THURSDAY 5th JUNE - TRADITIONAL MUSIC CONCERT, Ceol 'na h-Alba, to celebrate the work of the Falkirk Traditional Music Project and to raise awarenesss of the Royal National Mod coming to Falkirk, in Falkirk Town Hall at 7pm. Performing at the concert will be Falkirk Schools junior and senior trad bands, Graeme High Ceilidh Band, Falkirk Youth Pipe Band, clarsach player Sarah McNeil plus special performances fromThe Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Skerryvore, Mod 07 Gold medalist James Graham and Boxclub. Tickets £5 adults, £3 concessions and can be booked through the box office on 01324 506850

Local Mod organisers have teamed up with Tryst Brewery in Larbert to produce two very special real ales to commemorate the competition coming to Falkirk in October 08. The ales have been developed by Tryst owner John McGarva and his assistant, John Muir over the past six months ‘Falkirk Mod Gold' and ‘Traditional 80/-‘ have been named after the two top competitions in the international event - the ‘Gold Medal' and the ‘Traditional Gold Medal'.

Amateur photographers are being asked to capture the life of Scottish and Irish Gaels on camera in a competition being run by Colmcille, the cultural agency which encourages links between Gaelic speakers from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. The competition is open to amateur photographers, and the first prize for adults is £2000, £500 in the junior section. The winners will be announced at the Mod in Falkirk in October.

Businesses across the Falkirk Council area are set to benefit from the high number of visitors the district is expected to see during Mod 08 later this year.

Lewis MacKinnon, the Chief Executive of the Office of Gaelic Affairs in Nova Scotia, Canada has sent best wishes to the National Mod and the sponsored walk team.

Mod 08 organisers are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to take part in this year’s event as stewards to help the estimated 10,000 visitors heading for the Falkirk Council area.

To highlight the Royal National Mod being held in Falkirk in October 08 and to offer children and young people opportunities to participate in traditional and Gaelic music, a mini feis will be held on Sunday 4th May.

FALKIRK MOD DELEGATION VISIT DONEGAL

Big in Falkirk, Scotland's National Street Arts Festival which attracts in excess of 100,000 people has launched its most exciting and diverse line-up to date for the ninth year of the Free event, taking place at Falkirk's Callendar Park on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May 2008 to further establish its reputation as a key date in the cultural calendar.

Plans are underway to secure 'Fairtrade Zone' status for the whole of the Falkirk Council area, with the Royal National Mod in Falkirk becoming the first ever Fairtrade Mod.

Big in Falkirk, Scotland's National Street Arts Festival is back for its 9th year on Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th May 2008

Organisers of this year's Royal National Mod will embark on a 104-mile trek to help raise funds for the Gaelic festival of arts and culture. For more information and for details on how to sponsor us check out our news pages....

Traditional music is top of the pops at the moment with a wide range of opportunities available across the Falkirk Council area.

Mod 2008 Falkirk have launched pages on Facebook and Bebo. Check them out at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mod-2008-Falkirk/17391065477 and: http://www.bebo.com/mod08falkirk

Over 100,000 people enjoy watching the wide variety of entertainment on offer across Big in Falkirk’s two days, but have you ever dreamt of being part of it? Organisers are on the lookout for enthusiastic people of 16 years of age and over with a sense of adventure to get involved with Fiesta Fusion – Big in Falkirk’s new streetband project.

Gaelic music continues its breakthrough into mainstream music with stirring harmonies from one of Gaeldom's newest bands, thanks to Scottish Music Futures, a development fund to help cultivate the music industry in Scotland.

The BBC Trust has given its go-ahead for BBC Scotland and the Gaelic Media Service (GMS) to launch their planned Gaelic Digital Service

Delivering this year's Sabhal Mor Ostaig Lecture in Edinburgh, First Mimister Alex Salmond announced that the Scottish Government was giving an extra £7.5 million towards Gaelic.

BBC 2 Scotland will broadcast Christmas Carols from Kelvingrove on Saturday, 22nd December, 17.40-18.25pm

The world's first ever Scottish Gaelic Christmas album is showcased in Duan Nollaig on Wednesday 19th December at 11pm on STV. There will also be a Christmas Carols from Kelvingrove concert broadcast on BBC 2, 17.40 - 18.25pm on Saturday, 22nd December

The Royal National Mod has scooped the Event of the Year award at the Scottish Traditional Music Awards in Fort William.

Falkirk's young traditional musicians are set to feature on a new BBC website to encourage young people to join the traditional music movement.

Falkirk Council announce Mod 2007 Gold Medallist James Graham as the new Mod Events Officer

New Gaelic Course from CNSA

Seachd, the first Gaelic film to go on commercial release will open at Cineworld Falkirk on the 5th October. Visit www.seachd.com for more information

The Mod 2008 Committee have sent a congratuatory message to Nova Scotia on the opening of the province's Office of Gaelic Affairs

Bord na Gaidhlig and Microsoft join together to develop a Gaelic version of Windows Vista and Office 2007

Members of the Mod 2008 Falkirk Committee have met with Nova Scotian Government officials to discuss next year's Royal National Mod in Falkirk.

Scotland's Gaelic and creative communities are being encouraged to take part in an online conversation dedicated to the creation of programmes for the brand new Gaelic digital service.

Organisers of the Royal National Mod, Scotland’s premier event celebrating its Gaelic music, language and culture have welcomed the Falkirk Council initiative which will see the appointment

A delegation from the government of Nova Scotia in Canada visited Forth Valley recently (3rd June ?8th June) led by Warden Fred Whalen, Municipal Leader of Kings County Nova Scotia.

Mod 2008 Falkirk has gone online. A new website will introduce the area to visitors and let local people know what they can expect when the Royal National Mod comes to the district next October - bringing with it an estimated 10,000 participants and spectators.

Traditional music is making a comeback in Falkirk schools thanks to two projects which provide opportunities for children to experience and learn about Scottish traditional music, song and dance.

The Royal National Mod, Scotland's biggest festival ofGaelic music, language, arts and culture will take place in Falkirk in October 2008. The announcement was made at the Falkirk Wheel today....

A public meeting to form a MOD 2008 FALKIRK committee was held on Friday evening, 26th May in the Falkirk Council chambers. A new Falkirk branch of An Comunn Gaidhealach...

?enior officials from An Comunn Gaidhealach and the Royal National Mod met with senior Councillors at Falkirk Council on October 5th to launch the planning process for ....

Falkirk Council has secured grant funding to allow two local teachers to join the Gaelic Language in Primary Schools Initiative (GLPS) training programme.