488: Sgoil na Cille
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Sgoil na Cille
Às dèidh an teine a rinn sgrios air a’ Khintyre Technical School anns a’ Chill ann an Cinn Tìre, ghluais an sgoil gu seann taigh – Helenslee House – ann an Dùn Bhreatainn. Leis nach robh i ann an Cinn Tìre tuilleadh, cha b’ urrainn an sgoil a h-ainm a ghlèidheadh. Agus cha robh muinntir Chinn Tìre air Kintyre Technical School a ghabhail oirre co-dhiù. Bhiodh iadsan a’ bruidhinn air “na balaich anns a’ Chill”. Mar sin, ged a bha i a-nise fad air falbh bhon Chill, ghabh i an t-ainm oirre fhèin Keil School – Sgoil na Cille.
Dh’atharraich an gluasad an curraicealam gu ìre. Ghabh rugbaidh àite ball-coise mar phrìomh spòrs na sgoile. Bha dithis thidsearan às a’ Chuimrigh agus bha iad dèidheil air rugbaidh. Do mhòran de na balaich – a bhuineadh don Ghàidhealtachd – b’ e sin a’ chiad turas a chluich iad rugbaidh.
Ged a bha an sgoil air gluasad gu àite na bu Ghallta, nochd a’ Ghàidhlig air a’ churraicealam. Gus an do thòisicheadh air Fraingis a theagasg anns na seasgadan, b’ e a’ Ghàidhlig an aon chànan a bh’ air clàr na sgoile. Bha i aig mòran de na balaich mar chiad chànan co-dhiù.
Chaidh cùisean glè mhath don sgoil tro na ficheadan is tritheadan. Ach thàinig na ceathradan. Thàinig an cogadh, agus bomadh thargaidean air Abhainn Chluaidh. B’ fheudar do na sgoilearan teicheadh bhon leapannan gu bothain fasgaidh air an oidhche grunn tursan. Ann an ceathrad ’s a h-aon (1941) chaidh an sgoil a ghluasad air ais a Chinn Tìre – far am biodh na sgoilearan sàbhailte. Cha robh togalach na sgoile falamh, ge-tà. Chuir an cabhlach Nirribheach oifisean air dòigh ann.
Ann an Cinn Tìre cha robh an sgoil anns a’ Chill oir bha an togalach sin fhathast na thobhta às dèidh an teine. Chaidh i gu àite le ainm car coltach, ge-tà. Bha Sgoil na Cille ann am Baile na Cille ann an ceann a tuath Chinn Tìre. Bha i ann an taigh – Balinakill House – anns an robh Sir Uilleam MacFhionghain fhèin a’ fuireach leth-cheud bliadhna roimhe sin. Agus thàinig aon bhuannachd às a’ ghluasad. Ghabh cuid de na balaich pàirt anns a’ mhòd ionadail ann an Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain, agus bhuannaich iad mòran duaisean.
Nuair a thill an sgoil a Dhùn Bhreatainn às dèidh a’ chogaidh, thàinig rugbaidh gu prìomhachas mar spòrs na sgoile a-rithist. Anns an t-seusan ceathrad ’s a naoi gu caogad (1949-50), ’s ann aig Sgoil na Cille a bha an sgioba sgoile a b’ fheàrr ann an “Taobh an Iar na h-Alba”. Tro na deicheadan a lean air sin, dh’fhàs an sgoil na bu mhotha. Leig iad sgoilearan-latha ann agus ann an naoi ceud deug, seachdad ’s a h-ochd (1978) leig iad le cloinn-nighean a bhith nan sgoilearan airson a’ chiad uair.
Ach bha an suidheachadh eacanomaigeach a’ bualadh air pàrantan. Thuit àireamh nan sgoilearan agus dhùin an sgoil anns a’ bhliadhna dà mhìle (2000).
Thòisich mi air a’ chunntas seo o chionn ceala-deug le bhith a’ bruidhinn mun charragh-chuimhne do Shir Uilleam MacFhionghain ann an Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain. Uill, thòisich an carragh-cuimhne a bheatha ann am Mombasa ann an Ceinia. Goirid às dèidh gun d’ fhuair Ceinia a neo-eisimeileachd, chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a chur a Bhreatainn. Chaidh a chur suas air beulaibh Sgoil na Cille ann an Dùn Bhreatainn. Agus às dèidh gun do dhùin an sgoil, chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a ghluasad don àite anns an do rugadh Sir Uilleam – far an do thòisich caibideil a dh’fhàg a comharra air eachdraidh agus foghlam na h-Alba.
Faclan na Litreach: A’ Chill: Keil; sàbhailte: safe; falamh: empty; Baile na Cille: Balinakill; Sir Uilleam MacFhionghain: Sir William MacKinnon; prìomhachas: prominence; seusan: season.
Abairtean na Litreach: às dèidh an teine a rinn sgrios air: after the fire that destroyed; charobh muinntir Chinn Tìre air X a ghabhail oirre co-dhiù: the people of Kintyre hadn’t called her X anyway; dh’atharraich an gluasad an curraicealam gu ìre: the move altered the curriculum to an extent; ghabh rugbaidh àite ball-coise: rugby took the place of football; gu àite na bu Ghallta: to a more non-Gaelic place; bomadh thargaidean air Abhainn Chluaidh: bombing of targets on [the] Clyde; b’ fheudar do na sgoilearan teicheadh bhon leapannan gu bothain fasgaidh: the students had to flee from their beds to [air raid] shelters; chuir an cabhlach Nirribheach oifisean air dòigh ann: the Norwegian navy set up offices there; thàinig aon bhuannachd às a’ ghluasad: one benefit came from the move; anns a’ mhòd ionadail ann an Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain: in the local mod in Campbeltown; a Dhùn Bhreatainn às dèidh a’ chogaidh: to Dumbarton after the war; sgioba sgoile a b’ fheàrr ann an “Taobh an Iar na h-Alba”: the best school team in the “West of Scotland”; tro na deicheadan a lean air sin: through the decades that followed that; leig iad sgoilearan-latha ann: they permitted day-students [ie non-boarders]; leig iad le cloinn-nighean a bhith nan sgoilearan: they permitted girls to be students; bha an suidheachadh eacanomaigeach a’ bualadh air pàrantan: the economic situation was deleteriously affecting parents; thòisich an carragh-cuimhne a bheatha ann am Mombasa ann an Ceinia: the monument started its life in Mombasa in Kenya; goirid às dèidh gun d’ fhuair Ceinia a neo-eisimeileachd: shortly after Kenya got her independence; caibideil a dh’fhàg a comharra air X: a chapter that left its mark on X.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: It’s interesting to speculate whether the placing of the Kintyre Technical School in a place where Gaelic was stronger might have enhanced the place of the language and culture in the school. Southend and Campbeltown were, in the early part of the 20 th Century, just about the most non-Gaelic places in the Gàidhealtachd (because of large scale immigration of settlers from the Lowlands in the 18 th and 19 th Centuries), with only 8% of the population speaking Gaelic according to the 1911 census. In contrast, in 1901 (when Southend was 15% Gaelic speaking) the figure in the northern part of the town of Tarbert was 47%, and even Inveraray was 37% Gaelic speaking. And 80% of the people of North Knapdale spoke the language. If you’re interested in the linguistic history of anywhere in the Gàidhealtachd), I can recommend Kurt Duwe’s website: www.linguae-celticae.org/GLS_english.htm . Kurt deserves a “ceud mìle taing” for all his good work.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha an togalach sin fhathast na thobhta às dèidh an teine: that building was still a ruin [lit. in its ruin] after the fire.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 184
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn