Final preparations are under way ahead of The Royal National Mod’s return to Glasgow next month as organisers celebrate a bumper year for entries.
Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail will return to Glasgow next month from October 11 – 19 for the first time in almost three decades.
The nine-day Gaelic spectacular – organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach – has so far seen a increase in participation numbers for this year’s festivities.
Thousands of competitors are expected to travel from across the globe in the coming weeks to compete in more than 200 competitions in Gaelic music and song, sport, art and drama.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney will officially launch this year’s programme during an opening ceremony on Friday, October 11.
John Morrison, Chief Executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach, said: “We are incredibly excited to be hosting the Royal National Mòd in Glasgow, returning for the first time since 1990.
“It’s been fantastic to have such a healthy number of individual entrants this year and we put this down to our continued work with Glasgow Schools, teaching Gaelic at a grassroots level.
“It is great to see the Gaelic culture and heritage thriving in Scotland, particularly in literature with this year being the first time since 2004 that a bard will be appointed annually – a testament to the growth of the Gaelic language. We hope to see this success continue during the Royal National Mòd 2019.”
The Mod is also expected to leave its mark on history this year by introducing a women’s football match and the appointment of a new bard each year following the success of Gaelic literature in recent years.
The event was worth £2million for last year’s host town Dunoon, and organisers are confident they will see a similar return for Glasgow.
Councillor David McDonald, Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow Life added: “The Mòd will be a showcase for people writing, singing and performing in Gaelic and is a celebration of a language and culture which will always be closely linked to Glasgow. It promises to be a week of great competition, music, song, poetry and storytelling that will be enjoyed by everyone who is interested in and appreciates Gaelic.”
