Capercallie singer Karen Matheson will be joined on Friday (8th June) by school children from across Argyll and Ireland to open a major festival of Scottish and Irish Gaelic culture taking place in Iona, Mull and Oban this weekend. Fèill Chaluim Chille, organised by Colmcille, will feature a host of cultural activities which celebrate the links between Gaelic Ireland and Scotland, with the highlight of the weekend a Gala concert featuring Capercallie and other top Celtic bands at Torosay Castle on Saturday.

The festival will be opened by Karen Matheson along with primary school pupils from Dunoon, Islay, Mull, Oban, Appin, Iona, Bunessan as well pupils from Donegal and Northern Ireland. The opening ceremony will include a procession to the Abbey where an exhibition on ‘Life in a Columban Monastery’ is being curated by the National Museums of Scotland and hosted by Historic Scotland, and which sees the temporary return of early craft items found on Iona. The opening also includes the arrival of two curraghs from Ireland and two traditional boats from Lewis and Berneray.

Karen Matheson, from Taynuilt in Argyll, said: “I am delighted that Colmcille has decided to stage such a prestigious event in north Argyll, an area which has deep significance for Gaels on both sides of the Irish Sea. The opening could not have a more perfect setting than Iona, the Christian community established by Saint Columba in the 6th century, who has come to symbolise in many ways the ties between the two Gaelic cultures through the ages. The varied programme of events in Oban, and in Mull and Iona will ensure there is something for everyone, and I would urge the people of Argyll not to miss out.”

As well as Friday’s opening (from 3.45pm on Friday), there will be a opening night ceilidh on Iona where local artistes are joined by singers, dancers and musicians from Ireland and the Isle of Man. On Saturday (9th June) there will be free boat trips from Iona pier in the traditional boats and a spiritual choral celebration in the morning in Iona Abbey with the Lewis Pslam singers, local children and Cór Árann and Cór Ban Inis Oírr choirs from the Aran Islands and Cór Cuil Aodha from Cork in Ireland. Then on Saturday afternoon at Torosay Castle local Gaelic groups will hold a Festival fringe event which will then be followed by the Gala Concert. Capercaillie will be joined by Kíla from Ireland, Dàimh, Seumas Begley and Jim Murray and Aidan O’Rourke and Friends. Tickets are still available for the concert at www.colmcille.net, and a limited number of tickets can be bought on the door on Saturday.

The weekend is rounded off on Sunday with Scottish, Irish and Manx Gaelic classes, as well as tuition in traditional singing and dancing in Rockfield Primary School in Oban, and a shinty/hurling challenge match at Mossfield Park from 3pm in Oban.

Fiona Hampton, director of Highland 2007, said: “Fèill Chaluim Chille is a really significant event in terms of celebrating Scotland’s history and heritage.  St Columba and Iona played a hugely important role in shaping our culture which is reflected in the number of national partners who have contributed to this event.  I would encourage everyone to find out more about this aspect of our heritage and our links with our Celtic neighbours and what better way to do that than visiting the beautiful islands of Mull and Iona this weekend as part of the festival of Scottish and Irish Gaelic culture.”

Scottish Project Officer Mairi S MacLeod said: “Argyll was the original heartland of the Gaels in Scotland and Colmcille is delighted to be staging Fèill Chaluim Chille in Mull, Iona and Oban. We have a host of excellent and varied events lined up for the weekend, and there are still tickets left for Saturday’s concert featuring Capercaillie and other top Irish and Scottish musicians. There is also a special late-night ferry going back to Oban from Craignure after the concert. Anyone wishing more information can contact me on 0778 613 4951 or visit www.colmcille.net. There will also be tickets available on the door.”

Colmcille’s Fèille Chaluim Chille 2007 is a Highland 2007 event and Colmcille is grateful for the generous financial support given by Highland 2007, Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise and Culture Ireland in the staging of this event.

Colmcille was set up in 1997 to encourage links between Gaelic Scotland and Ireland and Fèille Chaluim Chille is their flagship festival held each year to coincide with the 9th of June, the anniversary of the death of St Columba, the saint synonymous with Gaelic Ireland and Scotland.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Backround to Colmcille

1. Colmcille, formerly Iomairt Cholm Cille, is an organization celebrating almost ten years of work re-building the bridges between Gaelic Ireland and Scotland. Visiting Sabhal Mór Ostaig on Skye in 1997, the then president of Ireland, Mrs Mary Robinson spoke of “creating an island space for ourselves to celebrate what Scotland and Ireland share”. On the same day the then Scottish Education minister, Mr Brain Wilson MP, announced the setting-up of Iomairt Cholmcille “to foster support for the Gaelic language and develop links between Gaelic Scotland and Ireland”.

2. An organisation was formed and three project officers were placed in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. The organisation was to be funded equally by the three jurisdictions. A chief executive and administrators have been subsequently appointed and the organization has since been funding community projects that promote the Gaelic language and culture of Ireland and Scotland and, more recently, directly organizing festivals, arts and educational initiatives and events spanning the three regions.

3. Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote the Highlands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future.  The project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies: The Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  The year long celebration of Highland culture in 2007 will incorporate an exciting range of major and community events, as well as capital projects and ‘The Highland Promise’ for young people.  See www.highland2007.com for full details.

For more information contact Alasdair Campbell on 0779 604 3325 or 01471 844 705 or ahcampbell@btinternet.com or Mairi S MacLeod on mairi@colmcille.net or 0778 613 4951.