Inverness Gaelic centre looks to honour leading poet Mairi Mhor nan Oran with new artwork
A new artwork to celebrate an iconic Gaelic poet is to be commissioned and displayed at the Inverness Gaelic centre – Cultarlann Inbhir Nis.
The artwork will remember Mairi Mhor nan Oran (Great Mary of the Songs), the 19th Century bard who composed numerous Gaelic poems about the Highland Clearances, depopulation, and the crofters’ land battles of the 1880s.
While she was brought up in Skye, Mairi Mhor spent many years working in Inverness and is buried next to her husband in the city’s Chapel Yard Cemetery, close to the Cultarlann centre, which is based in the former East Church in Academy Street
“It was the injustice I suffered that brought my poetry to life,” she said of her work.
At the age of 50 she was accused of stealing clothes from her employer and was sentenced to 40 days imprisonment.
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She protested her innocence for the rest of her life and became well-known for her songs about injustice.
Cultarlann Inbhir Nis chairwoman Maggie Mullholland said: “Cultarlann Inbhir Nis are delighted to be able to offer this opportunity for the creation of an artistic tribute to Mairi Mhor nan Oran.
“Having one of the great 19th century Gaelic bards buried in the Chapel yard and within a stone’s throw of our new Gaelic Cultural Centre, we seek to have her and the significant contribution she made to Gaelic literature, recognised within the town of Inverness and the wider Highlands.
“She was a passionate and defiant bard who condemned the Highland Clearances and was very much involved in the struggle for land reform, a cause still as relevant today as it was then.”
The project is a partnership between Cultarlann Inbhir Nis and The Gaelic Society of Inverness, with support from the William Syson Charitable Foundation.
Gaelic Society of Inverness chairman Murdo Campbell said: “We are delighted to be involved with the Mairi Mhor project.
“Mairi Mhor, though originally from Skye, has strong connections with Inverness having married and brought up her family there.
“It is fitting that she has something to remember her by in Inverness.”
The artwork could be a painting, a tapestry, a sculpture or any visual art that celebrates Mairi Mhor’s contribution to song and culture.
The £5000 commission is open to experienced artists and the winning piece will be displayed in Cultarlann Inbhir Nis.
