Press Release | Fios naidheachd
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Award winning student from Lesmahagow has big ambition to bring Gaelic language to South Lanarkshire.
First year student, Jamie Wallace (30) from Lesmahagow, recently scooped one of Glasgow University’s first Gaelic Awards for making a notable contribution to Gaelic at the University. He was presented with the award at a special reception on Friday 19th March by Fiona Dunn, Gaelic Officer at Glasgow University and DK MacPhee, Gaelic Officer at Glasgow City Council. DK congratulated the students and spoke of the notable Gaelic development currently taking place in Glasgow as the City Council prepared to formally launch its first ever Gaelic language plan for the city.
Ironically, Jamie has been contacting South Lanarkshire Council since July last year trying to find out who is dealing with the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan; and nine months down the line he has still to receive a response. “I’m disappointed with the Council. I’m shocked that the Council does not already have a Gaelic Officer. All I want to do is offer my support and become involved in the production of the Plan, and I feel let down that no one in the council seems to know anything about this piece of legislation”, says Jamie. The Council is due to submit a draft of their Plan to the Bòrd na Gàidhlig from October 2010.
Whilst waiting for a response from South Lanarkshire Council, Jamie started up a conversation group in Glasgow last July. “There was a need for somewhere to chat with other Gaelic learners in a relaxed and informal environment, and I saw an opportunity to fulfil that need by starting up a Gaelic Meetup club.” Glasgow’s Gaelic Meetup meets on the first Wednesday each month in the Argyll Hotel, 973 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G3 7TQ at 7pm (http://www.meetup.com/GaelicGlasgow). Jamie is currently working in collaboration with Iomairt Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu to organise a Gaelic Pub Quiz in Glasgow which is hoped to become a regular event on Glasgow’s Gaelic social calendar.
Looking towards the future, Jamie would like to see South Lanarkshire become a hub of Gaelic activities, learning and education. “Our heritage is one of our most important assets and I believe it is the key to giving our local economy a boost and regenerating many of our villages and town in South Lanarkshire. Our heritage is something everyone in the community can become involved in. People seem to forget that in parts of the Council area, as many of our villages were being settled for the first time, like my hometown of Lesmahagow (Lios MoChuda), Gaelic was the main spoken language – the language belongs to us as much as it does in the Highlands and Islands.”
To learn some Gaelic by Email register your interest at http://seumas-uallas.me.uk/learngaelic.php
Sources:
Jamie Wallace, 07736327119 Email: seumas@seumas-uallas.me.uk
University of Glasgow Gaelic Award Winners: http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/celtic/gaelictheuniversityofglasgow/duaisnagaidhliggaelicaward
Glasgow’s Gaelic Meetup http://www.meetup.com/GaelicGlasgow
Iomairt Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu http://www.glaschu.org
South Lanarkshire Council http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk
Bord na Gàidhlig http://www.gaidhlig.org.uk
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