Tha sinn air ar dòigh innse dhuibh gu bheil dithis thosgaire gu bhith againn airson Seachdain na Gàidhlig agus seo agaibh a’ chiad fhear dhiubh sin – Iain Urchadan! Bidh na tosgairean againn a’ deanamh oidhirp air daoine air feadh na dùthcha a bhrosnachadh gus pàirt a ghabhail san t-seachdain. Aithnichidh sibh Iain is e cuideachd ainmichte mar Thosgaire Gàidhlig na Bliadhna aig Mòd Pheairt 2022.

Rugadh Iain D. Urchardan ann an 1966 is thogadh e ann am Bòirseam, Eilean na Hearadh. Bha
Gàidhlig aig a h-uile neach sa bhaile aige agus b’ fheudar dha Beurla ionnsachadh nuair a chaidh e
dhan sgoil. Cheumnaich Iain le Urram à sgoil Ealain Ghlaschu ’s à Oilthigh Obar Dheathain. Ann an
1989 thionndaidh e gu craoladh. Bha e na phreasantair air radio ’s TV aig a’ BhBC agus bha e ag
obrachadh dhaibhsan làn-ùine gu 1993. An uair sin thòisich e air trèanadh airson a bhith na
Mhinistear ann an Eaglais na h-Alba, obair a rinn e ann an Glaschu, Eilean Bharraigh is san Eilean
Sgitheanach gu 2010. A-nis tha e na Òraidiche aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig ’s na phreasantair air pod-
chraolaidhean mar ‘Beag air Bheag’ is ‘SpeakGaelic’. Tha dà leabhar de na sgeulachdan-goirid aig Iain
an clò: ‘Breab, Breab, Breab’ (2017) agus ‘Air an Oir’ (2020). Choisinn ‘Turas’, a’ chiad
chruinneachadh de bhàrdachd aige, Duais Dhòmhnaill Meek ann an 2019. Tha Iain pòsta aig Muireall
’s tha triùir chloinne aca: Mairead, Eòin is Sìleas.

Thuirt Iain, ‘Tha mi uabhasach toilichte ’s taingeil a bhith nam thosgaire do Sheachdain na Gàidhlig. B’ i a’ Ghàidhlig mo chiad chànan ’s tha mi air a bhith ga cluinntinn, ga cleachdadh ’s ga cur gu feum fad mo bheatha. Tha Seachdain na Gàidhlig a’ toirt cothrom sgoinneil dhomh a bhith a’ misneachadh dhaoine eile gus a cleachdadh – le toileachas is le taingealachd – cuideachd. Mar sin, ‘Suas, suas, suas leis a’ Ghàidhlig’!’

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We are delighted to introduce you to John Urquhart, one of our two ambassadors for Seachdain na Gàidhlig, who will play a special part in promoting the week and will bring their own events to the fore to ensure participation is at its fullest and most enthusiastic. You’ll also know John as the Gaelic Ambassador of the Year, as named at the Perth Mòd 2022!

John D. Urquhart was born in 1966 and was brought up in Borsham, Isle of Harris. All his neighbours
were native Gaelic speakers and he had to be taught English when he went to primary school. John
graduated with honours from Glasgow School of Art and the University of Aberdeen. In 1989 he
started broadcasting, full-time, with the BBC as a radio and TV presenter and worked for them until
1993. Then he began training for the Ministry in the Church of Scotland, work he undertook in
Glasgow, the Isle of Barra and the Isle of Skye until 2010. These days he’s a lecturer at Sabhal Mòr
Ostaig and he has presented podcasts such as ‘Beag air Bheag’ and ‘SpeakGaelic’. John has had two
collections of his short stories published: ‘Breab, Breab, Breab’ (2017) and ‘Air an Oir’ (2020). ‘Turas’
his first collection of poetry won the Donald Meek Award in 2019. John is married to Muriel, and
they have three children: Mairead, Eòin and Sìleas.

John said, ‘I’m truly delighted and thankful to be an Ambassador for Seachdain na Gàidhlig. Gaelic is my mother tongue and I’ve heard, spoken, and made use of Gaelic all my life. Seachdain na Gàidhlig gives me a brilliant opportunity to encourage others to hear, speak and use Gaelic – with delight and thankfulness – too. So, onwards and upwards with Gaelic!’