Cait McCullagh has been appointed as the Musem Development Officer, here are her thoughts after the first month into the job:
I am truly thrilled and deeply humbled that Comann Eachdraidh Lios Mòr has chosen to appoint me as its Museum Development Officer, and feel very honoured that my taking on of this role might be seen by both the island community and the many, many supporters both near and far as a further concrete step in preparation for the realising of their inspiring and inspired vision - the opening of a new multi-function Heritage Centre and Community Facility on the island.
It feels fitting upon joining this project rooted in the island community’s intuitive and scholarly relationship with the inter-relationship of its own natural, cultural and archaeological heritage, to be bringing not only the experiences of my postgraduate research at Oxford University into the archaeological indices for the reception and impact of early Christianity in Pictland - including the importance of the foundations Lismore's own saint, Moluag, both in Argyll and close to my own Highland home of the last 20 years, Rosemarkie - of excavation throughout the Highlands and Islands and of researching and exhibiting at both Kirkwall and Inverness Museums, but also previous research in the fields of ethnography, Scottish Medieval literature, ethnobotany and linguistics.
Even before my arrival to live and work on the island last month, my interview in November had given a real foretaste of the warmth of a Liosach’s welcome. All 6 of us short-listed for consideration on that day were generously filled with pancakes, tea, soup, stories and laughter galore as well as being accompanied on more than one entertaining and insightful tour of the island’s key sites – of which there are many – by Comann Eachdraidh committee member Archie MacColl.
Now, 3 weeks into this new position, I continue to be delighted by the richness of the Comann’s collection of archives, artefacts and, most of all, the recollections and communications of their heritage that the island community has been sharing with me in a whole variety of ways. From Donald Black’s tour of the stones and stories of the Parish Kirkyard, including a beautiful rendition of a locally penned Gaelic lovesong, to the evidence of an ongoing living tradition of story and song in the schoolchildren’s Christmas concert, each precious cultural gem is gratefully received.
In the New Year the serious work of researching, documenting and digitally archiving the Comann’s collection, currently stored and exhibited in the schoolhouse, will begin. In addition, I will be working with the Scottish Museums’ Council to ensure that the Museum in the new Heritage Centre can eventually achieve the highest accreditation standards, assuring the utmost recognition by both visitors and within the communities of museum professionals and academic researchers. At the moment it is not possible to say exactly what opportunities might be available for those members and supporters of the Comann Eachdraidh who are close enough to volunteer their practical assistance. I am sure, however, that there will be training on offer for those who might want to help with documentation, archiving, even oral history collection. So, if you are interested in finding out more about any of these aspects of the museum development and think that you might be able to offer some help do please get in touch with me. You can write to me either at: Schoolhouse, Achnacroish, Isle of Lismore, PA34 5UG or: lismore-museum@btconnect.com or call: +44 (0)1631 760346.
Together with the Comann Eachdraidh and others on the island I hope also to develop strong ongoing links with schools and other academic institutions interested in exploring the many aspects of the island’s heritage that comprise a unique research and fieldwork resource for all students of the human history of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland and, indeed, the North Atlantic. Already the Faculty of Arts and Cultural Heritage at the UHI Millennium Institute are expressing an interest in setting up summer schools for students on their BA Cultural Studies and BSc Environment and Heritage courses. All this in addition to maintaining development of the Comann’s already well-established Genealogical research facility and their ongoing promotion and development of Gaelic language resources – including my own continuing Gaelic lessons with Margaret MacDonald. There’s plenty of work to be done!
One thing is for sure, that the vibrancy with which the community of Lismore celebrates and communicates an enviably rich cultural, historical and archaeological record of human activity from the Neolithic cultivation sites to the songs of Lachann Dubh A' Chrògain already fills me with a sense of privilege at being entrusted with some small role in representing the unity of people and place on this island.
A-rithist, moran taing a Chomann Eachraidh Lios Mòr agus tha mi’n dochas
gum bidh am bliadhna da mhile ‘sa sia math dhuibh uile!
