Watch Gaelic Coimhead Gàidhlig

[Iain] Chaidh mise a Ghlaschu ann an naoi ceud deug dà fhichead ’s a dhà dheug. ’S ann a chaidh mi dhan oilthigh an Glaschu agus thòisich mi an uair sin air teagaisg ann an Glaschu agus thachair mi ri Cathy agus ’s ann à Barraigh a bha a daoine-sa agus an aon chreideamh aice ’s a bh’ agam fhìn. Phòs sinn ann an trì fichead, aig an Nollaig trì fichead agus bha sinn ann an Glaschu gus an robh e sia bliadhna às dèidh sin agus ’s ann an trì fichead ’s a sia ’s ann a thill mi air ais a dh’Uibhist. Bha mi aon bhliadhna ann an Uibhist. An uair sin thàinig an obair suas nam cheannard air Sgoil Bagh a’ Chaisteil agus bha sin ann an trì fichead ’s a seachd a fhuair mi sin agus tha mi an seo fhathast.

[Iain] Bha sianar chloinne againn. Bha ceathrar againn nuair a thàinig sinn à Glaschu. Aon rud a tha cuimhne ’m air bha Maighstir Calum, cha robh e ach air tighinn an seo. Bha e air turas a chur air dòigh còmhla ri buidheann de dh’fheadhainn à paraiste Bheinn na Faoghla agus dh’inns e dhuinn aig an eaglais duine sam bith a bha airson a dhol ann gum faodadh iad a dhol ann agus chuir mi fhìn agus Cathy a-staigh ar n-ainm agus sinne an aon dithis à Barraigh a bh’ ann. Agus tha mi cho toilichte as an sin a chionn ’s e an aon chothrom a fhuair sinn a-riamh falbh leinn fhìn gun an teaghlach agus chaidh sinn dhan Ròimh agus seachdain ainmeil a bha sin dhòmhsa co-dhiù. Bha sin anns an Dàmhair ann an ceithir fichead ’s a h-aon agus mus robh bliadhna a-mach bhàsaich i. Bhàsaich i san t-Sultain às dèidh sin.

[Iain] Latha a bha seo fhuair i phonecall. Bha iad air rudeigin fhaighinn ann am biopsy agus dh’fheumadh i a dhol fo lannsa agus chaidh i sin, ach cha robh mòran dòchais ann. Bha an rud air a dhol ro fhada. Bha e air grèim fhaighinn nach gabhadh mòran a dhèanamh ris. Bha fhios ’m nach robh Cathy a’ dol a bhith beò. ’S ann an uair sin ’s ann a bhuail e orm cho luachmhor ’s a bha mo chreideamh dhomh ’s a bha e dhuinne air fad.

[Iain] Bha Cathy, bha i dà fhichead ’s a còig nuair a bhàsaich i. ’S e rud a tha sa bhàs, gun cuireadh e a-mach a h-uile duine againn agus faodaidh mise a ràdh gun robh mi fortanach nach do bhuail e orm a-riamh thuige siud. Ach thuig mi an uair sin, uill, chan e idir carson a thigeadh seo ormsa ach carson a thigeadh e air daoine eile agus mise a sheachnadh? A chionn chan eil seachnadh air a’ bhàs co-dhiù agus gun robh e dìreach goirt aig an àm. Bha e goirt, goirt aig an àm.

[Iain] Às dèidh dhi bàs fhaighinn, àm doirbh a bha siud a chionn bha a’ chlann air falbh air fad thall ’s a-bhos ach am fear a b’ òige, Cailean. Bha e aona bliadhna deug an latha a thìodhlaiceadh a mhàthair.

[Iain] Agus bha an eaglais ’s an ùrnaigh agus rudan den t-seòrsa sin bha e na thaic mhòr dhòmhsa. ’S e a chùm ri chèile mi, faodaidh mi a ràdh a chionn chan urrainn dhomh creidsinn ciamar a bhithinn mur a biodh creideamh agam ’s mur a bithinn comasach air ùrnaigh ’s cuideachadh iarraidh air Dia aig amannan nuair a bha, bhiodh gnothaichean doirbh agus, mar a thuigeas tu, nuair a tha teaghlach òg agad ’s iad air falbh thall ’s a-bhos tha uallach ’s iomadach rud an cois sin agus siud na bu mhotha ’s na bu mhotha a bhithinn a’ tionndadh ris an eaglais agus ri Dia. Agus lean sin mi chun an latha an-diugh. Ma thig rud sam bith cruaidh nam rathad, ’s ann ris an eaglais a thionndaidheas mi. Ach ’s e àm doirbh a bh’ ann ach ’s e an eaglais bha i na taic mhòr, mhòr dhòmhsa co-dhiù agus tha mi cinnteach gun robh ’s dhan teaghlach air fad. ’S i a chùm còmhla sinn.

