麻豆约拍

Bha mi ann an 脿ite an latha eile 鈥� ann an Alba 鈥� a thug toileachas m貌r dhomh. 脌ite spaideil far an robh coltas ann gu robh clann a鈥� faighinn deagh oideachadh. Bhruidhinn mi d脿 ch脿nan fhad 鈥檚 a bha mi ann, agus cha robh Beurla nam measg. Bhruidhinn mi G脿idhlig agus Fraingis. Bha mi ann an Sgoil Gh脿idhlig Ghlaschu.

Thug e 霉ine, ach tha 脿rd-sgoil fa leth againn a-nise far a bheil na sgoilearan a鈥� faighinn m貌ran dhen teagasg tro Gh脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e G脿idhlig pr矛omh ch脿nan na sgoile. Nuair a th脿inig clann do dh鈥檕ifis na sgoile fhad 鈥檚 a bha mi ann, 鈥檚 e G脿idhlig a bha iad a鈥� bruidhinn gu si霉bhlach ri muinntir na h-oifis. 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bu ch貌ir c霉isean a bhith ann am m貌ran sgoiltean ann an Alba.

Tha seo a鈥� tachairt ann am baile m貌r air a鈥� Ghalltachd an 脿ite air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Tha Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu air a bhith de貌nach an ceum sin a ghabhail, agus m矛le meal an naidheachd orra. Bu ch貌ir do chomhairlean eile ann an Alba, gu seachd 脿raidh anns na h-Eileanan Siar, an eisimpleir a leantainn.

Ach a bheil e annasach gu bheil an leasachadh seo a鈥� dol air adhart ann am baile m貌r? 鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil e annasach idir. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil sinn a鈥� faicinn atharrachadh a鈥� tighinn air suidheachadh na G脿idhlig a-rithist, agus an c脿nan a鈥� d猫anamh adhartas anns na bailtean m貌ra, fhad 鈥檚 a tha i a鈥� cr矛onadh air an d霉thaich. Agus bu ch貌ir dhuinn cuimhneachadh gu bheil na m矛ltean de luchd na G脿idhlig air a bhith ann an Glaschu bho chionn fhada.

Chan eil Glaschu leis fh猫in anns an d貌igh sin ann an saoghal farsaing nan G脿idheal. Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar mu eachdraidh G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann ann am Beal Feirste o chionn ghoirid. Bha e inntinneach dhomh gu robh coimhearsnachd de luchd-labhairt a鈥� ch脿nain anns a鈥� bhaile sin anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Agus 鈥檚 e an aon dualchainnt a bh鈥� aca.

鈥橲 e na Fadgies a chainte riutha. Th脿inig am facal sin bho Ph谩id铆 鈥� an t-ainm Paddy anns an tuiseal ghairmeach. Bhuineadh na G脿idheil sin do bhaile beag air bruach Loch Cairlinn, loch mara gu deas air Beal Feirste. 鈥橲 e 脫 M茅ith an t-ainm air a鈥� bhaile. Chaidh m貌ran dhiubh a Bheal Feirste a dh鈥檉huireach anns na seachdadan is ochdadan dhen naoidheamh linn deug. 鈥橲 e luchd-malairt a bh鈥� annta. Bhiodh iad a鈥� reic 猫isg is glasraich is m貌ran rudan eile. Bha iad a鈥� fuireach anns an aon sg矛re dhen bhaile agus is iongantach mura robh iad a鈥� labhairt ri ch猫ile ann an G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha dhen 霉ine.

Chan e mh脿in gun robh Gaeilge aca a bha cudromach, ach gu robh an dualchas co-cheangailte ris a鈥� ch脿nan anns an d霉thaich dham buineadh iad gu math l脿idir. Dh鈥檌onnsaich Se谩n Mac Maol谩in m貌ran de a chuid Gaeilge bhuapa, agus rinn esan t貌rr airson a鈥� ch脿nain ann am Beal Feirste aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn.

