麻豆约拍

An ath-mh矛os bidh deich bliadhna air a dhol seachad bho cheannaich muinntir Eige an t-eilean aca fh猫in. Anns an 脪gmhios naoi ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a seachd (1997), chaidh an naidheachd air feadh na r矛oghachd 鈥� is, gu dearbh, air feadh an t-saoghail, gur ann le Urras Eige a bha an t-eilean mu dheireadh thall. Bha sin 脿s d猫idh bhliadhnaichean nuair a bha e fo uachdarain phr矛obhaideach 鈥� agus m貌ran anns an eilean gu math m矛-thoilichte.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha e inntinneach a bhith a鈥� coimhead air ais air na l脿ithean ud. Nach eil an d脿 latha air tighinn air Alba bhon uair sin?! Tha oighreachdan eileanach 鈥� agus eileanan gu l猫ir 鈥� air a dhol fo smachd nan daoine 鈥� ann an Giogha, Na Hearadh, Le貌dhas agus Uibhist. Ach, nuair a bha muinntir Eige a鈥� feuchainn ris an oighreachd aca a ghabhail thairis cha robh ach aon eisimpleir eile ann 鈥� Asainte.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha mi ann an Asainte mar fhear-naidheachd air an oidhche a fhuair na daoine smachd air an fhearann aca. Bidh cuimhne agam air gu s矛orraidh. Bha muinntir an 脿ite cho sona ri crodh an taoibh siar, mar a chanas na Le貌dhasaich. Bha adhbhar aca. Agus bha m貌ran air feadh Alba a鈥� d猫anamh g脿irdeachas cuideachd. Ach, ann an Eige, cha robh c霉isean cho d貌chasach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Thadhail mi air Eige, a-rithist mar neach-naidheachd, nuair a chaidh Urras Eige a thoirt seachad do mhuinntir an eilein. Bha an t-Urras air a chur air d貌igh roimhe le buidheann bheag, leis an amas an t-eilean a cheannach don choimhearsnachd. Chaidh an t-Urras a thoirt seachad don choimhearsnachd air latha samhraidh ann an naoi ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1994). Rinn mi agallamhan airson Radio nan G脿idheal le cuid de Gh脿idheil an eilein. Cha robh fada agam ri dhol airson an lorg. Bha iad uile air a鈥� chidhe, mar a bha cuid mhath de shluagh an eilein.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach bha mi ann cuideachd as leth Radio Alba 鈥� seirbheis r猫idio Bheurla a鈥� BhBC. Agus le bonaid na Beurla orm, bha cothrom agam dhol a bhruidhinn ri fear nach robh air a鈥� chidhe, ach a bh鈥� aig teis-meadhan a鈥� ghnothaich. B鈥� esan Keith Schellenberg, uachdaran an eilein. Choisich mi suas am bruthach don taigh mh貌r.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Mgr Schellenberg ann, cuide ri a nighinn, agus cha b鈥� urrainn dha a bhith na bu shnoige. Bha e be貌thail, 猫ibhinn is laghach. Cha robh e idir coltach ris an dealbh a rinn na meadhanan Albannach dheth. Uill, bha sin mus tug mi am maicreaf貌n a-mach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cho luath 鈥檚 a th貌isich mi air ceistean a chur air mu mhiann na coimhearsnachd an oighreachd a cheannach dhaibh fh猫in, dh鈥檃tharraich a shunnd gu tur. Dh鈥檉h脿s e feargach, a鈥� cur s矛os air 鈥渃omannaich鈥� is 鈥渃omannachas鈥�. Bha droch bheachd aige air uachdranachd phoblach air fearann na G脿idhealtachd, agus rinn e sin follaiseach. Bha meas aige air na daoine a bhuineadh do dh鈥橢ige bho th霉s. Ach cha robh deagh bheachd aige air cuid dhen fheadhainn a bh鈥� air a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann anns na beagan bhliadhnaichean roimhe. Ach, air a鈥� chidhe, cha robh an sgaradh sin ann am follais. Bha G脿idheal is Gall a鈥� tarraing air an aon r脿mh. Bha iad ag iarraidh an t-eilean a cheannach dhaibh fh猫in.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Shaoil mi nach b鈥� fhada gus am falbhadh Keith Schellenberg, a鈥� f脿gail an eilein ann an l脿mhan nan eileanach. Ach chan ann mar sin a thachair e. An ath-sheachdain, bidh mi a鈥� toirt s霉il air ais air fear ris an canadh iad 鈥淢aruma鈥�. A bheil cuimhne agaibh air?

An t-脪gmhios: June; Asainte: Assynt; uachdranachd: sovereignty, landlordism.

: bho cheannaich muinntir Eige an t-eilean aca fh猫in: since the people of Eigg bought their own island; gur ann le Urras Eige a bha an t-eilean mu dheireadh thall: that the Isle of Eigg Trust finally owned the island; fo uachdarain phr矛obhaideach: under [the control of] private landlords; nach eil an d脿 latha air tighinn air Alba bhon uair sin?: hasn鈥檛 Scotland undergone an enormous change since then?; oighreachdan eileanach: island estates; Giogha, Na Hearadh, Le貌dhas agus Uibhist: Gigha, Harris, Lewis and Uist; an oidhche a fhuair na daoine smachd air an fhearann aca: the night the people took control of their land; bidh cuimhne agam air gu s矛orraidh: I鈥檒l remember it forever; bha adhbhar aca: they had a [good] reason; a鈥� d猫anamh g脿irdeachas: expressing happiness; bha an t-Urras air a chur air d貌igh roimhe: the Trust was set up before; leis an amas an t-eilean a cheannach don choimhearsnachd: with the aim of buying the island for the community; cha robh fada agam ri dhol airson an lorg: I didn鈥檛 have far to go to find them; a bh鈥� aig teis-meadhan a鈥� ghnothaich: who was at the epicentre of the matter; suas am bruthach don taigh mh貌r: up the slope to the big [estate] house; cha b鈥� urrainn dha a bhith na bu shnoige: he couldn鈥檛 have been nicer; be貌thail, 猫ibhinn is laghach: lively, funny and nice; mus tug mi am maicreaf貌n a-mach: before I brought the microphone out; mu mhiann na coimhearsnachd: about the desire of the community; dh鈥檃tharraich a shunnd gu tur: his mood changed completely; a鈥� cur s矛os air 鈥渃omannaich鈥� is 鈥渃omannachas鈥�: expressing disapproval of 鈥渃ommunists鈥� and 鈥渃ommunism鈥�; na daoine a bhuineadh do dh鈥橢ige bho th霉s: the people who originally belonged to Eigg; a bh鈥� air a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach ann anns na beagan bhliadhnaichean roimhe: who had gone to live there in the previous few years; a鈥� tarraing air an aon r脿mh: in agreement [pulling on the same oar]; fear ris an canadh iad X: a man whom they would call X.

along with his daughter. Cuide ri is a prepositional phrase meaning the same as c貌mhla ri. Although it looks like a compound preposition which would govern a noun in the genitive, the 鈥渞i鈥� (added to cuide) means it actually only works like a simple preposition and therefore takes the dative. Nighean is slenderised (in traditional usage) because it is a definite feminine noun in the dative singular. But note the special slenderisation. Not only does the final vowel slenderise, but the final consonant changes also 鈥� from a single n to a double n. This reflects the change in pronunciation 鈥� ask your teacher or a fluent speaker to demonstrate it.聽

cho sona ri crodh an taoibh siar: as happy as west side cows (a Lewis expression) 鈥� ie extremely happy.