Gaelic Song : The Rankin Family: Gillean Mo Run

[dbot66]

nice

[schuylerlola]

This is Scottish Gaelic. Actually. I'm studying it right now, and it is definitely Scottish Gaelic.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks schuylerlola . Tapadh leat :-)

[koodibabe]

this song is so catchy...i can't stop listening to it!!! does nyone know the translation for this song??

[UISTMAN59]

Rough translation now added to the more info bit  :-)

[blitzkrieg4334]

BEUTIFUL SONG!!!

[ltsutherland]

Lowland Scots don't just speak English, they speak Lallans Scots which is related to English but a distinct dialect was an institutionalised language, (read rabbie Burns .)The Scots originally Gaelic speaking, probably came over around 1500 years ago. The Kennedy's came over in the 1300's but the MacDonalds always lived in Scotland (they were the Lords of the Isles man!) though they had land in Ireland. My cousin can understand Irish speakers a wee bit apparently.

[UISTMAN59]

Its hard to say for sure whether the Kennedys came over from Ireland at all, far less when! To say the MacDonalds always lived in Scotland is to ignore their whole history before the 13thc when King Haakon IV of Norway made Angus Mor son of Donald "Lord of Islay" . How many MacDonalds were there at that time? Not many I would say. The chief of Clan Donald became Lord of the Isles some time around the mid 14th c. Even then a great number of his "clan" would not be surnamed MacDonald.

[Ic1cle]

That lad with the glasses right at the end - would that not be one of the Proclaimers ?

[HuntersMoon73]

I googled the song "As I Roved Out" and this lovely clip came up. This isn't the Gaelic version of that song though, is it? I think "mo run" means "my love," correct me if I'm wrong.

Can someone speaking Irish Gaelic understand someone speaking Scottish Gaelic - are they similar enough? Ta.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks for your note. Can someone speaking Irish Gaelic understand someone speaking Scottish Gaelic ? Hard to say since I'mon the other side but "sometimes" in conversation, if spoken slowly enough, it can happen. On TV when native speakers are in full flood, its won't be so easy but some of the gist of what is being said can be gathered, but it depends on the dialect of the Irish speaker and the Gaidhlig speaker and there are other factors too I suppose - sorry I can't be more help !

[angu31a]

Im From Harris and speak Scottish Gealic Fluently. I can understand certain irish gealic words.

[SuperColossal33]

its cape breton gaelic :)

[UISTMAN59]

It's Scottish Gaelic. The singers are from cape Breton , of course, but they would never claim that it is still just Scottish Gaelic,

[SuperColossal33]

well the dialect is like "Cape Breton Scottish Gaelic" or something, there's slight differences, but they are practically the same.

[jehenna]

What a beautiful voice and a beautiful language. It's like it was made to be sang.

[heimdallhinfrode]

Does anyone have the lyrics to this song? I tried to google it but found nothing.

[UISTMAN59]

Hi Nallyterrace, Thanks for viewing. I have posted the lyrics now as found in"Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia" by Helen Creighton and Calum MacLeod.

[nallyterrace]

Brilliant, thanks!

[UISTMAN59]

Hi heimdallhinfrode , I have posted the lyrics now. I should probably have done this ges ago. :-)

[heimdallhinfrode]

Thank you!

[thorplands9]

I like this very much, the language of the heart, so melodic and cheerful

Seamus O'Ruairc

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks Seamus. :-)

[TobiramaSensei]

Is the entire song all in Gaelic?? do people still speak it?? because I've been trying to look for some people who can speak it. The song sounds SOO good!

[nallyterrace]

Yes the whole song is on Gaelic. It is still quite popularly spoken across the British Isles. In Ireland, Irish Gaelic is the official language and particularly in the West there are extensive areas where Irish is the first language of the people. It continues to grow. Scottish Gaelic is similar to its Irish relative and the new BBC Alba channel is a great resource to learn more about it as a living language.

[TobiramaSensei]

Thanks for the information nallyterrace :) although i don't have BBC Alba, since I am in spain right now, and not in Canada or England/United Kingdom :(

[SkankerB3ll]

They aren't Irish though... Scottish Decent.

[nallyterrace]

I don't differentiate.

[thorplands9]

I met the late great Calum Kennedy years ago in Dundee, he told me his clan originally came from Ireland as do many Scottish Clans including the MacDonalds the difference would be Lowland Scots who only speak English.

[amandaberesford]

Scottish descent? tell that to Patrick Sellar. These people were "Erse". Amazingly, in 2009 there are some people in Scotland who still, STILL! have this attitude.

[losethefire]

people still speak it in north eastern nova scotia and cape breton... you can take classes in celtic studies and gaelic language classes at stfx

[TobiramaSensei]

alright, so what does stfx stand for? and I'd love to go to nova Scotia. I just don't need to face the 6 months of winter then :) and I learn Gaelic. Can I still be able to learn Scottish Gaelic in Nova Scotia?

[telm80]

Love the Rankin Family!!!! What ever bacame of them????

[mybasshas7strings]

Well, John Morris Rankin was killed in an auto accident which hurt them a great deal. Jimmy has recorded some solo albums, the girls did some projects on their own although Raylene battled breast cancer, most recently they did a reunion album and have been touring again some.

