In a match of fine margins, a Camanachd Leòdhais team missing several players wondered what might have been as they fell 1-0 to a Strathspey team that had drafted in a couple of experienced players who were making their debuts for the team. 

Several late call offs meant Lewis travelled with 14 players to Grantown-on-Spey. A re-shuffled team had Michael MacLeod at full back & a returning Steven Morrison at wingback. Donny Murray started his first match at the age of fifteen, with usual defender Owen MacKenzie at full forward. 

Strathspey boasted a strong centre-line, consisting of Alex Williamson, Cal MacKintosh & Tommy Stewart. Calum Stewart, who has scored a rake of goals for Newtonmore’s second team for the past decade, made his debut at full forward.  

In what was a closely-contested affair, the first half saw both backlines on top. Both teams were able to move the ball into dangerous areas but were unable to penetrate either defence & good chances were kept to a minimum. Lewis goalkeeper Stuart ‘Tyson’ Campbell did make one very good save with his hand.

The best action could be found in the middle of the park where full centre Scott MacLeod & wing centres Paddy & Ronan Sinclair were giving as good as they got with both centre-lines playing very well. 

The game opened up a little more in the second half. Strathspey’s Stewart was seeing plenty of the ball but Michael MacLeod’s phenomenal defending was keeping him from nothing more than half chances.

At the other end, MacKenzie had a couple of chances whilst Paul Duke twice hit shots that went just past the post. 

The only goal of the game came in the 72^nd minute & was worthy of winning a game of such quality. MacKintosh managed to find a rare pocket of space and from nearly 40 yards, arrowed a shot that found the top right corner. It was a special goal & it was going to take something out of the top drawer to beat a Lewis defence that was playing at the top of it’s game. 

Lewis nearly responded immediately but Strathspey keeper Rory Mellis did well to keep out MacKenzie’s shot. Lewis continued to look for an equaliser but their efforts were in vain. 

Catching up on 2021 action before season 2022 begins.

The club made a slight tweak to the Craig Morrison Stornoway Sixes by making it a 7 a-side affair at the end of October 2021. There was only one game, an interclub match and it was the Reds who came out on top. It was good to see young Lewis join his father Willie in the winning team, and hopefully we’ll see more of him in the Dubh is Gorm.

As always it was great to commemorate our friend Craig Morrison who died suddenly in an accident in 2009 at the age of 20. A very keen and enthusiastic player who turned out for the club in the early cup runs, he is missed by all who played alongside him.

Hopefully in 2022, the tournament will revert to six a-side again and we can welcome other clubs to again take part.

The Camanachd Leodhais AGM was held via Zoom on 30/11/21.

The Committee remains reasonably similar to the 2021 Committee.

President – Annette Murray

Secretary – Innes Lamont

Treasurer – Kenny MacLeod

Fixtures Secretary – Donald Lamont

Management Team – John MacAskill and Andrew MacAskill

Child Protection – Paul Duke

Merchandise – Paul Duke, Ally Lamont, Sean MacLeod

Co-opted Ordinary Members – Duncan MacIntyre, Stuart Campbell, Peter Gomez, Scott MacLeod and Michael MacLeod

Youth Representative – Innes Begg

Parent Member – Don Murray

The club is looking forward to playing more shinty in 2022.

There is probably no player more synonymous with Camanachd Leòdhais than Daniel ‘Gaga’ Gallagher, and everyone at the club would like to wish him and his lovely wife Kimberley all the best after their recent wedding.

A formidable opponent as a tackler, man marker and general obstacle in the path to goal, Gaga has taken on some fine players in his time and either got the better of them or forced them to come up with a plan ‘G’ to get past the rock at the back. Even when having dealt the team has taken a heavy defeat, opposition forwards will still remark years later about the challenge of playing “The Gaga”. He would admit himself that his hitting is the weakest part of his game, yet he has worked incredibly hard to improve this, has great game awareness and his dedication to fitness has meant that he has transformed himself into lean, mean machine without sacrificing any of his physical presence.

His strength and imposing nature on the pitch is only matched by his kindness and humbleness off it. Gaga has dedicated much of his life to the club. He has served continuously as a player from the Back Camanachd days right through Cup entry, the North Division Three days, North Two and into the post pandemic era of the Interim Leagues. Gaga was player of the year in 2007, 2008 and 2013, as well as being Captain of the winning HebCelt side in 2013 as well, and injuries aside, has played a major role in every season so far (even getting a shot up front once against Lochcarron! Photo evidence below)

Gaga will hopefully continue to go from strength to strength on the park for many years to come in the Dubh is Gorm, and we are sure that he will bring the qualities that have made him a legend for our club to married life. To Daniel and Kimberley, a h-uile latha sona dhuibh, gun latha idir dona dhuibh!

