Keil School
A fire destroyed the Kintyre Technical School in Keil in Kintyre. That was in 1924. The school moved to another building in Dumbarton. “Kintyre
Technical School” was not suitable as a name. The school’s name changed to Keil School – Sgoil na Cille.
One or two changes came over the school. Rugby took the place of football as the school’s main sport. Gaelic appeared on the curriculum. Many of the
boys spoke it anyway.
Things went well in the twenties and thirties. But the forties came. There was the war. German planes dropped bombs on the Clyde. It was dangerous in
Dumbarton. In 1941 the school moved back to Kintyre.
The school went to another place with “Cill” in the name. It was in Baile na Cille in north Kintyre. It was in an old house – Balinakill House. Sir
William MacKinnon was at one time living in that house. There was one good thing about the new place. Some of the lads took part in the mod in
Campbeltown. They won many prizes.
The school returned to Dumbarton after the war. The school grew bigger. There were day-students. And girls came in 1978. But there was a bad economic
situation. The number of students fell. And the school closed in the year 2000.
I started the account of Keil School a fortnight ago. I was speaking about the monument to Sir William MacKinnon. The monument was originally in
Mombasa in Kenya. In 1964, it was sent to Britain. It was erected in front of Keil School in Dumbarton.
When the school closed, the monument was moved to Campbeltown where Sir William MacKinnon was born. And that’s where it is today.
Sgoil na Cille
Rinn teine sgrios air a’ Khintyre Technical School anns a’ Chill ann an Cinn Tìre. Bha sin ann an naoi ceud deug, fichead ’s a ceithir (1924).
Ghluais an sgoil gu togalach eile ann an Dùn Bhreatainn. Cha robh Kintyre Technical School freagarrach mar ainm. Dh’atharraich ainm na sgoile gu Keil School – Sgoil na Cille.
Thàinig atharrachadh no dhà air an sgoil. Ghabh rugbaidh àite ball-coise mar phrìomh spòrs na sgoile. Nochd a’ Ghàidhlig air a’ churraic-ealam. Bha i aig
mòran de na balaich co-dhiù.
Chaidh cùisean gu math anns na ficheadan is tritheadan. Ach thàinig na ceathradan. Bha an cogadh ann. Bha plèanaichean Gearmailteach a’ leigeil bhomaichean
air Abhainn Chluaidh. Bha e cunnartach ann an Dùn Bhreatainn. Ann an ceathrad ’s a h-aon (1941) ghluais an sgoil air ais a Chinn Tìre.
Chaidh an sgoil gu àite eile le “Cill” anns an ainm. Bha i ann am Baile na Cille ann an ceann a tuath Chinn Tìre. Bha i ann an seann taigh – Balinakill House. Bha Sir Uilleam MacFhionghain a’ fuireach anns an taigh sin uaireigin. Bha aon rud math ann mun àite ùr. Ghabh cuid de na
balaich pàirt anns a’ mhòd ann an Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain. Bhuannaich iad duaisean gu leòr.
Thill an sgoil a Dhùn Bhreatainn às dèidh a’ chogaidh. Dh’fhàs an sgoil na bu mhotha. Bha sgoilearan-latha ann. Agus thàinig clann-nighean ann an naoi
ceud deug, seachdad ’s a h-ochd. Ach bha droch shuidheachadh eacanomaigeach ann. Thuit àireamh nan sgoilearan. Agus dhùin an sgoil anns a’ bhliadhna dà
mhìle (2000).
Thòisich mi air a’ chunntas mu Sgoil na Cille o chionn ceala-deug. Bha mi a’ bruidhinn mun charragh-chuimhne do Shir Uilleam MacFhionghain. Bha an
carragh-cuimhne an toiseach ann am Mombasa ann an Ceinia. Ann an naoi ceud deug, seasgad ’s a ceithir, chaidh a chur a Bhreatainn. Chaidh a chur suas air
beulaibh Sgoil na Cille ann an Dùn Bhreatainn.
Nuair a dhùin an sgoil, chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a ghluasad a Cheann Loch Chille Chiarain far an do rugadh Sir Uilleam MacFhionghain. Agus sin far a bheil
e an-diugh.
