Furnace Village Hall was packed last Friday night (November 24) when more than a hundred people turned out to celebrate the centenary of the Furnace Shinty Team’s Camanachd Cup victory.
Organiser Sharon MacInnes said: “Furnace had its dancing shoes on. The dance floor was bouncing to the beat of Gunna Sound, with people dancing from the first tune they played to the last.
“It was a fantastic turnout for this 100-year celebration of our wee village’s famous Camanachd Cup win in 1923, when the team achieved a feat which had never been done before and has only recently been equalled – they won the Camanachd league without losing a goal in any round.
“Ronnie Campbell of Furnace took the mic, having his audience laughing as he told us anecdotes about shinty legends and players from times gone by. I think it is safe to say that everyone had a great night.”
Sadly Furnace no longer fields a shinty team, but the historic victory is not forgotten as there are still lots of Furnace families who had relatives connected to the winning team and whose stories have been passed down through generations.
Some took to social media with their memories.
Andrew Fyfe posted: “I worked in the late Duncan MacColl’s house in Leachan Terrace, and he told me the route to get to Inverness for the final was across the loch to Strachur to Dunoon for the ferry across to get the train to Glasgow. Then a train to Inverness. They stayed the night, and travelled home the next day as Camanachd champions.”
Whilst Davy Archibald MacPherson said: “My Dad remembered the term returning to Furnace after winning the cup. He was seven years old . He was born in Upper Succoth Strachur but spent his early school years in Furnace because it was too far to walk to school in Strachur.
“He stayed with his Granny MacInnes in Furnace and he remembered the team returned in their charabancs to the village and the celebrations after that.”
A huge raffle at the ceilidh raised an amazing £740 which will be split between Kilmory and Inveraray shinty teams.
- The Advertiser ran an earlier article on Furnace connections, with other photos from the Cup win, here.
