Gaelic and St FX

Scottish Gaelic emigrants and their descendents were settled throughout parts of the seven counties of north-eastern Nova Scotia which constituted the Roman Catholic Diocese of Antigonish. Gaelic was the majority language in this area during most of the nineteenth century; of a population of nearly 105,000 in 1871, some 67% were Gaelic-speakers.

Bishop Colin F. MacKinnon founded Saint Francis Xavier in 1853. Although MacKinnon was the son of two Gaelic-speaking immigrants, he made no place for Gaelic at the institution: such were the stigmas and disadvantages working against Gaelic that assimilation into English-speaking society was typically seen as the priority. It took some time for Gaels to formulate a response to the neglect of their language and culture in the institutions of higher learning in both Scotland and abroad, but efforts gained strength in the late 1800s, especially after the establishment of the first Chair of Celtic at the University of Edinburgh in 1882.

Despite the lack of support for Gaelic in the early decades of St FX, many Nova Scotians who came to the university to study or work spoke Gaelic as their mother tongue. As late as 1937, John Lorne Campbell observed that nearly half of the staff were Gaelic speakers. It was a matter of mustering the will to do something with it.

Development of Celtic Studies at St FX

Gaelic was first taught at St FX in 1891 by Father D. A. MacAdam, a major advocate of Gaelic, who was a contributor to the Scottish periodical Guth na Bliadhna and later to the Nova Scotia-based Mosgladh. Besides teaching a Gaelic class, he organised the student Celtic society from 1893 to 1900.

In the first decade of the 20th century courses in Gaelic language and literature were taught by Reverend Dr. Alexander MacLean Sinclair, a presbyterian minister and renowned Gaelic scholar. Sinclair was a native of Glenbard, Antigonish, and grandson of the poet Iain MacIlleathain (Am Bard MacIlleathain). Sinclair did more to advance Gaelic studies in North America than anyone else in his lifetime (he is the subject of the Ph.D. dissertation of faculty member Dr. Michael Linkletter). In later decades Gaelic was taught by Fr. MacPherson and A.T. MacDonald.

Angus L. Macdonald was a graduate of St. FX who had studied with the Rev. Alexander MacLean Sinclair. During his time as premiere of Nova Scotia from 1945 to 1954, he sought to provide increased visibility and support for Gaelic in Nova Scotia, including advocating for a Celtic Studies department at St FX. In 1958 Major C.I.N. MacLeod, a Gaelic-speaking native of Lewis (Scotland), was hired to establish the Department of Celtic Studies.

Major C. I. N. MacLeod (Courtesy: St. F.X. Archives)

Upon the death of Major MacLeod, Sister Margaret MacDonell (below) became Chair of the department. Sr. MacDonell was responsible for establishing the Cape Breton Gaelic Folklore Project in which Dr. John Shaw collected on tape examples of folklore from Gaelic speakers throughout Cape Breton. This collection is probably the largest archive of spoken Gaelic in North America. A copy of this collection is now housed at St FX in the Angus L. Macdonald Library where it may be consulted by the public.

MSP Alastair Allan speaking to Sister Margaret MacDonell
in Celtic Collection, November 2008

In 1983 with the aid of a grant from the Multiculturalism Directorate the Sister Saint Veronica Chair of Gaelic Studies was established at St FX. Kenneth E. Nilsen became the first holder of the Gaelic Chair in September, 1984.

In September 2001, the Celtic Department expanded to having three full-time instructors for the first time in the history of St FX with the establishment of the Ben Alder Chair. This has enabled the department to offer an expanded number of courses and full honours programme in Celtic.

Gaelic on the St FX campus

Conferences

In May, 1992 St FX became the first university in Canada to host the annual conference of the Celtic Studies Association of North America. In July 2008, the bi-annual Rannsachadh na Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic Studies) conference was hosted for the first time outside of Scotland at St FX.

Course Development

The St FX Celtic Department has a strong commitment to the teaching of Scottish Gaelic and St FX is the only university in North America to offer four levels of Scottish Gaelic on a yearly basis. A new course, Celtic Civilization, was introduced in September 2001.

With more faculty members with a broad range of expertise, the department is expanding its offerings more than ever before: new courses on Celtic Christianity, Celtic Paganism, and Gaelic song, music, and dance have been added.