麻豆约拍

An cuala sibh a-riamh mu chath air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd air a bheil Bl脿r na L猫ine? Nise, d猫 a鈥� Bheurla a th鈥� air sin? Field of the Shirt, nach e? Bl脿r na L猫ine. Ach mar as trice, bidh daoine ag r脿dh Field of the Shirts, agus tha iad a鈥� toirt adhbhar airson sin, mar a ch矛 sinn tro th矛de. Ach nach e Bl脿r nan L猫intean a bhiodh ann an Field of the Shirts? Co-dhi霉 tha an gr脿mar ceart no ce脿rr 鈥� agus thig mi air ais don phuing sin airson deagh adhbhar 鈥� tha mi airson innse dhuibh d猫 thug orm smaoineachadh mu Bhl脿r na L猫ine 鈥� a thachair ann an c貌ig ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1544).

Bha mi ann an Uibhist a Deas o chionn ghoirid, mar a bha mi ag r脿dh anns an Litir mu dheireadh. Agus fhad 鈥檚 a bha mi ann, chaidh mi gu Taigh-tasgaidh Chill Donnain. Tha iomadach rud inntinneach ann agus tha m貌ran sgr矛obhte ann an G脿idhlig, ged a tha l脿mh-an-uachdair aig a鈥� Bheurla ann, gu m矛-fhortanach. B鈥� fhe脿rr leam gum biodh co-ionannachd eadar an d脿 ch脿nan ann an 脿ite mar sin, ach f脿gaidh mi an deasbad sin gu latha eile.

Anns an taigh-thasgaidh, tha clach shnaighte ainmeil, air a bheil Clach Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein. The Clanranald Stone ann am Beurla. Clach Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein. Snaighte air a鈥� chloich tha suaicheantais Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh i air a snaigheadh anns an t-siathamh linn deug airson Iain Muideartach, ceann-cinnidh Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh cuideachd gun robh i bho th霉s ann am balla ann an seipeal, no caibeal, anns an Tobha Mh貌r, p矛os beag s矛os an rathad bho Chill Donnain.

鈥橲 e 脿ite cudromach a bh鈥� anns an Tobha Mh貌r ann an eachdraidh na h-Eaglaise anns na h-eileanan. Nuair a chaochail Iain Muideartach ann an c貌ig ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1574), bha e air a thiodhlacadh anns an Tobha Mh貌r. Agus dh鈥檉h脿g e airgead airson caibeal 霉r a thogail anns an 脿ite sin. Thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur ann an uair sin a chaidh Clach Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein a dh猫anamh.

Nuair a th貌isich an caibeal air tuiteam 脿s a ch猫ile, chaidh a鈥� chlach a thoirt a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhalla. Chaidh a cur am broinn na tobhta. Ach dh鈥檉haodadh duine sam bith a togail is a toirt air falbh. Agus 鈥檚 e sin a thachair. Ann an naoi ceud deug is naochad (1990), chaidh a鈥� chlach a ghoid. Chaidh a toirt gu ruige Lunnainn. Gu fortanach, fhuair Comunn Eachdraidh Uibhist a Deas air ais i 脿s d猫idh c貌ig bliadhna.

Ach c脿ite a bheil Bl脿r na L猫ine a鈥� tighinn a-steach don ghnothach? Uill, bha Iain Muideartach an s脿s anns a鈥� bhatail sin. Gu dearbh, bha e aig teis-meadhan a鈥� bhl脿ir. Ann an c貌ig ceud deug is ceathrad (1540) chaidh e fh猫in is an R矛gh, Seumas V, a-mach air a ch猫ile. Chaidh Iain a chur don phr矛osan. Bha e air a bhith na cheann-cinnidh airson deich bliadhna aig an 矛re sin.

Leis gu robh e sa phr矛osan, bha deasbad ann mu c貌 ghabhadh thairis ceannas a鈥� chinnidh aige. Thug na Frisealaich 鈥� Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh 鈥� taic do charaid aig Iain 鈥� Raghnall. 鈥橲 e ban-Fhrisealach a bh鈥� ann am m脿thair Raghnaill, agus chaidh Raghnall fh猫in a thogail mar dhalta aig na Frisealaich. Bha d脿 fhar-ainm aig na h-eileanaich air 鈥� Raghnall Gallta, leis gun do thogadh e ann an d霉thaich 鈥檌c Shimidh, agus Raghnall nan Cearc. Innsidh mi dhuibh mar a fhuair e an d脿rna ainm sin, agus mu Bhl脿r na L猫ine, an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Uibhist a Deas: South Uist; Iain Muideartach: John of Moidart; ceann-cinnidh: clan chief; seipeal/caibeal: chapel; na Frisealaich: the Frasers; Clann 鈥檌c Shimidh: the Fraser clan; far-ainm: nickname; Raghnall nan Cearc: Ranald of the Hens.

Abairtean na Litreach: an cuala sibh a-riamh?: have you ever heard?; mar a ch矛 sinn tro th矛de: as we will see eventually; co-dhi霉 tha an gr脿mar ceart no ce脿rr: whether [or not] the grammar is correct or incorrect; d猫 thug orm smaoineachadh: what made me think; Taigh-tasgaidh Chill Donnain: Kildonan Museum; tha l脿mh-an-uachdair aig a鈥� Bheurla: English is dominant; b鈥� fhe脿rr leam gum biodh co-ionannachd [ann]: I would prefer [that there would be] equivalence; gun robh i bho th霉s ann am balla: that it [fem] was originally in a wall; anns an Tobha Mh貌r: in Howmore; nuair a th貌isich an caibeal air tuiteam 脿s a ch猫ile: when the chapel began to collapse; chaidh a cur am broinn na tobhta: it was placed inside the ruin; dh鈥檉haodadh duine sam bith a togail is a toirt air falbh: anyone could pick it up and take it away; an s脿s anns a鈥� bhatail: involved in the battle; bha deasbad ann mu c貌 ghabhadh thairis ceannas a鈥� chinnidh: there was a dispute about who would take over as clan chief; 鈥檚 e ban-Fhrisealach a bh鈥� ann am m脿thair Raghnaill: Ranald鈥檚 mother was a Fraser; chaidh X a thogail mar dhalta aig Y: X was fostered by Y.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Snaighte air a鈥� chloich tha suaicheantais Chlann 鈥檌c Ailein: sculpted on the stone there are the emblems of Clanranald. Have you wondered why there appears to be no obvious consonance between the Gaelic and English names of this clan? Actually, this is not always the case, as you will see Clann Raghnaill sometimes used to refer to Clanranald, as in the famous poem by Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair (one of the clan), 鈥淏irlinn Chlann Raghnaill鈥�. Clanranald is a branch of the great Clan Donald, and Raghnall (Ranald) was the eldest surviving son of the first Lord of the Isles upon whom was bestowed Uist, the Small Isles and a part of the West Highlands from Knoydart to Moidart. He died at Caisteal Tioram in Moidart in 1386. Raghnall鈥檚 eldest son was Ailean (Allan), and the Gaelic clan name derives from him. Members of the clan, however, would use 鈥淢acDonald鈥� where a surname was required by the authorities. The Frisealaich (Frasers) almost certainly derive their name from their French origins. But the Gaelic appellation for the clan chief 鈥� Mac Shimidh (son of Simon) 鈥� derives from Simon Fraser who appears in Scotland in 1160, and from the tradition of naming subsequent clan chiefs 鈥淪imon鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: chaidh e fh猫in is an R矛gh a-mach air a ch猫ile: he and the King fell out with each other.