contain a limited collection of archived photographs and memories taken at the Mòd through the years. This latest book by the Free Press is packed full of photographs and reminiscences spanning 40 years of Mòd coverage from the Isle of Skye based newspaper.

There will also be additional events on showcasing the strong local food & drink offerings during lunchtimes, such as whisky tasting courtesy of Abhainn Dearg Distillery, local chocolate demonstrations & tasting and black pudding tasting – Tuesday 18th & Thursday 20th October.

Cape Breton University Press is making is making its third visit to the Mòd from Nova Scotia, Canada, to appear in the showcase. Cape Breton, which specialises in books on Gaelic culture and history, will be bringing a range of books which have been specially selected for interest to Mòd participants and visitors.

John Morrison, chief executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach said: “We’re very excited about the Mòd showcase this year – there is a fantastic and ever expanding line up and as ever it will provide visitors and competitors alike with a true taste of what’s on offer from the local area.

“The launch of the Mòd Memories book is also very significant as it will bring together thousands of memories and photographs of the event through the years and in the various locations, and will be a delight for those looking for an insight into the history of the Mòd”.

The festival kicks off on Friday 14^th October with a grand opening ceremony taking place in the early evening followed by a traditional energetic cèilidh at night to get visitors in the mood for the week long competitive

festival. Competitions begin on Monday 17^th October, kicking off a week filled with Gaelic music, song, dance, drama, sport and literature. Children’s competitions take place at the start of the week and nearly 1,700 children from across the country taking part. The Traditional and Gold Medal qualifying rounds take place on Wednesday 19 October with the finals on Thursday 20 October.

The 2011 Royal Mòd Gaelic Showcase: The Nicholson Institute Springfield Road, Stornoway, HS1 2PZ (beside the ticket sales desk, just behind Lewis Sports Centre).

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Following on from an event first started at Mòd nan Eilean Siar 2005 a group of runners from Stornoway Athletics and Running Club (SRAC) will participate in a special relay event which will take them from the venue of last year’s Royal National Mod in Caithness to Stornoway, the host town of Mòd nan Eilean Siar 2011. The runners will be raising money en route for the charity Enable. On completion of two day’s running the runners will disembark from the Caledonian MacBrayne evening ferry on Friday 14^th October 2011. The final leg of the relay from the ferry to An Lanntair Arts Centre will be run by the full contingent of fourteen runners to attend the official opening of the Royal National Mod.

The route will take runners from Wick, travelling through Brora, Helmsdale, Dornoch, Lairg and onto Ullapool covering a total of approximately 150 miles. The intrepid runners will set off from Caithness early on the morning of Thursday (13^th) October and will deliver a message of goodwill from the Convenor of the Caithness Mod 2010, Raymond Bremner. Alex Macdonald, Convenor of both the 2011 local organising committee and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, will accept the message of goodwill from the runners on the evening of the 14^th.

Taking part in the relay event is Tony Robson, Convenor of Transportation on the local committee and Chairman of SRAC. Tony commented:

“Following the success of the 2005 relay event which took us from Perth to Stornoway, the SRAC were keen to add our support to Mòd nan Eilean Siar in a different way. In 2005 we were joined at different locations by Ruairidh and Calum MacDonald of Runrig, who themselves are keen runners. We also found the time to stop off at Ross County and the Dalwhinnie Distillery. It’s an excellent opportunity to promote the event, raise money for a worthwhile charity and we really enjoy doing it!”

Ross Munro, Lead Coach of SRAC added:

“We have had some considerable interest in this event and we will be joined along the route by different running clubs including Highland Hill Runners, Caithness AAC and East Sutherland RC. SRAC’s Austrian member, Gerald Kalchauer, will also be taking part having decided to stay on following the Loch Ness Marathon. We also have our long time running friend’s the Calbost Harriers who’ve also “roped-in” an Australian running friend to take part in the two day relay! Now all we can hope for is good weather and lots of donations for this worthwhile charity. Whilst raising the profile of Mòd 2011 we will be running for Enable and as there are four distilleries en-route we will run by Old Pultney, Clynelish, Glenmorangie and Balblair distilleries to pick up donations for auction for Enable”.

For more information and photographs from the 2005 relay event please visit the SRAC’s website at http://www.srac.org.uk/2005modrelay1.htm. And for further information on the 2011 event contact Ross Munro: 07810681803 or 01851 822670

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The first Provincial Mod since the 1930’s took place in Barra at the weekend and what a success it was! Photographed below are some of the prize-winners. Stay tuned for the results. Congratulations to all the winners!

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