ROYAL NATIONAL MÒD RETURNS TO DUNOON

Friday 12^th October

This year’s Royal National Mòd will start with the annual presentation of the Gaelic Ambassador of the year award. Friday evening will see a spectacular torchlight procession organised by the Local Committee through led by Dunoon Argyll Pipe Band, officially marking the opening of the Mòd in Dunoon. There will then be a concert headlined by SIAN and Beinn Lee kicking off 2018’s festival.

• Gaelic Ambassador of the Year  –     Dunoon Burgh Hall        
• Torchlight Procession     18:45        Jane Villa Car Park
• Opening ceremony     19:30        Queen’s Hall                    

Saturday 13^th October

This year will be the first that the Mòd have ran a Primary Schools’ Shinty tournament, which will be a real highlight on Saturday. Beginning at 10:00am two primary schools will battle it out in a Mòd Shinty tournament, celebrating 125 years of the Camanachd Association. The Mòd Shinty Cup will see Strachur V Col Glen go head to head, while Mòd Football sees Dunoon Amateurs V Glasgow Island. In the evening, the Queen’s Hall will host a spectacular night of music as the ‘Fiddler’s Rally’ will see an evening of performances from Gold Medalist Eilidh Cormack and Argentinian choir Ceòlraidh, compered by Angela MacEachen and Allan MacDonald.

• Primary Schools’ Shinty Tournament 00            The Football Cages
• Mòd Shinty Cup 1400             Dunoon Stadium
• Mòd Football 00            Dunoon Stadium Top Park
• Fiddler’s Rally 30            Queen’s Hall

Sunday 14^th October

Sunday will be a non-competition day with the Mòd church service and worship happening. However, there will be a choir performance from an Argentinian group named Ceòlraidh, who have travelled all the way from Argentina and are the only choir in Latin America devoted to exclusively performing traditional Scottish songs in Gaelic

• Ceòlraidh 00                  St Munn’s Hall

Monday and Tuesday:

Monday and Tuesday will be the main days for the children’s competitions, with many competitions taking place over the course of the two days.

Monday 15^th October

On Monday, there will be a special Mòd Acoustic session taking place, offering the opportunity for the Gaelic community to gather round, bring their instruments, have a sing or just come and listen. The Children’s Cèilidh will also take place in the Assembly Hall of Dunoon Grammar School, with children having the chance to dance and play games, whilst the adults have the chance to relax. The children’s competitions will run throughout Monday, with competitions in singing, drama, poetry and storytelling.

• Solo Boys Singing (U13)                   The High Kirk
• Poetry (U13)                    Dunoon Grammar School,
• Drama (U13)                  Baptist Church Centre
• Solo Girls Singing (U13)                 Queen’s Hall
• Children’s Cèilidh                 Assembly Hall, Dunoon Grammar
• Special Mòd Acoustic session 19:30                  Dunoon Burgh Hall

Tuesday 16^th October

Tuesday sees the children’s competitions continue, with the Traditional Silver Medal for boys and girls being one of the day’s highlights. In the fringe, there will be a tour of Benmore Botanic Gardens, where participants will board the Benmore explorer through the gardens with its magnificent mountainside setting and world-famous collection of flowering trees and shrubs. In the evening, Mary Ann Kennedy will bring the music with songs marking the changing face of one of Scotland’s most famous rivers, The Clyde, in Dunoon Burgh Hall.

• Traditional Silver Medal (Boys 13-15)                   St John’s Church
• Traditional Silver Medal (Girls 13-15)                  St John’s Church
• Children’s Cèilidh                  Assembly Hall, Dunoon Grammar
• Clyde, A River Recovery                   Dunoon Burgh Hall

Wednesday 17^th October

Wednesday will see the book launch and world premiere of Constabal Murdo – the first crime novel from renowned author Angus Peter Campbell. There will be a strong day of competition, with the Gold Medal Final and the Silver Pendant Final taking place. As part of the fringe, there will be a ‘Dunoon Occasions’ talk illustrated with film and images exploring memories of Dunoon. The Literature Awards will also be presented in the Dunoon Burgh Hall, and the Drama Final is set to take place at Kirn Primary School Assembly Hall.

Literature Awards 12.00                  Dunoon Burgh Hall
Silver Pendant Final 13.30                  Queen’s Hall
Book Launch – Constabal Murdo 15.00                  Library, Queen’s Hall
Dunoon Occassions 18.00                  Library, Queen’s Hall
Drama Final 19.00                  Kirn Primary School Assembly Hall
Gold Medal Final  19.30                  Queen’s Hall

Thursday 18^th October

The rest of the day will see the Traditional gold medal competition, Highland dancing competitions and the rural choirs’ competitions. In the evening there will be a ceilidh with Gaelic band Beinn Lee providing the music.

Highland Dancing 10.00                  Dunoon Grammar School
Lorn Shield 13.30                  Queen’s Hall
Sheriff MacMaster Campbell        13.30 Queen’s Hall
Traditional Final 19.30                  Queen’s Hall
Ceilidh with Beinn Lee 20.00                  Dunoon Burgh Hall

Friday 19^th October
Media will have the opportunity to speak to and photograph last night’s Traditional Gold Medal winners at the morning press conference.  As the Mòd begins to wind down, the morning will see the males compete for the Mull and Iona Shield followed by the lady’s area choirs compete for the Esme Smythe Trophy.  The afternoon will see the Lovat & Tullibardine Shield and Margrat Duncan Memorial trophy awarded. The Mòd “Final Fling” closing cèilidh will round off the evening with spectacular performances from popular Tiree bands Gunna Sound and Trail West.

Mull and Iona Shield 9.00                    The High Kirk
Esme Smythe Trophy 10.00                  St John’s Church
Lovat & Tullibardine Shield  13.30                  Queen’s Hall
Margrat Duncan 13.30                  Queen’s Hall
The Mòd Closing Cèilidh 22.30                  Queen’s Hall

Saturday 20^th October                                                                          

The grand finale is on Saturday 20^th October when hundreds of choir members will gather in Dunoon Stadium to march along Argyll Street, for a stunning final massed choir performance in the Argyll Gardens to mark the end of this year’s event, and handover the Mòd flag to next year’s host, Glasgow.

 Massed choirs 10.30                  Dunoon Town Centre