Alba Name Squad For Iomain Cholmcille 6 | |
19 September 2013 The International Shinty / Hurling series for Gaelic speakers, Iomain Cholmcille, will be held in Inverin, County Galway, on Saturday 12 October 2013. Alba manager Eòghan Stewart has named a squad with players from across Scotland for the sixth running of the series which has gone from strength to strength since it began in Oban in 2007. Every player must be a Gaelic speaker and they need to use the language throughout the trip. The project has been very successful in encouraging young men to use their Gaelic in an informal sporting situation. The Albannaich will play two games when in Galway, a challenge match against Fir Uladh, representing the province of Ulsterm and the hosts, Micheal Breathnach GAA, who have been involved in every competition so far, in the Corn Cholmcille match. It was a team representing the Gaelic speakers of Skye who won the trophy on their own park at Iomain Cholmcille 5 in 2012 and although there will only be one Scottish team playing this year, the island is still strongly represented. However, it is not just from the Misty Isle that the squad draws its strength. “With how Lewis Camanachd have developed and with how Gaelic Medium Education is succeeding in areas where shinty is strong, there is a great spread of players in the squad. We haven’t lifted the Corn Cholmcille in Ireland yet but we will be doing our best to keep it in Scottish hands.” said Stewart. “We’ll get a warm welcome in Inverin and we have a good mix of lads who have been before but a good few who are travelling away for the first time. We’ve got one or two musicians in the squad and there will be plenty music and craic as well. We’re already looking forward to the competition returning to Scotland in 2014.” Iomain Cholmcille receives support from Cholmcille, the body which aims to develop and strengthen links between Gaelic Scotland and Ireland. Alba Squad from: Paddy Sinclair, Innes Lamont, Ally Lamont, Sean MacLeod, Seumus Charity (all Lewis Camanachd), Ally ‘Digg’ MacDonald, DJ Gilpin, Neil John Campbell, Gilleasbuig MacDonald (all Skye Camanachd) Ian Nicolson (Lovat), Kerr Gibb, Gordon MacKenzie (both Glasgow University), Crisdean Finlayson (Lochcarron), Alex Dunnings (Oban Camanachd), Mark Fraser (Aberdeen University), Jack Fraser (Fort William), Doneil MacLeod (Boleskine), Ewen Henderson (Ardnamurchan) Manager – Eòghan Stewart |