The Islay Gathering
Saturday, February 17 2007
The Glasgow Islay Association, An Comunn Ileach founded in 1862 is holding its 145th Annual Gathering in Glasgow on Friday 9th March 2007. The objects of the Association are to hold regular meetings to bring together natives of Islay resident in Glasgow and vicinity, to cherish native attachments, collect and preserve the traditions and poetry of Islay and to afford
relief to necessitous and deserving members of the Association or natives of Islay. It is also to advance the welfare of members and Celtic matters generally.
Persons eligible for Membership are natives of Islay and their descendants; heritable proprietors on the island and their spouses and descendants; persons who have been householders in the island for a period of at least five years and their spouses and descendants. The Association Life Membership fee is £4 and the current membership is 730. We are a registered Scottish Charity and the Annual Gathering is our main source of income. Last year we distributed £5046 to many deserving causes including piping prizes, Islay Mod donation, Senior Citizens Dinner/Ceilidh, Senior Citizens Christmas Gift, hospital/funeral flowers, Islay Football Club, St. Kiaran ’s Church, Feis Ile Concert expenses, Finlaggan Trust, prizes to six Islay schools and payment for the upkeep of the American War Graves in Islay which is administered by the Association.
For as long as anyone can remember the Islay Gathering was held on the first Friday in March but we have had to change the date this year to the second Friday in March but hopefully we can revert to our traditional date in 2008. Full details of the 2007 Gathering and Dance have been advertised in the Ileach but readers should know that Glasgow District Council has reduced Partick Burgh Hall limit to 410 because of Health and Safety requirements. Glasgow District Council has also cut-back on hall accommodation and there is not a suitable venue now available for a dance. However the privately owned Oran Mor at the corner of Byers Road and Great Western Road, although expensive to hire, is proving to be a very good location for a Gathering Dance. The Lewis & Harris and Glasgow Skye Associatiion followed the Islay Association lead of last March by holding their respective Gathering Dances in the Oran Mor at the end of 2007. Our Gathering Dances are always well supported and we fully expect a sell-out. There will only be 350 dance tickets on sale and you are therefore strongly advised to obtain your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. With Billy Stewart in the chair and an excellent array of artistes we are hopeful of a very large crowd at the Concert and it is our wish that our Gathering Concert will as always be the best attended in the year. We thank readers for their past support and look forward to seeing you again on 9th March.
Those who have had the misfortune not to have attended an Islay Gathering let me tell you that it is a wonderful social occasion where you will meet old friends and acquaintances and possibly relations you have not seen for years. Partick Burgh Hall is licensed from 7pm-11pm. Concert and dance tickets are available in Islay from the Lochside Hotel in Bowmore and in Glasgow from The Islay Inn or Park Bar or from any Committee Member or by contacting me, Alastair Carmichael. Tel, 0141 586 7793 or e-mail alastair.carmichael1@ntlworld.com
Story published with kind permission from The Ileach
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