Tha latha an-diugh an còigeamh latha den Mhàrt a’ comharrachadh deich bliadhna on dearbh latha a chluich Camanachd Leòdhais geam lìog airson a’ chiad uair. Bhiodh sin cudromach leis fhèin, ach bha na thachair an latha sin cuideachd anns a’ Mhanachainn ga dhèanamh buileach nas cudromaiche. Chuir Calum Stamper aig Leòdhas a’ chiad thadhal agus chùm iad greim air an cothrom sin airson uair a thìde. Ged a thug a’ Mhanachainn buaidh orra mu dheireadh thall 5-1, airson uair a thìde, bha Camanachd Leòdhais air mullach an t-saoghail! Abair eachdraidh!

Today the 5th of March marks ten years exactly since the first ever Camanachd Leòdhais league game. That would be important in and of itself, but what happened on the day lives long ins the memory, Calum Stamper opening the scoring and the Lewis boys holding onto that lead for an hour. Even though Beauly eventual brought their resources to bear to win 5-1 for an hour at least, Camanachd Leòdhais were kings of the world. What a history!

Squad – Conor Macdonald, Daniel Gallagher, Micheal Macdonald, Eoghan Stewart, Sean MacLeod, Paddy Sinclair, Scott Murray, Donald Lamont, Paul Duke, Ally MacKenzie, Kenny Mould, Calum Stamper, Michael MacLeod, Duncan Edwards, Euan Gilmour, Andrew Murray Macdonald

(Photos clipped from West Highland Free Press – originally Neil Paterson and Tina Marshall)

Bidh Gàidhlig Gu Leòr agus Iomain Cholmcille a’ sgaoileadh bhideo sònraichte de chòmhradh sa Ghàidhlig eadar Pòl, Dòmhnall, Sean agus Eòghan Stiùbhart mun gheam seo air YouTube is Facebook air 6mh den Mhàrt. Gheibhear an-seo e.

Normally in October we host the Craig Morrison sixes in tribute to Craig, who played for the us in the early years of the club before his untimely passing in 2009.

With the global pandemic preventing us from inviting teams to the island and hosting the competition, we instead put on a larger sized intra-club match for the Craig Morrison Shield.

After an excellent game played in rather windy conditions, the score finished 2-2; Stuart ‘Tyson’ Campbell & Paul Duke and Scott MacLeod & Donald Lamont respectively filling up the scoresheet. A big thanks to Henry MacInnes for refereeing.

Whilst the weather held up relatively well for most of the game, by the time the full-time whistle was blown the wind & rain had intensified & one of the goals had fallen over! At that point it was decided to forego the penalty shootout & both teams shared the spoils.

It was an excellent day of shinty played in great spirits. The inclement weather didn’t manage to put a dampener on the occasion & both the energy & passion on show was a fitting tribute to our dearly missed friend. We look forward to safer times when we can welcome the shinty world back to Lewis.

Remember the AGM is on Monday 9th November at 7pm on-line. Contact Donald Lamont for more information.

Thèid Coinneamh Coitcheann Bliadhnail Chomann Camanachd Leòdhais a chumail aig seachd uairean feasgar, Diluain 9mh an t-Samhain air-loidhne, ri linn suidheachadh na slàinte aig a’ cheangal a tha seo.

Thèid na h-oifigearan airson comataidh 2021 a thaghadh aig a’ choinneamh. Tha sinn a’ sìreadh bhuill ùra cuideachd ’s feum mòr orra. Bidh fàilte ro dhuine sam bith le ùidh ann an spòrs nan Gàidheal anns na h-Eileanan Siar.

Cuir molaidhean agus tagraidhean dhan Rùnaire, Dòmhnall MacLaomainn, ro-làimhe aig donaldarchibald87{at}gmail.com

The Annual General Meeting of Comann Camanachd Leòdhais will be held at 7pm on Monday 9th November on-line, due to the on-going public health situation, at the following link.

The office bearers for the 2021 committee will be chosen at the meeting. We are also actively seeking new ordinary committee members. We welcome anybody with an interest in the sport of the Gael in the Western Isles.

Please send any proposals or applications to the Secretary, Donald Lamont, beforehand at donaldarchibald87{at}gmail.com

Suas leis an Dubh is Gorm

To mark the virtual Mòd, here are three Mòd Cup stories with a Camanachd Leòdhais connection , looking back at the three fixtures played at Stornoway Mòds in 1979, 1989 and 2001.

The first is from the 1979 Stornoway Mòd, but where the Mòd Cup was played in Lochcarron (Lochcarron and Lewis being in old Ross-shire, it was a fairly tenuous link, but the game went ahead on the Battery Park.) According to the West Highland Free Press (photos and report from there) it was “thrill-a-minute shinty” between na Carrannaich and Skye Camanachd. Skye took a 3-1 lead in at the interval, but then Lochcarron grabbed a controversial late equaliser that forced extra time. It would be our very own Boyd MacKenzie (pictured above), who went on to develop so many shinty players in Lewis, who gave Lochcarron the lead, before his namesake Alister MacKenzie scored his hat trick to win Lochcarron’s first silverware in nine years.

