Cuach na Cloinne Trophy Stays in Lewis

These six schools had qualified for the football finals, winning regional competitions which had been held in Lewis, Uist, Skye, Inverness, Ard nam Murchan and Glasgow.

Fifty teams from 28 schools took part in this year’s competition. Laxdale Primary School won the competition in 2015.

Councillor John A Maciver, Chair of the Gaelic Plan Implementation Committee at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar said: “I would like to congratulate Shawbost Primary School on winning Cuach na Cloinne, a national competition.

“With 50 teams from across Scotland taking part in the competition, they did wonderfully well to come out on top.

“Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is delighted to support Cuach na Cloinne, a competition that gives young people from across our islands the opportunity to compete in a national sports competition held entirely in Gaelic.“

He continued: “This illustrates that teams from our islands can compete with schools from across Scotland in sports activities and it is important that we create opportunities for them to do so.”

The Cuach na Cloinne trophy was presented to the winners by Councillor Hamish Fraser, Chair of The Highland Council Gaelic Plan Implementation Committee, who said: “I would like to congratulate Shawbost on winning this year’s Cuach na Cloinne competition.

“I would also like to congratulate Portree Primary School and BSGI who were 2nd and 3rd in the competition and all the other teams for making it to the Finals.

“Cuach na Cloinne is a very well established national Gaelic event on the youth sporting Gaelic circuit.

“I’m delighted that the event is so successful and creating a tournament which is held entirely in Gaelic supports and enhances the young people’s learning experience beyond the class room.

“It also provides an excellent opportunity for young people to use their linguistic skills through extra-curricular activities.

“The Highland Council is delighted to support the event which develops the young people’s linguistic skills and also helps to create positive relationships across Scotland’s Gaelic schools.

“It is also very fitting that the finals took place at Bun Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abair, which was officially opened in the Spring and is the second stand-alone Gaelic Primary School in the Highland area, it is also an excellent community facility that can host national sporting events like Cuach na Cloinne.

“The level of participation by pupils in Schools across the Highlands was excellent and my best wishes to everybody who took part in the competition.”

Donald MacNeill, Ceannard of Comunn na Gàidhlig, who organise the competition added: “We were delighted with the numbers participating in this year’s competition.

“With 50 teams from 28 schools, that is almost 350 youngsters, the highest number ever taking part in the competition.

“It is highly beneficial and important that such opportunities are created to enable Gaelic-speaking youngsters from across Scotland to play with their peers, to gain an understanding that Gaelic is spoken across Scotland and also to make new friends from other schools.

“We are grateful to our funders, The Highland Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.”

Pictured are the winners Shawbost Primary School team at the presentation.

Image courtesy of Iain Ferguson, The Write Image.