Chaidh coimhearsnachd nam Fadgies a chur ma sgaoil anns na naochadan dhen naoidheamh linn deug, nuair a chaidh Oifis Mh貌r a鈥� Phuist a thogail far an robh iad a鈥� fuireach. Agus an-diugh, fhad 鈥檚 a tha G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann a鈥� f脿s nas l脿idire ann am Beal Feirste, tha i an 矛re mhath air a dhol a b矛th anns a鈥� bhaile bheag on t脿inig iad 鈥� 脫 M茅ith. Tha mi an d貌chas nach bi cuideigin, an ceann leth-cheud bliadhna, a鈥� sgr矛obhadh an dearbh rud mu Ghlaschu agus na h-Eileanan Siar.

Faclan na Litreach: spaideil: smart; annasach: unusual; Loch Cairlinn: Carlingford Lough; 脫 M茅ith: Omeath; luchd-malairt: traders; glasraich: vegetables; Oifis Mh貌r a鈥� Phuist: the General Post Office.

Abairtean na Litreach: a thug toileachas m貌r dhomh: which pleased me greatly; far an robh coltas ann: where there was [the] appearance; deagh oideachadh: good instruction/education; fhad 鈥檚 a bha mi ann: while I was there; Sgoil Gh脿idhlig Ghlaschu: [the new] Glasgow Gaelic School [where students will be able to receive a Gaelic medium education from age 3 to 18]; gu si霉bhlach ri muinntir na h-oifis: fluently to the office staff; 鈥檚 ann mar sin a bu ch貌ir c霉isean a bhith: that is how things should be; air a鈥� Ghalltachd: in the Lowlands; tha Comhairle Baile Ghlaschu air a bhith de貌nach an ceum sin a ghabhail: Glasgow City Council has been willing to take that step; m矛le meal an naidheachd orra: a thousand congratulations to them; bu ch貌ir do X an eisimpleir a leantainn: X should follow their example; agus an c脿nan a鈥� d猫anamh adhartas: with the language making progress; fhad 鈥檚 a tha i a鈥� cr矛onadh air an d霉thaich: while it is declining in rural areas; an aon dualchainnt: the same dialect; 鈥檚 e X a chainte riutha: they were called X; anns an tuiseal ghairmeach: in the vocative case; bhuineadh na G脿idheil sin do: those Gaels belonged to; loch mara gu deas air Beal Feirste: a sea loch to the south of Belfast; na seachdadan is ochdadan dhen naoidheamh linn deug: the 1870s and 1880s; is iongantach mura robh iad a鈥� labhairt ri ch猫ile: it [would be surprising if they weren鈥檛 speaking to each other]: a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha dhen 霉ine: most of the time; chan e mh脿in: not only; dh鈥檌onnsaich Sean Mac Maol谩in m貌ran de a chuid Gaeilge bhuapa: Sean Mac Maol谩in learned m霉ch of his Gaelic; far an robh iad a鈥� fuireach: where they were living; tha i an 矛re mhath air a dhol a b矛th: it [fem] has almost gone out of existence; tha mi an d貌chas nach bi cuideigin a鈥� sgr矛obhadh an dearbh rud: I hope that nobody will be writing the same thing.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Chaidh m貌ran dhiubh a Bheal Feirste a dh鈥檉huireach: many of them went to Belfast to live. I might have said chaidh m貌ran dhiubh a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Beal Feirste (many of them went to live in Belfast) but this is another way of effectively saying the same thing. Note that because the town鈥檚 name follows the preposition 鈥渁鈥�, it is lenited. You might tend to use this word order to emphasise the place name (so it was not strictly necessary in the Litir) eg chaidh i a Phort R矛gh a dh鈥檉huireach, chan ann a Ghlaschu 鈥� she went to Portree to live, not to Glasgow.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh coimhearsnachd nam Fadgies a chur ma sgaoil: the Fadgies鈥� community was dispersed.