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Clan Currie Set for Highland Games in Scotland The Clan Currie Society will host information tents at two highland gatherings in Scotland this summer. Curries far and wide are invited to visit with fellow clansfolk at the Society’s inaugural visit to the Bathgate Highland Games on Saturday, May 29 and our return to the Bute Highland Games on Saturday, August 21 in Rothesay on the beautiful Isle of Bute. The Society made their fist visit to the Bute Games in 2003. According to Society president Robert Currie, “we enjoyed a wonderful homecoming on Bute last summer and look forward to establishing an annual presence at the games. The island is home to many significant MacMhuirich/Currie farms and estates, including Ballycurrie farm and the lands formerly known as Balilone – a sixteenth century estate overlooking Loch Fad.” Curries from throughout the region are cordially invited to attend the games and visit with Alan and Avril Currie of West Lothian, Scotland who will serve a host and hostess for the gatherings.
The origins of Highland Games in Scotland can be traced back many hundreds of years. King Malcolm is thought to have begun the Royal Association with Highland Games at Braemar during the 11th Century. Clan Chieftains used the Games to recruit staff – winners of races made excellent couriers while winners of strength events made fine bodyguards and soldiers. Events were developed to test for strength, stamina, accuracy and agility using the elements and materials of their day-to-day life. The caber toss, stone putt, hammer throw, weight lift, sheaf toss, archery, wrestling, foot races up steep hills and Highland Dancing all combined to tax the endurance and strength of the competitors. While many of the events have become more sophisticated and refined over the centuries, they retain the essence and flavor of the ancient days. The Clan Currie Society, a NJ-based, international, non-profit cultural and educational organization, is active in preserving and promoting highland heritage at Scottish Games, ethnic festivals, as well as community groups and classrooms. The Society has over 2,000 members worldwide. In Scotland, Clan Currie was the Honoured Guest at the 2003 Bute Highland Games and 2001 Blairgowrie Games. Clan Currie has also participated in gatherings in Glenfinnan, Crieff, and the Brodick Highland Games on the Isle of Arran.
The organization started as a family name society in Glasgow, Scotland in 1959 to further the knowledge and appreciation of the MacMhuirich bardic dynasty. The MacMhuirichs served for over 700 years as professional poets to the Lords of the Isles and later to the MacDonalds of Clanranald. The Red Book of Clanranald, one of Gaelic Scotland’s literary treasures, was penned by successive generations of the MacMhuirich family.
Today, the organization is a leading American-based foundation that focuses on celebrating the Scots-Gaelic origins of the Currie name as well as producing outstanding programs and events to honor Scotland’s rich culture and ancestry. The Clan Currie Society also produces the annual National Tartan Day celebration at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. The Society also produces a number of highly successful concerts featuring Scottish music and Gaelic poetry readings. Clan Currie is now venturing into the field of documentary filmmaking with a concentration on Scottish themes. The Society’s first production, “The Crafter’s Song” was recently submitted to the Edinburgh Film Festival. For further information on the Bathgate Games, contact May Ross at +015066 54507 or visit their website at www.bathgategames.com. For additional information on the Bute Games contact the Rothesay Tourism Office at +01700 502151.
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