Fairytale success for seven-year-old Gaelic story-teller

Published on Tuesday 12 October 2010 15:16

A SEVEN-year-old schoolboy scooped the Alasdair McInnes Cup for story-telling at the 107th Royal National Mod in Caithness with his Gaelic recitation of an ancient folk tale about a boy whose magnificent piping scares away rival pipers from Skye.

Last night Cathal Callan, a primary three pupil at the High School of Glasgow Junior School in Bearsden, Glasgow, who came first in the 7-8 years competition category, said: "I was very excited when I found out I'd won. I liked telling the story because it was about a fairy doing magic on a boy."

In the tale - The Pipers of Smercleit - a fairy grants the wish of a boy from South Uist that he should be as good a piper as his brother. When rival pipers issue a challenge the boy plays and the challengers retreat.

Cathal's sister Miri, nine, and brother Mcheal, 11, claimed gold medals in their respective age-group story-telling classes.

John Macleod, president of organisers An Comunn Gidhealach, said: "The participation we've seen at the children's competitions has been marvellous. The Gaelic language has received continuing support in the country from the parents of children and schools.

"We look forward to our new Gaelic speakers continuing to develop their language and interest into the future."

Margaret Cathal, the children's mother, said: "I'm very proud of them. What makes me proudest is that I've brought them up as Gaelic speakers."

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