Macphail

I AM not a great believer in geographical barriers representing inter-human barriers, or indeed geographical links automatically forging human bonds.

In the melting pot of the world, this is one of most complex areas of our existence and throughout history it has been one of the most common causes of both connection and conflict.

From the individual, to the family, to the village, to the island or town, to the city, to the county, to the country and to the continent there are individuals interacting with other individuals that make the potential of different outcomes at each stage exponentially numerous and therefore impossible to generalise.

However, regardless of all that, and in slight contrast to my opening sentence, there are certain very positive links, cultural connections and feelings of fellowship between some parts of the world that exist and can be enjoyed without exclusion of, or prejudice against others.

I can assure readers this is not a political piece born from the debates of last week but merely from the excitement that this weekend I am going on a stag weekend to Donegal in Ireland. Scotland has long held strong links with Ireland, and Argyll and the Islands especially have ancient connections across the Irish Sea that although less prevalent now are still apparent in the character of the people on both sides of that sea.

With the changing nature of travel and trade away from small vessels on sea-routes to large ferries and land routes the day-to- day links of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland with Ireland are more limited now that at any time in our recent history.

The upheaval and complexities of religion and politics have no doubt also affected these links but transcending these differences is the fact that the Gaels of Ireland and the Gaels of Scotland are essentially the same people.

I remember on my first trip Ireland about 15 years ago, flying to Dublin, on to Galway, then out to the rural extremities of Connemara and at all stages of the journey feeling like we were on one big Hebridean Island.

The similarities in humour, in welcome, in hospitality and character were astounding. The links between both populations were very obvious and the sense of feeling at home was very powerful.

Although separated for many hundreds of years, the cultures still hold these strong links of foundation and have also experienced similar challenges. The cultural, linguistic, ethnic and socio- economic oppression suffered by Gaels on both sides of the Irish Sea have no doubt added to the commonalities and affinity between both populations.

Since first receiving a copy of Fergie MacDonald’s tape, There’s Irish in the Islands, when I was 11 years old, I have been aware of our shared musical culture.

On Friday, when a bus load of ‘stag-trippers’ from Tiree, Mull, Vatersay, Barra, Islay, Oban and elsewhere arrive in Donegal bearing accordions, bagpipes, tin whistles, fiddles and singing songs, we hope to do our bit to rekindle these ancient links of shared heritage.

The shared links in whisky distillation may also be a relevant to proceedings!