NEW GRADUATES FOR IONAD CHALUIM CHILLE ÌLE

Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle Graduates and Academic Staff.

From left: Mairead NicEacharna, Michelle NicLeòid, Sìne NicEalair BA, Mark Wringe, Elma Paton BA, Calum MacEacharna Cert. HE, Lorraine NicFhearghais BA, Moray Watson, Mairead Anna Nic an t-Sagairt, and Iain Tormod MacLeòid.

It was an historic day for Islay on Saturday 10th September 2005 when the first three BA Gaelic Language and Culture students graduated from Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (ICCI) with their degrees. Over eighty people attended during the day to celebrate this milestone with Lorraine Ferguson from Bowmore, Sìne MacKellar from Ballygrant, and Elma Paton from Ayrshire. The day also saw the graduation of Calum Mackechnie who was awarded a Certificate HE Gaelic Immersion Course, and certificates were also presented to over fifty students who had attended Gaelic short courses and night classes at the Centre over the year.

Among those in attendance were John Norman MacLeod and Mark Wringe of the Gaelic College Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Skye which provides academic support to ICCI, and Michelle MacLeod and Moray Watson of Aberdeen University who were both the original Gaelic Lecturers at the Centre when it opened in August 2002.

The graduation ceremony followed at the end of a successful summer for ICCI with almost one hundred students attending its short course programme, and with Emily Edwards about to begin in her new post as Co-ordinator for the Seanchas Ìle project which seeks over two years to record, preserve and catalogue the Gaelic oral and sung traditions of Islay. The Centre is also currently working towards offering a new Gaelic-medium childcare service to the community from next month, with five new members of staff already appointed and undergoing initial training.