1989 saw shinty actually take place in Stornoway, and this time Skye were involved again, but they played against Beauly. The Gazette had a picture of the two teams at Bayhead with Henry MacInnes refereeing. The bulk of this Skye team were also on the park when they lifted the Camanachd Cup 9 months later. Beauly player Martin “Toad” MacLean also played in both this match and then the next senior match in Lewis, the first home league game at Shawbost, featuring for Lochbroom.

The Glasgow Herald the following week had an interesting anecdote surrounding Beauly player Stephen MacLean and also the shortness of Bayhead, which will be familirat to any used to playing the HebCelt at Bayhead and why the pitch is fitted in at the strangest of angles to get more length. (Of course, this anecdote from 1989 was still being used 17 years later by a few folk to deter any thought of camans ever being swung by the banks of the Creed.)

Talking of mugs — which the Oban outfit clearly are not — another

unlikely artefact to enter the shinty arena in the last few days is an

electric shaver.

This was the unexpected item presented to Beauly midfielder Stephen

MacLean for being selected as man of the match in the Mod Cup challenge

game in Stornoway which opponents Skye won 4-2. In fact, MacLean has

already had a close shave in a pre-season friendly when he suffered a

broken cheekbone after having been hit in the face with a ball and the

injury is not yet fully healed.

”It will come in handy for shaving down my shinty stick,” he joked

after a contest which entertained the smallest crowd of around one

hundred but which had some bizarre aspects.

It had been billed as a double header, counting also for league points

in Marine Harvest North Division 1, but after it became apparent that

the pitch, a rugby field, was less than the minimum dimensions for a

shinty field a decision was taken that it would be a challenge match

only.

This decision, however, has yet to be endorsed by the Camanachd

Association.

MacLean added: ”The pitch was also very muddy which made clean

hitting difficult. Although spectators felt they saw an exciting game we

could have given a better exhibition had conditions and promotion of the

event been better.”

This is a view which has been heard before in previous Mod Cup

matches. There are obvious reasons for closer contact between the

Association and An Comunn Gaidhealach and perhaps improvements can be made

next year in Glasgow.*

*1990 was the only year since 1969 when a Mòd Cup match wasn’t scheduled!

The final anecdote will be one that evokes a lot of memories, having taken place at Rally Park, Tarbert, Harris in 2001. This was the first time a side from the Western Isles had competed in the Mòd Cup and it was Back Camanachd, coached by that man Boyd MacKenzie, who faced off against a Kyleakin Primary School team. The Skye Team went on to win the game handsomely 11-0, but as many of the Skye team went on to raise the Balliemore, the National League, the Valerie Fraser or also excel in other sports it was no shame for the young Bacaich as they were just in the early flushes of shinty in Lewis.

As the shinty yearbook mentioned in 2002 “This was as effective as anything that will have happened in a week of horo-gheallaidh in the Western Isles.” and perhaps it was right. Gaga and Stompy would go on to become important players for Camanachd Leòdhais through both the entries to the cups, the leagues and beyond.

The Back Camanachd team was; Back Row – James MacKenzie, Andrew Maclennan, John Ferguson, Daniel “Gaga” Gallagher, Front Row – Daniel Clark, Michael MacKenzie, Sam Norton, David MacKay, Calum “Stompy” Stamper

The Kyleakin team wasn’t lacking in Lewis & Harris connections either, future women’s shinty icon Sarah Corrigal having a granny from Carloway, and the MacLennan brothers, Ally and “Shockie” coming from good Leòdhasach and Scalpach stock. And of course, the man who coached the team, the late Alasdair Morrison, was half Rubhach through his mother Jesanne from Garrabost, and both his sons Steven and Danny, who went on to multiple honours with Skye, played as well in the victory.

Here they are sailing back to Skye as so far the only Primary School team to have ever won a senior shinty trophy. (Photo courtesy of Anne MacCuish)

The 2005, 2011 and 2016 Mòd nan Eilean Siar fixtures for what is officially known as the Aviemore Cup, have been documented in more detail on these pages before. The Mòd Cup certainly figures very importantly in the development of shinty in the Western Isles and hopefully whenever the Mòd returns to the Western Isles at some point in the future, it’ll be another day to remember.

Some of the pictures here and from other Mòd Cups past will be seen in Iomain Aig A’ Mhòd 2020 – a special programme to mark the absence of shinty this year along with the rest of the Virtual Mòd – the programme premieres at 11am on Saturday 10th October