Còisir Ghàidhlig Ìle (Islay Gaelic Choir) triumphed at this year’s Royal National Mod in Paisley, bringing home a first and second place in competitions for rural choirs.
Out of 14 choirs competing in Paisley Town Hall on Thursday morning in the puirt-à-beul (‘mouth music’) the Islay choir took home three trophies from the contest: the Aline MacKenzie Memorial Trophy for coming first; the Calum Robertson Memorial Trophy for the highest marks in Gaelic, and the Evelyn Huckbody Memorial Trophy for the highest marks in music.
Arlene McKerrell won the John Young Memorial Baton as the conductor of the winning choir.
Lewis choirs Còisir Sgìr’ a’ Bhac (Back Gaelic Choir) in second, and Còisir Ghàidhlig nan Loch (Lochs Gaelic Choir) in third.
Còisir Ghàidhlig Ìle also came second in the afternoon in the Sheriff MacMasters Campbell Memorial Quaich for rural choirs, singing Tiriodh, Tìr Mo Ghràidh.
All the hard work paid off for the choir’s 28 members from Islay, who began rehearsing 10 months ago back in January.
Arlene, whose mother, sister and nephew are all in the choir, too, was “delighted” with the Islay singers’ performance – their first Mòd back since the Covid pandemic. “We have had a good day,” she said. “It could not have gone better.”
Còisir Ghàidhlig Ìle were beaten into second place by Bùrach who took home The Sheriff for the fifth time in consecutive Mòds, having won it in 2017, then 2018, 2019, and 2022, with the intervening Mòds in 2020 and 2021 cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
A decade after its first Mòd, in Paisley in 2013, Bùrach certainly does not deserve the name it started with, meaning ‘mess’ in Gaelic.
Two other rural choirs from Argyll, Còisir Ghàidhlig an Eilean Mhuilich (Mull Gaelic Choir) and Còisir Ghàidhlig Thaigh an Uillt (Taynuilt Gaelic Choir), finished third equal.