Council leader’s delight as Gaelic event returns

Renfrewshire Council’s leader is looking forward to the return of the Royal National Mòd to Paisley – a decade on since it was last hosted in the town.

Councillor Iain Nicolson said the event – which is a celebration of the Gaelic language organised by An Comunn Gàidhealach (ACG) – doesn’t regularly return to areas where it was held before; showing how well received it was in 2013.

The Paisley Mòd, also referred to as Mòd Phàislig, will take place from October 13 to October 21, 2023.

Councillor Nicolson told Wednesday’s leadership board:“We look forward to it and welcome it again back to Paisley.

“They don’t often come to towns twice.

“It just shows you how we hosted it really well prior, so we look forward to it next year.”

The official handover took place in 2022 host city Perth last month and was attended by Renfrewshire provost Lorraine

Cameron.

That signalled the official start of preparations for the event, which provides opportunities for people of all ages to perform across a range of disciplines including Gaelic music and song, Highland dance, drama, sport and literature.

The local organising group will operate as a branch of ACG and be chaired by Angus Ferguson. Its role will be to programme and arrange the Mòd Fringe and provide volunteers, stewards and runners to help manage the event.

Meanwhile, the council will form an internal Mòd delivery group, chaired by its finance director, to ensure the infrastructure and cross-service support needed to deliver the festival is in place.

Around 2,100 participants from across the world were said to have taken part in 200 competitions at this year’s Mòd in Perth which is estimated to have attracted 7,500 visitors.