National Celebration of Gaelic

That the Parliament congratulates the city of Perth on being the venue for this year’s Royal National Mod and hopes that this year's event will be as successful as last year's Centenary Mod in Oban; notes that this year's Mod, the most important cultural event for Gaeldom and a significant national icon, takes place against the welcome background of a debate about the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill which the Scottish Executive has recently introduced, and expresses the hope that the nation will now take the opportunity to recognise the immense and enduring contribution to Gaelic and Scotland’s literary reputation throughout Europe of the work of the late Gaelic bard Sorley Maclean of Raasay through the establishment of a fitting permanent memorial, of which a scholarship to assist young Gaelic speakers could be a key part.

The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:

Gu bheil Pàrlamaid na h-Alba a' cur meal-a-naidheachd air Baile Pheairt far an tèid am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a chumail am bliadhna; gu bheil i an dòchas gun soirbhich am Mòd seo mar a shoirbhich an Ceudamh Mòd anns an Oban an-uiridh; gu bheil i a’ toirt fa-near gum bi Mòd na bliadhna seo, a’ chuirm as cudthromaiche do shaoghal na Gàidhlig agus mar ìomhaigh nàiseanta cliùiteach a' tachairt aig an aon àm agus a tha deasbad a’ dol air adhart air Bile na Gàidhlig (Alba), a chaidh fhoillseachadh leis an Riaghaltas bho chionn ghoirid; agus gu bheil i an dòchas gun gabh an nàisean an cothrom a-nis a chuimhneachadh na dìleib mòir maireannaich a chuir obair a' bhàird Somhairle MacGillEain nach maireann ris a’ Ghàidhlig agus ri seasamh litreachas na h-Alba anns an roinn Eòrpa, tro bhith a’ stèidheachadh cuimhneachan freagarrach agus maireannach, agus gum faodadh sgoilearachd do dh’ òigridh le Gàidhlig a bhith mar phàirt dheatamach dheth.