[beautifulkat1]

omg I didn;t know Raylene was battling breast cancer! I hope she is doing okay and better!

[acerb45666555]

who likes Folk Music!!.........."ELUVEITIE - Inis Mona"

[yoyovelcros]

what is this song about, I don,t know any Gaelic

[UISTMAN59]

Hi yoyovelcros

The note from iheartcb59 explains it all.

[hobsonjon509]

There are Gaelic speaking on Western NF. My grandfather is a caper but his past comes from a large gaelic speaking family around St Georges Bay

[1stAmendmentVoter]

Beautiful music and melodic song! Excellent vid! Thanx for posting it...

[WiiAddictITA08]

this is precisly why i thank god my dads irish! the music and those who make it come alive, Rankin Family are my heroes! <3

[katmac75]

I know it sounds similar, but this is Scot's Gaelic. They are Canadians but,in Nova Scotia, where I think their family 1st moved to, Gaelic is widely spoken.

[pogmothoin13]

this music got me through homesickness when i lived in canada :D

[superstar85ca]

I am from the family of MacArthur's mentioned in Margarets book. There's not a lot of Scottish music in Codroy Valley anymore, mostly Newfoundland style, but I moved to Cape Breton when I finished highschool and studied fiddle, dance and Gaelic. There are a few MacArthur's left who speak some Gaelic and play Scottish style but it's dying there so they don't have a chance at learning any more. I play there when I'm home.

[dawson56ca]

There are a small number of Scottish Gaelic speakers on the west coast of Newfoundland, as well. They are the descendants of people who moved from Cape Breton in the 1800s (I believe) to take advantage of land grants in the Codroy Valley.

[UISTMAN59]

Margaret Bennet's book 'The Last Stronghold' chronicled this community and was published in 1989 at which time most of the native Gaelic speakers were in their sixties and seventies, and the youngest was in his forties. There was also cassette called "A Ceilidh with the MacArthurs, Codroy Valley, Newfoundland." It would be interesting to know the current situation in this community.

[dawson56ca]

One of my friends (who is 56) is from Searston in the Codroy Valley. His family (on his dad's side, not sure about his mom's) came from Cape Breton. He can remember his grandparents speaking Gaelic, but doesn't speak it himself, except for a few phrases. Not sure what interest there is in speaking Gaelic among the younger people there now but I'll ask him.

[capebretonboi]

hey b'ye ,that there is it's taugh in some schools like french is on the rest of the island but only on the west side of the island like up mabou way in that area around inverness ... same with my family on his fathers side they speak it i picked up a lil from them my father speaks more it's gets taught little by little to each generation

[lorgain2]

Evicted from their homes in the Highland clearances, they clung to their native language, what a thing of beauty it is, the Gaels can not be defeated.

[lorgain2]

This is great, the girls are a treat, thanks for posing Uistman as usual great taste.

[Tallymukkah]

The Rankins are so amazong and their music is beautiful in Gaelic and totally awesome in English!!

[cflat28]

This is a pretty language (and song). Before reading these comments, I thought the language the Rankins' spoke was Celtic (cause I didn't know what else it could be). It's nice to know what the language is.

[UISTMAN59]

The girls' grandmother was a fluent Gaelic speaker from CB, I met her and spoke to her and other CB folks in Scottish Gaelic. According to a document published in Dec 06 by the Nova Scotian government, 'parts of Cape Breton and just a few places in Northeastern Nova Scotia make up the only Scottish Gaelic speaking region remaining in the world, outside of Scotland.

[TimeToEatFood]

How did 3 Canadians come to learn Scottish Gaelic? Even most Scottish people don't speak it. I thought Canada had a differing version of Gaelic.

[UISTMAN59]

A rough estimate is that there are less than 1000 Gaelic speakers remaining in Nova Scotia.

Of these, many are advanced in age and reside in smaller numbers at various locations throughout the province. On the other hand, the number of Gaelic learners ( I have met a few of these as well) may well be in the thousands due to the Gaelic Studies program offered in classes throughout the Strait Regional School Board. Check the web for more info. Thanks.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks to iheartcb59 for the update. I had intended to update the notes with some of the words but didn't get round to it. Sorry folks.

[iheartcb59]

The 3 Rankin Sisters recorded this song at a much slower tempo on their Christmas album "do you hear...". It is actually called "A'Challuinn (The New Year)". The liner notes say that this song still remains popular in Inverness Co., Cape Breton, and is a celebratory song about a special New Year's homecoming by soldiers from war. Origins in Lochaber, Scotland. Hope that helps to answer your question.

[iheartcb59]

This other version of "A'Challuinn" was just posted on lbrankinfiles page. Two very different versions of the same song. I like them both.

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks for the update.

[TimeToEatFood]

This is a gorgeous song =D What does it mean?

[TimeToEatFood]

Which Gaelic language is this?

[UISTMAN59]

Thanks for yuor query. This is Scottish Gaelic. From the descendants of Highlanders who settled in Cape Breton Nova Scotia.

[UISTMAN59]

Your wish is my command - at least on this occassion. The Limehill Set, from the same show, has now been uploaded.

[asirovedout]

Fabulous clip! Thanks for posting it! If, by chance, you have more footage of the Rankins, it would be very much appreciated if you were willing to share it as well. Cheers!