Who done it?
by mygaelic.com
- BeurlaEnglish
- Gàidhlig ShìmplidhSimple Gaelic
- GàidhligGaelic
Glasgow has been abuzz with Gaelic lately as random banners appear around the city in support of the language. Who’s behind them?
Glasgow is widely recognised as a Gaelic hot-spot. With a thriving Gaelic school, many classes, courses, concerts, ceilidhs and a strong Gaelic community, Glasgow has never shied away from the language. However, banners appearing around the city have got the attention of Gaelic and English speakers alike, drawing attention to the language and it’s place in Glasgow and the country as a whole.
Banners brandishing sayings such as ‘Cum Gàidhlig Beò’ (Keep Gaelic Alive), have been appearing almost weekly over the past couple of months. A strong message of support has been shown for Gaelic. The mysterious banners have been spotted along Kelvingrove, Partick, Hyndland and the Glasgow uni area - parts of the city in which Gaelic has a strong presence.
After receiving an anonymous tip via our website, mygaelic.com is lead to believe that ‘Am Buidhean Dubh’ (The Black Gang) are behind this sudden spurt of Gaelic banners. Am Buidhean dubh are shrouded in mystery and there has been no reported sightings of the gang at work. Similar banners have also appeared around the city with their logo.
Am Buidheann Dubh’s old logo
Am Buidheann Dubh's new logo
The group have been active on facebook and have been up-dating the public on their latest movements. No one really knows who they are or where they are from, but there’s one thing for sure – they’ve got an entire city talking about Gaelic.
Have you seen the banners? Are you a member of ‘Am Buidhean Dubh’? Do you think they are a good idea or a bad idea? Join the debate and let us know what you think and what you have to say!
Click here to view the group’s picture blog.


Banners posted by ctrnmorr
Yes, I'm on a visit to Glasgow and saw one yesterday somewhere in the Partick area. I think it's a good idea as they draw attention to Gaelic and also point people to classes. A young worker in Partick Library, who had learned Gaelic, spoke to me in Gaelic when he saw mw borrow a Gaelic book. He was so pround of his ability to speak the language and I was pleased to be so addressed. It saddens me when I go into businesses in Stornoway, and other island locations, and rarely find anyone speaking Gaelic.
posted by Buidheann_Dubh
Now let me fill you in on the ideology behind the formation, methods, medium and goals of am Buidheann Dubh...
The Black Gang came about from a few like minded individuals who took their inspiration from past master like Wendy Wood and her Scottish Patriots, Iain Taylor and the MacDonald brothers with the Ceartas campaign, along with a whole host of others who mastered the art of combatting negativity with positive promotion from a position of anonymity...
We all 'individually' support Scottish independence, and in so doing, see the Scottish National Party as the best available vehicle to deliver that freedom to our country, but as a collective within am Buidheann Dubh, we see party politics as a hindrance to the promotion of the Scottish language, culture and heritage, thinking politicians are best suited to political campaigns, and political views are best served left to individuals, and accept that Scotland will be free, when her children decide they want that freedom...
The primary aim of the Gang today, is to promote gàidhlig throughout every city in Scotland, while helping to preserve Scottish culture at home and abroad, through our own quirky dedication, work ethic and commitment to taking our online brainstorming, to the city streets, as anonymously as possible. We are open to any and all suggestions brought forward from other organisations and we listen openly to any criticisms that may arise, one being the imagery we used initially with the black hand design, which some took to mean we were right wing fascists, alligning ourselves with Serbian nationalists from the first world war, and as comical as that was, it was thought best to ditch the black hand from anything to do with am Buidheann Dubh as a step towards allaying any fears that some may have. It has also been alleged that we are all members of the SNP, or Siol nan Gaidheal, again this is so far from the truth that it hardly deserves a mention, one thing we are all members of however, is am Buidheann Dubh, with the sole intent to unite all Scots, be they gàidhlig, English, doric or lallan speakers, highland, lowland, city or country Scots, who's make up comes from every colour and creed the world has brought to our beloved shores. We are all part of Scotland, and only by standing together, will we achieve our country's full potential as a completely autonomous, independent nation, with a language, a culture and a heritage, that we see as important as the rest of the world already do...
