ROYAL NATIONAL MOD OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED
Written by Victor Thomas on 11/10/2019
The nine-day festival was officially launched with a speech from ACG President Allan Campbell followed by a speech from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education, John Swinney, during the opening ceremony hosted by An Comunn Gaidhealach.
In his speech, Mr. Campbell touched on the heritage of the Gaelic community within Glasgow and the important role its people play in keeping the indigenous language thriving. The president also gave a nod to the excellent growth of Gaelic in schools in recent years, with over 1,000 pupils now receiving Gaelic Medium education in Glasgow.
George Square played host to a special concert with performances from a whole host of names from across the Scottish Gaelic music scene showcased their incredible talent. Renowned Scots Trad-rock band Mànran headlined the opening with a spectacular performance alongside support from Scotland’s 33-strong Gaelic Eurovision Choir Alba, who serenaded party-goers with a rendition of Lewis Capaldi’s Someone You Loved. Catherine Tinney, a finalist in this year’s BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Trad Musician of the Year competition, rounded off the night in style.
