麻豆约拍

Anns an Iuchar ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a sia (1886), bha taghadh n脿iseanta ann, d矛reach beagan mh矛osan an d猫idh an taghaidh mu dheireadh. Agus bha iomairt l脿idir aig na T貌raidhean an aghaidh ball Earra-Gh脿idheal, D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain. Bha MacPh脿rlain gu m貌r air taobh nan croitearan a bha ag iarraidh c貌raichean fearainn.

Chuir na T貌raidhean tagraiche air adhart air an robh an C貌irnealair Iain MacCaluim, agus fhuair esan taic mh貌r bho na h-uachdarain agus na tuathanaich mh貌ra. Agus, leis gur e an samhradh a bh鈥� ann, bha m貌ran dhen luchd-taic aig MacPh脿rlain air falbh bhon dachaigh, ag obair taobh a-muigh na G脿idhealtachd. Bhuannaich MacCaluim an taghadh, le m貌r-chuid de ch貌rr is sia ceud bh貌t.

Ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gun do chaill e, cha do thr猫ig D貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain Earra-Gh脿idheal, agus bha e air ais ann an Tiriodh goirid an d猫idh an taghaidh. Chaidh buidheann de Thiristich a chur don phr矛osan nuair a dh鈥檉heuch iad ri tuathanas a ghabhail thairis. Agus shoirbhich le MacPh脿rlain ann an bhith gan leigeil ma sgaoil na bu tr脿ithe na bha d霉il.

Thill MacPh脿rlain a mharsantachd ann an Lunnainn airson beagan bhliadhnaichean. Ach ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1892), sheas e a-rithist airson na p脿rlamaid ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal. Bha an taghadh seo ann as t-samhradh cuideachd ach, leis gu robh c霉isean air a dhol am feabhas do na Libearalaich gu n脿iseanta, bhuannaich e 鈥� ach le m貌r-chuid bheag 鈥� d矛reach ochdad bh貌t.

Bha g脿irdeachas gu le貌r ann am measg nan croitearan agus chaidh b脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig a sgr矛obhadh mar chomharra air buaidh MhicPh脿rlain. Seo aon rann 脿 aon d脿n:

Nise, bho choisinn thu 鈥檔 t-urram,

Th猫id thu (a) mh貌r-bhaile Lunnainn a-suas;

Bidh an l霉chairt na B脿nrighinn

脌ite-suidhe aig MacPh脿rlain (a) bhios buan,

Thagairt c霉is Earra-Gh脿idheal,

鈥橲 bidh thu misneachail, st脿ilinneach, cruaidh,

鈥橲 bheir thu dhachaigh a鈥� ch貌ir dhuinn

Rinn na n脿imhdean le f貌irneart thoirt uainn.

Sgr矛obh am b脿rd E貌ghann D貌mhnallach, no E貌ghann Sh矛m, 脿 Gleann Urchardain, d脿n dha air an robh, gu s矛mplidh, 鈥淢acPh脿rlain鈥�. Tha sin a鈥� dearbhadh toileachas nan croiteararan:

Tha p脿ipear a鈥� tighinn

Leis an fhios a bha dh矛th oirnn;

鈥橲 iomadh fear a tha ga shireadh

鈥橲 cha bu sgillinn bu phr矛s dha;

Tha e miadhail a-nochd

Aig gach posta san r矛oghachd,

鈥橲 bidh sinn 鈥檔 earbsa a-nise

Gum brist iad na fr矛thean 鈥�

Mas fh矛or am beachd

鈥橲 iomadh teine tha nochd

Air na cnocan as 脿irde;

Cha bhi chuing air na botaill

Bhon a choisinn MacPh脿rlain;

An duine foghainteach treun,

N矛 e feum anns gach 脿ite;

Guidhibh saoghal bith-bhuan dh脿,

鈥橲 貌laibh suas a dheoch-sl脿inte 鈥�

Gu grunnd gun stad.