The reason we use old road signs, banners etc, etc, is because we have no interest in graffiti'ing the walls of the cities and country we love, and so thought disposable street promos would be the best medium to use, so as they can be removed as and when the councils or cleansing see it as rubbish. Another method we use to raise a smile with folk, is raising of saltires out of the top of some very tall trees, one that never fails to hit the spot, being that it's so a-political, but so, so Scottish, much like the small campaign there, with placing little gàidhlig paper banners within specifically targeted books, pushing the poems by Anna Frater an such like...
We must affirm though, that this is just but the early stages of a sustained campaign, which is building and building, growing so much support both here and abroad, that we now have hundreds in on our brainstorming ideas, as opposed to initially there only being two, so rest assured that there will be an awful lot more to come from am Buidheann Dubh, with the bar being raised with every new member that joins our discussions, and we'd like to invite everyone reading this, to join us on Facebook, searching for Am Buidheann Dubh, were you can help form the identity and direction of the Black Gang, answering all of your questions, and taking on board all suggestions put before us...
Thanks again, and keep your eyes peeled, cos we may well be in your street tonight, tomorrow, or some time soon, but until then...
Cùm gàidhlig beò!
posted by Buidheann_Dubh
Contact us, or better still, join in the fun, and maybe even raise the bar yourself, by breaking through a fresh idea of pushing the gàidhlig, you'll find us easily enough, hanging around these street corners below :-
Facebook :-
www.facebook.com/pages/Am-Buidheann-Dubh/127993583883238?v=wall&ref=ts
Photo weblog :-
www.ambuidheanndubh.blogspot.com
Email :-
abdubh@gmail.com
Suas leis a' Ghaidhlig posted by Liamcrouse
Tha mise dhen bheachd gur ann math a tha am Buidheann Dubh. Adhbharan:
Chaidh Gaidhlig a nochdadh ann an Glaschu - tha sin math, chan eil e a' donadh duine air bith. Tha feum aig an duthaich a bhith mar seo, oir ann an Albainn, tha fios aig a' mhor-chuid de dhuine air de a tha 'rouge' a' ciallachadh agus chan eil gu de a tha 'dearg' a' ciallachadh! Feumaidh seo ag atharrachadh agus tiondadh don thaobh eile. Do moran duine ann an Albainn, chan mhair Gaidhlig dhaibh! Tha soighneachan Gaidhlig aon de na slighean a dh'fheumadh ga thachairt airson Gaidhlig a bhith anns gach aite ann an Albainn.
Cuideachd, air bharr, chuala mi daoine ag radh nach urrainn do Gaidhlig a bhith ceangailte comhla ri poilitigs idir idir. Ach tha mise dhen bheachd nach eil diofar ann - sin direach mar a tha: tha daoine a' comhradh is ag argamaid poilitigs ann an canan air bith, agus mar sin, feumaidh poilitigs ga bhruidhinn anns a' Ghaidhlig agus cuideachd 'sa' Bheurla, mar a b'abhaist do chanan eile air bith co-dhiu. Sin direach abhaisteach - ach tha e cuideachd a' ciallachadh gun teid Gaidhlig a bhruidhinn gu barrachd, agus tha sin gle mhath cuideachd. Chan eil a h-uile Gaidheal ag iarraidh an Aonaidh a bhristeadh; direach airson sibh nur Gaidheal, chan eil sin idir a' ciallachadh gum bheil sibh-se nur naiseantach. Tha mi 'n dochas gum bi Gaidheil gu leor anns an t-saoghal ag iarraidh an Aonaidh a mhaireadh, bhiodh sin a' togail moran chomhraidhean... Feumaidh sinn an t-argamaid a thoiseachadh!! Siuthadaibh
posted by MacCoinnich
Tha mi a'fuirich ann am Partaig agus 's toil leam na bratachan ùr. Tha gach duine a' bruidhinn mu dhèidhinn iad ann an Glaschu agus 's a Gaidhealtachd cuideachd. Glè mhath Am Buidheann Dubh.
posted by AdhamhOBroin
Gun teagamh 's e oidhirp math tha seo. Tha Alba air a bhith a' cadal fhad' 's a tha a dualchas a' dol à bith. Mu dheireadh thall, tha fear/tè no dhà mun cuairt aig a' bheil beagan gaisge 's dealasachd. Chan eil ann ach brataichean, ach an taca ri samhchair, tha 'd gasda da rìreadh! Dall oirbh a Bhuidheann Dubh!
posted by sinejean
Tha mi a smaoineachadh gu bheil Am Buidheann Dubh uabhasach math. Dè tha ceàrr leis a chùmail na Gàidhlig beò? Chan eil càil idir! Suas i gu bràth!