A week of events ( 8 November) in the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Museum marked the 90th Anniversary of WW1 with an exhibition of Lismore’s War on display in the exhibition room and WW1 food available in Café.
Events opened on 8 November with the illuminating stories of the Lismore WW1 volunteers told by Ailsa Clark and her husband David both historians with a very keen interest in their subject and a great knowledge of Lismore’s contribution. This was very well attended with many present who had their own stories from their parents and grandparents.
Armistice Week Events 8 – 15 November 2008
On Sunday 9th Rev Roderick Campbell led a service of remembrance in the church followed by lunch in the café and on Remembrance Day islanders gathered at the war memorial outside the church and remembered Lismore’s dead. Standing in the light drizzle and listening to David Garrett playing a lament on his pipes it was not difficult to imagine what a cataclysmic time it must have been for islanders fighting and nursing as well as those waiting for news which was, sadly, almost all bad. Laurence Binyon’s familiar and moving words from his famous poem “For The Fallen” were spoken by Valerie Livingstone and the Rev Roderick Campbell expressed the hopes of us all that the lessons of the pity and pain of war would be learnt.
Armistice Week Events 8 – 15 November 2008
Lismore Youth Theatre 15 November 2008
As part of the Armistice Celebrations Argyll’s unique Walking Theatre together with Lismore’s Youth Theatre took us on a very moving journey back through time telling the story of those Liosaich lost and those whose lives were never the same. All inspired by real victims of both the clearances and WW1, it was written by Sadie Dixon Spain.
As we moved about outside the Museum and the reconstructed Cottars’ cottage it was not difficult to travel back and to feel the shock of getting eviction letters and to also the fervour of those keen to enlist as soldiers and nurses. And later to hear what had actually happened to them and to those who lived on with their grief.
In rehearsal
In rehearsal
Sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the work is a collaboration with the Lismore Heritage Centre and The Walking Theatre Company and we look forward to their future productions during homecoming week in 2009.