[Iain] Cha b’ urrainn dhòmhsa a thuigsinn ciamar a bhithinn mur a biodh creideamh agam agus mar sin tha mi taingeil gun robh e agam. Bidh mi a’ toirt taing do Dhia air a shon iomadach uair.

[Iain] Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil a’ chuid as motha de dhaoine nuair a tha iad òg a’ tòiseachadh a’ creidsinn gur e fasan a th’ ann dhaibh. ’S e rud a tha iad ag ionnsachadh o am pàrantan, o luchd-teagaisg, on eaglais fhèin, ach mar a tha thu a’ tighinn air aghaidh ann an aois tha thu a’ faicinn na doimhneachd a th’ ann ’s am feum a th’ ann dhut agus cho falamh ’s a bhiodh do bheatha às aonais. Duine sam bith a tha a’ fuireach leis fhèin mar a tha mise, bidh e a’ faireachdainn aonranach agus, a-rithist, tha a bhith a’ dol dhan eaglais ’s a bhith an lùib dhaoine eile ’s a bhith anns a’ chomann a tha sin tha sin a’ toirt togail dhomh. Sin a’ toirt togail mòr dhomh.

Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.

[Iain] I went to Glasgow in 1952. That’s when I went to university in Glasgow and I then started teaching in Glasgow and I met Cathy and her folk were from Barra and she had the same religion as me. We married in ‘60, at Christmas in ‘60 and and we were in Glasgow for six years after that and it was in ‘66 that I returned to Uist. I was in Uist for one year. Then the job as head of Castlebay School came up and that was in sixty seven that I got that and I am here still.

[Iain] We had six children. We had four when we came from Glasgow. One thing I remember was Father Calum, he had just come here. He had arranged a trip with a group of people from Benbecula parish and he told us at church that anyone who wanted to go could and myself and Cathy put our names in and we were the only couple from Barra. And I am so happy about that because it is the only opportunity that we ever got to go away by ourselves without the family and we went to Rome and that was a memorable week for me anyway. That was in the October in ‘81 and before a year had past she died. She died in the September after that.

[Iain] One day she got a phonecall. They had found something in a biopsy and she needed an operation and she went for that, but there wasn’t much hope. The thing had gone too far. It had taken hold and not much could be done to it. I knew that Cathy wasn’t going to live. It was then that it struck me how valuable my faith was to me and to us all.

[Iain] Cathy was forty five when she died. Death is will come to all of us and I can say that I was fortunate that it hadn’t ever struck me until then. But I understood then, well, not at all why would this come to me but why would it come to other people and avoid me? Because there’s no avoiding death anyway and that it was just painful at the time. It was very painful at the time.

[Iain] After she died, that was a difficult time because the children were all away here and there except for the youngest one, Colin. He was eleven the day his mother was buried.

[Iain] And the church and the prayer and things like that were a great support for me. It’s what kept me together, I can say because I can’t imagine how I would be if I didn’t have faith and if I wasn’t able to pray and ask God for help at difficult times when things would be difficult and, as you will understand, when you have a young family and they are away here and there there comes responsibility and many other things with that and increasingly I would turn to the church and to God. And that has followed me until today. If I encounter anything difficult, it’s to the church that I turn. But it was a difficult time but it is the church that was a great, great support to me anyway and I’m sure to the whole family. It’s what kept us together.

[Iain] I couldn’t understand how I would be if I didn’t have faith and therefore I am thankful that I had it. I often thank God for it.

[Iain] I think that most people when they are young and start to believe, it’s out of a habit for them. Something that they learn from their parents, from teachers, from the church itself, but as you get older you see the depth in it and the good it has for you and how empty your life would be without it. Anyone who lives alone like me will feel lonely and, again, going to church and being around other people and being in that fellowship that lifts my spirits. That really lifts my spirits.

This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.