Chaochail Te脿rlach Sti霉bhart Parnell ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1891). Agus thug am pr矛omhaire Gladstone bile 霉r air adhart, airson f猫in-riaghladh a thoirt do dh鈥櫭坕rinn, a鈥� bhliadhna an d猫idh sin, le taic bho Dh貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain am measg eile. Shoirbhich leis ann an Taigh nan Cumantan ach chaill e ann an Taigh nam Morairean. Leig Gladstone dheth a dhreuchd ann an naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1894) ach, mus do dh鈥檉halbh e, mhol e gum biodh D貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain air a dh猫anamh na ridire. Fhuair D貌mhnall fr矛th-ainm 脿s a sin 鈥� 鈥淩idire Caitligeach na Croitearachd鈥�.

Ach cha robh fada aige ri dhol mar bhall p脿rlamaid. An d猫idh Ghladstone, chaidh am P脿rtaidh Libearalach bhuaithe agus chaill MacPh脿rlain a shuidheachan anns an taghadh n脿iseanta ann an naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1895). Ach tha e air a chuimhneachadh fhathast ann am b脿rdachd na G脿idhealtachd. Gu dearbh, a bharrachd air Te脿rlach Friseal Mac an T貌isich 脿 Inbhir Nis, tha e doirbh smaoineachadh air ball p脿rlamaid mun deach uiread de bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig a sgr矛obhadh.

Faclan na seachdaine: taghadh: election; c貌raichean fearainn: land rights; tagraiche: candidate; an C貌irnealair Iain MacCaluim: Col. John Malcolm; m貌r-chuid: majority; Tiristich: people of Tiree; marsantachd: a merchant鈥檚 business; buan: enduring; Gleann Urchardain: Glen Urquhart; fr矛th-ainm: nickname.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha iomairt l脿idir aig na T貌raidhean: the Tories conducted a strong campaign; gan leigeil ma sgaoil na bu tr脿ithe na bha d霉il: releasing them earlier than expected; mar chomharra air buaidh MhicPh脿rlain: as a mark of MacFarlane鈥檚 victory; bidh an l霉chairt na B脿nrighinn: there will be in the Queen鈥檚 palace; thagairt c霉is Earra-Gh脿idheal: to promote the cause of Argyll; bidh thu misneachail, st脿ilinneach, cruaidh: you鈥檒l be brave, steely and hard; bheir thu dhachaigh a鈥� ch貌ir dhuinn: you will bring home our rights; cha bu sgillinn bu phr矛s dha: it didn鈥檛 cost a penny [ie it cost more]; tha e miadhail a-nochd: it is desired tonight; gum brist iad na fr矛thean: that they will break up the deer-forests; mas fh矛or am beachd: if their [expressed] intention is true; cha bhi chuing air na botaill: there will be no stoppers on the bottles; guidhibh saoghal bith-bhuan dh脿: wish him a long life; 貌laibh suas a dheoch-sl脿inte gu grunnd gun stad: drink his health to the bottom in one go; Ridire Caitligeach na Croitearachd: The Catholic Knight of Crofting; chaidh X bhuaithe: X went into decline; mun deach uiread de bh脿rdachd a sgr矛obhadh: about whom so much poetry was written.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: ach le m貌r-chuid bheag 鈥� d矛reach ochdad bh貌t: but with a small majority 鈥� only eighty votes. You will realise I employ the decimal counting system in the Litir (it will no doubt eventually supplant the vigesimal system). And you will know that for 86 votes we say ochdad 鈥檚 a sia bh貌taichean and 72 votes is seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 bh貌taichean. But note that with the multiples of ten, we use a singular noun (as we do with fichead and ceud) ie ochdad bh貌t (not bh貌taichean). Similarly we would say trithead c脿r, ceathrad c霉, caogad saighdear and seasgad beinn.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: leis gu robh c霉isean air a dhol am feabhas do na Libearalaich gu n脿iseanta: because the situation of the Liberals had improved nationally. Chaidh X am feabhas: X鈥檚 situation/health improved.