Royal National Mod: Clean sweep of trophies for Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir

Talented young singers with Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir have taken a hat-trick of trophies at the Royal National Mod in Paisley.
Jill Buchanan
By Jill Buchanan
Published 17th Oct 2023, 15:01 BST
Updated 17th Oct 2023, 15:02 BST
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Back in the west coast town for the first time in a decade, the choir picked up the Queen Elizabeth Coronation Trophy in the Choral Unison Open Under 19, the Tom Crawford Trophy in the Choral Harmony Open Open Under 19 and the Martin Wilson Trophy in the Choral Puirt-à-Beul.

The members were delighted to retain the Choral Unison Open Under 19 amd the Choral Puirt-à-Beul trophies which they won last year when the Mod took place in Perth.

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Once again they were conducted by Mary Maclean, who has been with the choir for 34 years.

Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir win the Coral Unison Learner U19 Choir at the Royal National Mod 2023. Pic: Peter SandgroundFalkirk Junior Gaelic Choir win the Coral Unison Learner U19 Choir at the Royal National Mod 2023. Pic: Peter Sandground
Falkirk Junior Gaelic Choir win the Coral Unison Learner U19 Choir at the Royal National Mod 2023. Pic: Peter Sandground

Two of their members also triumphed in solo competitions.

Leo Swallow, from Cumbernauld, was crowned first in the boy’s competition, while choir mate Caitlyn Jenny Yule from Cumbernauld’s Greenfaulds High School led the girl’s field and took home the Meryl Mae Stewart Memorial Trophy for the highest marks in music across the boy’s and girl’s competitions. Caitlyn and Leo scored the joint highest marks for Gaelic and share the Turriff Trophy.

The Mod runs until Saturday, October 21, bringing fans of Gaelic music and culture together once again to celebrate the language, history and future of the Gaels, with a packed programme of cultural activities, competitions, concerts, workshops and more.