A' Seinn Comhla  

The Blog of the U.S. National Mòd: Celebrating Scottish Gaelic Song, Music, Language & Culture

Scottish singer, actor Gillebride MacMillan coming to the U.S. National Mòd, Sept. 25-27

Gillebride MacMillan (photo courtesy Donald MacLeod).

ACGA will welcome award-winning Scottish Gaelic singer, educator, author and actor Gillebrìde MacIlleMhaoil (MacMillan) to Ligonier, Pennsylvania, as the adjudicator of the 28th annual U.S. National Mòd in September.

Gillebrìde will judge the poetry, storytelling and song competitions at the three-day event, held Sept. 25-27 at the Ligonier Highland Games in Western Pennsylvania. (Click here to register for the U.S. National Mòd).

This will be Gillebrìde’s second time at the U.S. Mòd, which celebrates the Gaelic language and music of Scotland. He last joined us as a guest in 2005 after winning the men’s gold medal at the 2004 Royal National Mòd in Scotland.

Gillebride is from the island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, and Gaelic is the first language of his family. He began competing in Mòds as an adult at the age of 21. He has released two albums,Thogainn Ort Fonn and Air Fòrladh.

After completing a degree in Celtic Studies at the University of Glasgow and a Masters Degree from the University of the Highlands and Islands, Gillebrìde now works in the Celtic and Gaelic Department at University of Glasgow.

He is a Gaelic translator, a published writer, and has worked on the Tobar an Dualchais archiving project. He regularly sings and teaches Scottish Gaelic song at festivals and cèilidhs in Scotland, Europe and the United States.

Gillebrìde will teach at the ACGA Gaelic Song and Language Week July 5-10 in Banner Elk, North Carolina, and adjudicate at the 18th annual North Carolina Provincial Gaelic Mòd at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.

Well-known in the Scottish Gaelic world, Gillebrìde is gaining fans who are new to the language through his performance as Gwyllyn the Bard in the Starz television production of Outlander, based on the popular Diana Gabaldon novel.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Gillebrìde back to the U.S. and the U.S. National Mòd, which will be an excellent opportunity to see and hear him, our other Scottish guests and competitors from throughout North America.