29 March 2013 was a beautiful Spring day for the reopening of the Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre. Visitors started arriving on the early ferries and there was great interest in the special exhibition – “The Lismore Ploughman” – with one of today’s champion vintage ploughmen, Gregor MacCormick, a Liosach now living in Appin, on hand to inspect the items, some of which he had kindly lent to the Museum.
Lismore’s men were renowned for their horsemanship and there are photographs of several fine horses at work on the island in the first half of the twentieth century, as well as displays of the medals and cups the ploughmen won. Bob Hay introduced the exhibition and thanked all the islanders who had provided photographs, objects and documents so that the story could be fleshed out.
Museum Special exhibition – 29 March 2013
Donnie and Gregor McCormick with Rev Roderick Campbell
Gregor MacCormick
Donnie and Gregor MacCormick
Donnie and Gregor MacCormick
Ploughing Museum special exhibit 2013
Freda had prepared the cottage well .
Freda Drysdale in the cottage
Taigh Iseabal Dhaidh
Taigh Iseabal Dhaidh
Taigh Iseabal Dhaidh
Taigh Iseabal Dhaidh
Bob hay He also welcomed Doreen and Roger Evans from Appin who have kindly lent a claret bottle which was salvaged from the barque “Peggy” which sailed from Portugal with a cargo of claret and brandy in 1784 some of which was destined for Campbell of Airds and the Stuarts of Appin but which unfortunately went down in ten fathoms near Eileann Dubh, where it lay for 200 years until 1986 when it was salvaged by R &J Grieve. To learn the whole gripping story visit the Museum which is open seven days from 11-4 with entry by donation.
The Fair Trading Bottle April 2013
And finally there was the new website www.lismoregaelicheritagecentre.org introduced by Pauline Dowling
Demonstrating the new website
Marjorie MacDonald and Mairi Smith with the new website