Some Islay links for an October Sunday read

Islay Links

It’s a rather wet October Sunday morning where I’m writing this (and rather breezy on Islay), a good time to stay in for some Islay reading. So here are a variety of links to articles and more I’ve found. I hope you’ll find something interesting:

I hope you found something of interest, please leave your thoughts in the comments.

This Is Islay asks: What Makes Someone an Ileach?

Islay News

During my walk this morning I finally managed to catch up on some podcast listening, specifically the This is Islay podcast. In the latest episode it raises an interesting and to an extent controversial question: What Makes Someone an Ileach? For some it’s a very narrow definition, for them you have to be born and bred on Islay. Others draw the line far wider and make your connection and integration to the community their criteria.

This Is Islay: What Makes Someone An Ileach?

With most babies being born in Paisley these days instead of on Islay the narrow definition might become challenging in the future. In the podcast they also raise the question of siblings where one was lucky enough to be born on Islay while the other was born in Paisley even if they returned to Islay the next day. Otherwise they both have the same upbringing on Islay. Does that make the latter a lesser Ileach?

A topic that can probably be debated for hours, the podcast is planning to return to it in upcoming episodes.

On a slightly personal note there might be an even narrower definition which could be used: I was born and grew up in Bremen, Germany (although I haven’t lived there for over 30 years now and haven’t been for 7 years). I was very close to be a “Tagenbaren” (or “tagenbarer Bremer”), which is someone born and grown up in Bremen where not only both parents but also all grandparents were born in Bremen. I failed the criteria on account of one of my grandmothers.

Listen to the This Is Islay podcast

Islay News

Some new media from Islay to write about. Back in August the This is Islay podcast was launched. Its goal is to bring you voices from Islay, news and events with interviews from the community. It is intended for both locals and listeners further afield to give an insight into what is happening on Islay and how the community experienced events. The intention is to complement other news sources (e.g. The Ileach), not to compete with them.

As of writing this two episodes have been published, Welcome to This Is Islay Fàilte a chàirdean and Islay Resilience and A Trip To India. The below embedded player should list and allow you to play the most recent episodes (as of writing this the two mentioned ones):

Islay Book Festival 2024 This Is Islay

This Is Islay's Jean MacLellan in conversation with Charlène Busali, Chair of this year's Islay Book Festival. Together they discuss various elements of the festival, its events and activities which take place between 29 August and 1 September 2024. For more information visit islaybookfestival.co.uk. This Is Islay is a volunteer-led podcast which celebrates the people, places and connections which shape the Islay and Jura communities. For more information visit thisisislay.co.uk.
  1. Islay Book Festival 2024
  2. What Makes Someone An Ileach ?
  3. The View From Two Wheels
  4. Slowing Down on Islay – A Whisky Tourist's Perspective
  5. MAYDS at MYCOS

I hope you’ll enjoy the podcasts as much as I did and will subscribe to them (I’m using Google Podcasts, which works really well for me, but various other services including Spotify are available). With the latest developments around Covid-19 I found the information about the Islay Resilience Group very interesting and how it will help with possible future developments. But of course there are plenty of other interesting topics as well.