Canon Calum MacNeill's Silver Jubilee Message
“There have always been ponies on Eriskay. Like other animals in crofting life they were attached to families and households. In winter they herded together and new foals appeared. In spring and autumn they were used for work, carrying peat, seaweed, harrowing.
Gradually, however, after the Second World War horses followed sailing boats in becoming redundant in the Isles – all things became motorised! The pony population in Eriskay, as elsewhere, became depleted until the breed was threatened with extinction.
Then a miracle happened. Mr Robert Beck turned up! St Michael and his angels were guarding the future and in 1972 the island established its Comann nan Each.
A lot has happened in the interim. It was always intended that the islands themselves (especially Eriskay) should be the controlling base so I salute the self sacrifice of Society members for so enthusiastically promoting such a feature of Eriskay.
May God’s angels protect these efforts for another twenty five years on Eriskay – into the third millenium!”
Photos courtesy of the School of Scottish Studies Archives, University of Edinburgh
Murdo Angus MacDonald with his Eriskay mare Mairi and her foal Gruach harrowing on Lewis
(Murdo Angus was Society Chairman from 1998 until his death in 1993. His wife Sandra travels regularly from Lewis to AGM's in Eriskay with their daughter Kathleen and her husband Martin. Their daughters Kirsty & Anna look like carrying on the family tradition. Kathleen is a Society Trustee)
Silver Jubilee Committee:
Sheila McIntosh, Barra, Chairman; Sheila macLachlainn, South Uist, Vice-Chairman; Fr Calum MacLellan, Eriskay, Secretary.
Kathleen Johnstone, Lewis; Kate Effie MacInnes, Eriskay; Iagan MacInnes, Eriskay; Rena MacKinnon, Eriskay; Donald John and Kirsty Rodgers, Eriskay.
Registrar Eoghann macLachlainn SouthUist.