Saturday 1st of September

The Australian Gaelic Singers invite you to join them in celebrating their 25th anniversary on Saturday the 1st of September. The party will take place at 7.00pm at the Thornleigh Community Centre, cnr of Phyllis and Central Avenues, Thornleigh.

Anthony Simon will call the dances and music will be made by Robert Pearce and Celtic Knot, The Scottish Fiddlers, Ceilidh Collective and special guest artists Chris Duncan and Catherine Strutt. There will be games, competitions and general hilarity befitting such an occasion so drag out your good humour and dancing shoes, set the tape for the Bill and spend the night with friends.

It will cost you $15 dollars each unless you are under 15, in which case it will cost nothing! You bring whatever you want to eat and drink and we will make the tea and coffee.

Tables are selling extremely quickly, they accomodate 8 or 10 so ring Judy on 9498 8209 and make sure there is room for you!

8th to the 11th June 2007

Chevalier Resource Centre, Kensington
The AGM will be held at 7:30pm on Saturday at the Sgoil.

Saturday 14 May 2005
1.00 - 2.00 pm
Granville Neighbourhood Centre
2 Carlton Street, Granville

Friday 15, 6.00pm - Sunday 17 April 2005
The Collaroy Centre, Sydney
[Dealbh - Picture]

We have completed our third very successful weekend workshop - the "April School". Once again, participants came from far distances in Australia, and one even travelled from New Zealand. Our tutors were enthusiastic and dedicated, and included several fluent speakers as well as a visiting Gaelic TV actor who generously gave of her time while in Sydney. The workshop approach of offering optional courses again proved to be a great success, with participants being able to choose between different classes according to their level of fluency.
Much Gaelic was spoken and learnt by all, and all feedback indicates that this was another wonderful opportunity for lovers of the Gaelic language in Australia.

Sunday 9 May 2004
12.00 noon
Rev John Graham MA
Bondi Presbyterian Church
cnr Castlefield/Miller Streets, Bondi

Saturday 17 April 2004
2.00 - 4.00 pm
Granville Neighbourhood Centre
2 Carlton Street, Granville

Election of new committee

Friday 25, 6.00pm - Sunday 27 July 2003
The Collaroy Centre, Sydney
Picture gallery

This 'Summer School in Winter' was our very successful second residential weekend, with participants coming from Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Canberra and Melbourne. The course consisted of 12 workshops, most offering 3 different topics. Students were able to choose which they attended depending on their level of fluency. There were also workshops on other aspects of Gaelic language and culture, such as an intensive pronunciation workshop and an introduction to Gaelic music.

We were privileged to have a visiting speaker this year - John Graham told us about his life growing up in Lewis. And we repeated last year's successful Saturday night ceilidh, with contributions from tutors, participants, and some highly skilled musician friends.

We certainly plan to hold many more such functions so that Australians can learn, revise or practise this beautiful ancient language of the Gael.

Saturday 5 April at 4.30 pm
Granville Neighbourhood Centre
2 Carlton Street, Granville

Sunday 15 December 2002
2.00 pm
Rev John Graham MA
Campbell Street Presbyterian Church
Balmain

Saturday 14 December 2002
Sydney

Saturday 27 July, 5.00pm
Sydney

Conducted by Ruairidh MacIlleathain from Inverness, this was an excellent evening with a group of 20 learners from beginner to advanced level. Everyone had a chance to speak and listen, and all went away feeling they had made progress with the language. We very much appreciate Ruairidh's energy, enthusiasm and skill in encouraging us all to participate and practise our conversation skills. We are determined to keep going with our efforts, and have adopted the "cearcall" format for a series of monthly conversation groups in Sydney. Thank you Ruairidh.

Saturday 6 July, 7.00pm
Sydney

The program consisted of three Gaelic videos from members' personal collections, with short intervals for refreshments. The videos were subtitled in English, which made it easier for beginners to follow, and included a documentary, an interview and a short film. The evening was well attended and proved to be a good meeting point for members, many of whom had not met each other before. We hope to repeat this event.

Saturday 20 April at 4.00 pm
St Francis Xavier's Church
20 MacKenzie Street
Lavender Bay 2060

Friday 22, 6.00 pm - Sunday 24 February 2002
Collaroy, Sydney
Picture gallery

This was our first residential course and by all accounts a resounding success! There were 32 participants and five teachers. The weekend consisted of intensive classes at all levels (No Gaelic through to Advanced), interspersed with activities and games to help make it a fun learning environment.

There was a ceilidh on the Saturday night, which included a much valued contribution by three of the Sydney Scottish Fiddlers, and many many recitations, songs and other events presented by the course participants. Much of the ceilidh was recorded by Seonaidh MacFhraing for his Gaelic radio program. We now know how much talent is lurking in our Gaelic learners' community! On Sunday morning the native speakers held a brief service in Gaelic, in the Collaroy Centre's beautiful Bush Chapel.

The Collaroy Centre is a superb location overlooking Collaroy Beach in the north of Sydney. Feedback from everyone who attended was exceptionally positive and we are hoping to run many more.

Sunday 2 December 2001, 12 noon
Rev John Graham MA
Bondi Presbyterian Church
cnr Castlefield/Miller Streets
Bondi 2026

The service was conducted entirely in Gaelic by an t-Urr Coinneach MacLeòid from McLean, Northern NSW. We were delighted to welcome him and his wife, as well as visitors from Melbourne, Newcastle, Wollongong and all over Sydney.

Seonaidh MacFhraing and Dòmhnall MacLeòid gave the readings and Còisir Ghàidhlig Astràilianach sang Salm 23, Mìorbhail Gràis, Salm 121 and A Thighearna Dhia.

After the service the congregation provided lunch which gave everyone a chance to meet each other and to practise their Gaelic with some of the native speakers.

This was a very successful festive evening for our members, with many old friends and some interstate visitors joining us in North Sydney. The ceilidh continued past midnight, with singing, harp playing, poetry and story telling. Seonaidh MacFhraing taught us a puirt-a-beul that he sings with his children, and recorded many of the performances for his SBS radio program. We were delighted with one guest's contribution of traditional stories accompanied by the harp.

Saturday 3 November 2001, 9.30 am
Gaelic learning day

An outstanding success! And a good indication of the level of interest in learning Gaelic. The day consisted of a series of four classes for each of three levels - beginner, intermediate and advanced. The tutors were native speakers and really challenged our conversation skills! There was also a ceilidh in the evening for those who still had the strength. Most of the participants have since enrolled either in Ivor Mackay's Wollongong classes or for the Sgoil Shamhraidh in February (see above).

Thursday 15 March 2001 at 6.00 pm
Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Alison McGachy spoke about what the John Muir Trust (www.jmt.org) is doing to conserve Scottish Highland environment and culture, including the recording of folklore.