772: An t-Urr. Dòmhnall MacCaluim (3)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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An t-Urr. Dòmhnall MacCaluim (3)
Ghluais an t-Urr. Dòmhnall MacCaluim gu coitheanal ùr ann an Eaglais na Mòintich ann an Tiriodh, àite ris an canar Heylipol ann am Beurla. Dh’fheuch Diùc Earra-Ghàidheal, an t-uachdaran, ri stad a chur air ach dh’fhàilnich air. Bha ùpraid ann an Tiriodh mu shuidheachadh an fhearainn, eadhon ged a bha Achd nan Croitearan air a dhol tron Phàrlamaid. ’S e a bu choireach ri sin gun robh tòrr choitearan ann, feadhainn aig nach robh fearann. Bha MacCaluim a’ seasamh an còraichean.
Bha droch bhàillidhean air a bhith ann an Tiriodh. Bha Iain Caimbeul, ‘Am Bàillidh Mòr’ ann. Chuir esan mòran daoine a-mach às na taighean aca.
Ghabh cuid de chroitearan tuathanas thairis. Chaidh saighdearan-mara a chur a Thiriodh. Ghèill na croitearan dhaibh. An dèidh cùis-chùirte, chaidh feadhainn dhiubh a chur don phrìosan.
Bha an t-eilean air bhoil nuair a chaidh Dòmhnall MacCaluim a dh’fhuireach ann. Cha robh aige ri daoine a phiobrachadh idir gus an còraichean a sheasamh. Bha na sgilean aige air an cur gu feum ann a bhith a’ strì gu laghail. Cha robh e anns an eilean fada ach bha na Tiristich cho toilichte leis ’s gun do chuir iad carragh-cuimhne an-àirde dha – carragh air a bheil ‘Tùr MhicCaluim’. Bidh muinntir an eilein ag ràdh – ‘Is ann le Dia a tha an talamh air a bheil Tùr MhicCaluim’.
Ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a naoi (1889), ghluais Dòmhnall a-rithist – gu coitheanal anns am bitheadh e airson ùine mhòr. Bha e a-nise ann an Leòdhas – ann an sgìre nan Loch far an robh Frìth na Pàirce. Bha an sgìre ainmeil airson ‘Creach Mhòr nam Fiadh’ dà bhliadhna roimhe. Bha na croitearan air fèidh a mharbhadh mar phàirt de dh’iomairt an aghaidh an droch uachdranais a bha a’ milleadh an àite. Nuair a bha Dòmhnall fhathast ann an Tiriodh, chumadh cuirm-chiùil airson airgead a thogail do na croitearan anns an sgìre sin.
Cha robh Dòmhnall a-nise cho buileach radaigeach ’s dòcha ’s a bha e air a bhith roimhe sin. Agus fhuair e e fhèin an aghaidh cuid de na croitearan nuair a ghabh iad thairis pàirt de ghlìb na h-Eaglaise. Ach lean e air le bhith a’ toirt taic do Lìog an Fhearainn. Sheas e an aghaidh beachd a’ Mhorair Leverhulme, ‘Bodach an t-Siabainn’, a bha ag iarraidh crathadh a thoirt air cleachdadh an fhearainn ann an Leòdhas.
Bha e cuideachd an sàs ann an sgeamaichean a chuir mòran fhear òga à Leòdhas gu ruige Patagonia far an robh iad ri cìobaireachd is obair nan caorach. Bidh cuid dhen bheachd, ’s dòcha, gu bheil e annasach gun robh Dòmhnall MacCaluim a’ brosnachadh eilthireachd aig an aon àm ’s a bha e a’ seasamh còraichean nan daoine. Ach ’s dòcha nach robh e ga thomhas mar eilthireachd, oir thill a’ chuid a bu mhotha de na h-eilthirich dhachaigh aig a’ cheann thall.
Ghluais Dòmhnall don Eilean Sgitheanach nuair a leig e dheth a dhreuchd mar mhinistear. Ann an naoi ceud deug, fichead ’s a sia (1926), trì bliadhna mus do chaochail e, dh’fhosgail e carragh-cuimhne ann an Glaschu do ghaisgeach eile a bha an sàs ann an strì an fhearainn. B’ esan Dòmhnall MacRath, am maighstir-sgoile ann am Bail’ Ailein aig àm Creach Mhòr nam Fiadh. Bheir sinn sùil airsan an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: coitheanal: congregation; Diùc Earra-Ghàidheal: The Duke of Argyll; ùpraid: unrest; Achd nan Croitearan: The Crofters’ Act; saighdearan-mara: marines; ghèill: yielded; Creach Mhòr nam Fiadh: The Great Deer Raid (of Pàirc); Dòmhnall MacRath: Donald MacRae.
Abairtean na Litreach: Dh’fheuch X ri stad a chur air ach dh’fhàilnich air: X tried to stop him but he failed; ’s e a bu choireach ri sin gun robh tòrr choitearan ann: what was responsible for that was there were many cottars; a’ seasamh an còraichean: defending their rights; bha droch bhàillidhean air a bhith ann an Tiriodh: there had been bad factors in Tiree; an dèidh cùis-chùirte, chaidh feadhainn dhiubh a chur don phrìosan: after a court case, some of them were sent to prison; cha robh aige ri daoine a phiobrachadh: he didn’t have to incite the people; bha na Tiristich cho toilichte leis ’s gun do chuir iad carragh-cuimhne an-àirde dha: the Tiree folk were so happy with him that they erected a memorial cairn to him; mar phàirt de dh’iomairt an aghaidh an droch uachdranais a bha a’ milleadh an àite: as part of a campaign against the bad landlordism that was destroying the place; chumadh cuirm-chiùil: a concert was held; cho buileach radaigeach ’s dòcha ’s a bha e air a bhith roimhe sin:as completely radical as he’d perhaps been before that; nuair a ghabh iad thairis pàirt de ghlìb na h-Eaglaise:when they took over part of the church’s glebe; a bha ag iarraidh crathadh a thoirt air cleachdadh an fhearainn:who wanted to shake up land use; far an robh iad ri cìobaireachd is obair nan caorach:where they were involved with shepherding and working with sheep; thill a’ chuid a bu mhotha de na h-eilthirich dhachaigh aig a’ cheann thall: most of the emigrants eventually returned home.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: a’ brosnachadh eilthireachd: promoting emigration. There are many instances where English has gone to another language to borrow a word while Gaelic has created a word from its own roots. ‘Emigrate’ comes from Latin. The Gaelic equivalent comes from eile + tìr ‘other land’ ie foreign land. In earlier times, much overseas travel was for the purpose of pilgrimage, which is another meaning of eilthireachd.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bodach an t-Siabainn: ‘the old man of the soap’ . This is the Gaelic nickname for Lord Leverhulme, for a while the landlord of Lewis and Harris, who made his fortune in soap. He is still known colloquially by his Gaelic nickname.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 468
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