Alba Squads Named For Iomain Cholmcille 9 | |
22 July 2016 Iomain Cholmcille, the Shinty / Hurling international series for Gaelic speakers, will take place in Inverin, Galway, between Saturday 30 July 2016 and Monday 1 August 2016. This will be Iomain Cholmcille 9 and the event is returning to Connemara for the first time since 2013. Also returning are host club Micheál Breathnach who also have not appeared since 2013. There will be two Alba squads - a men and a womens - with most male players involved in competition at the height of the season, Eoghan Stewart's squad has a development aspect to it but Catriona Gibb and Ciorstaidh NicLeòid's ladies team is stronger than the side which made its debut last year.. Encouraging the use and learning of Gaelic in shinty is the main aim of Iomain Cholmcille and the event has gone from strength to strength since its first running in Oban in 2007. The Alba player will also be involved in youth coaching and musical events. It is expected that Iomain Cholmcille will return to Scotland to mark its tenth anniversary in 2017. Eoghan Stewart, the Scottish coordinator of the project said, "It's been a little challenge with so many players still involved with competition at this point, but we have a squad of willing and able players who will use Gaelic and will play good shinty. The ladies squad has supplemented those who played last year with a good number of players who are now in the WCA international training squad. We are thankful for the support we are given and believe that more emphasis should be placed on team sport as a method to promote Gaelic usage.” Iomain Cholmcille receives support from Colmcille, a joint initiatjve between Foras na Gaeilge and Bòrd na Gàidhlig to help develop and strengthen the bonds between Gaelic speakers in Scotland and Ireland. This year, Iomain Cholmcille will also be running, for the first time, a shinty competition for Gaelic medium pupils. Cupa Iomain na h-Òige, in partnership with Highland Council, takes place at Newtonmore on 9 September 2016. Squads Eoghan Stewart, Seumas Charity (Lewis Camanachd), Joseph MacInnes, Calum Ferguson (Uist Camanachd / Lewis Camanachd), Alasdair Ferguson (Uist Camanachd), Graham Black (Aberdeen University / Uist Camanachd), Duncan MacRae (Kinlochshiel), Crisdean Finlayson (Lochcarron), Mark Fraser, Jack Fraser (Fort William), Connor MacIntyre, Coinneach Mòr (Inverness), Doneil MacLeod (Boleskine), Calum Gibb (Skye Camanachd), Gordon MacKenzie, Aonghas MacLeòid, Andrew Grace (Dunoon), Paul Geddes (Glasgow University) Catrìona Gibb, Izzy Law, Emma Gordon, Caitlin MacLean, Christina MacDonald, Sarah Jane Ferguson (Skye Camanachd), Ciorstaidh NicLeòid (Edinburgh University), Kate Bradley, Katie MacPhee, Joanne Ford, Annie MacDonald, Claire Ford (Àrdnamurchan), Mairi Duncan (Lochaber), Ashleigh Fraser (Fort William), Karen MacKinnon (Lorne), Sophie Tinney (Glasgow Mid-Argyll) |