麻豆约拍

Bu mhath leam gum faighinn ticead bho chuideigin airson turas a-null thairis gu d霉thaich shneachdach ann am meadhan a鈥� gheamhraidh. Tha fhios a鈥檓 d猫 tha sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh 鈥� 鈥渢ha Ruairidh ag iarraidh dhol air splaoid.鈥� Ach chan ann mar sin a tha e idir. Tha mi airson rannsachadh a dh猫anamh air na thachras do ghoireasan-siubhail ann an d霉thchannan sneachdach agus, nan robh agam ris na sgithean agam a thoirt leam airson faighinn bho 脿ite gu 脿ite air an t-sneachd, uill, cha bhithinn m矛-thoilichte.

Ach 鈥檚 e rannsachadh a bhiodh fa-near dhomh, is chan e splaoid. Bha mi ann an Eirinn o chionn ghoirid agus, air an rathad dhachaigh 脿 Baile Atha Cliath, r脿inig mi Port-adhair Ghlaschu ceart gu le貌r. Nuair a bha mi a鈥� feuchainn ri thilleadh a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis, ge-t脿, cha b鈥� urrainn dhomh. Chaidh am port-adhair ann an Inbhir Nis a dh霉nadh air s脿illeamh sneachda. Bha suidheachadh nan rathaidean is nan sgoiltean na bu mhiosa buileach. Cho luath 鈥檚 a nochd tr矛 ciadameatairean (no 貌irleach ma tha sibh sean-fhasanta) de shneachd air na rathaidean, bha a h-uile mac m脿thar ag 猫igheachd mu cho cunnartach 鈥檚 a bhitheadh e an taigh fh脿gail. Tha e coltach nach cual鈥� iad guth mu ch貌taichean is botannan-coiseachd. Is d貌cha cuideachd gun do dh矛ochuimhnich iad mar a bha c霉isean o chionn beagan bhliadhnaichean.

Bha mi a鈥� coimhead tro leabhar an l脿 eile a tha mu dheidhinn eachdraidh Sg矛re Raoird ann an Cataibh, agus bha aithrisean na bhroinn a bha gu math inntinneach mu gheamhraidhean sneachdach. 鈥橲 e an tiotal a th鈥� air Rogart: The Story of a Sutherland Crofting Parish. 鈥橲 e fear Iain D貌mhnallach, no Iain am Post, a chuir ri ch猫ile e, agus mar phost cha bhiodh duine na b鈥� e貌laiche na esan, tha mi cinnteach, air buaidh na h-aimsir air goireasan is seirbheisean.

A r猫ir an leabhair, tha tuathanach 脿s an sg矛re, Peadar Boa, anns a鈥� Ghuinness Book of Records airson na h-霉ine as fhaide fo shneachd a mhair caora be貌. Chaidh mi gu leabhar Ghuinness agus chan e sin buileach am fiosrachadh a bh鈥� acasan, ged a thug iad an duais do thuathanach 脿s an dearbh sg矛re aig an dearbh 脿m 鈥� fear Ailig MacIllFhinnein.

Cha t猫id mi-fh矛n an s脿s anns an deasbad air c貌 tha ceart is c貌 tha ce脿rr, ach bha e iongantach gu robh t猫 de na caoraich fhathast be貌 anns a鈥� Mh脿rt naoi ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1978) as d猫idh dhi leth-cheud l脿 a chur seachad fon t-sneachd. Mhair i be貌 le bhith ag ithe a cl貌imhe fh猫in, a r猫ir leabhar Ghuinness, ach tha Iain D貌mhnallach ag innse sgeulachd mu fheadhainn eile a mhair be貌 airson seachdainean le bhith ag ithe r霉sg 脿 preas conaisg .

Bha an suidheachadh a cheart cho dona, no 鈥檚 d貌cha na bu mhiosa, anns a鈥� gheamhradh de leth-cheud 鈥檚 a ceithir gu leth-cheud 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1954-5). Bha an sneachd cho domhainn 鈥檚 gu robh comas aig daoine greimeachadh len l脿mhan air na u猫irichean-f貌n. Agus mhair an droch sh矛de cho fada 鈥檚 gun do th貌isich na h-霉ghdarrasan air fodar a leigeil bho itealain. Nan robh crodh aig tuathanach dh猫anadh e cumadh mar 鈥淐鈥� (airson cattle) anns an t-sneachd agus nan robh caoraich aige dh猫anadh e 鈥淪鈥� (airson sheep).

Tha e coltach gu robh duine no dithis dhen bheachd gum feuchadh iad ri b猫ilichean fe貌ir fhaighinn mar seo saor 鈥檚 an asgaidh, ged nach robh feum ac鈥� air fodar. Tha mi cinnteach nach robh iad buileach cho toilichte nuair a fhuair iad bileag-iarrtais airson airgead as d猫idh l脿imh! Chan eil port an asgaidh ann, mar a thuirt an seann chl脿rsair.

Faclan na seachdaine: sneachdach: snowy; rannsachadh: research; Baile Atha Cliath: Dublin; botannan-coiseachd: walking boots; fodar: fodder; itealain: aircraft; b猫ilichean fe貌ir: bales of hay.

Abairtean na seachdaine: airson turas a-null thairis: for a trip overseas; tha X ag iarraidh dhol air splaoid: X wants to go on a junket; chan ann mar sin a tha e: that is not the situation; air na thachras do ghoireasan-siubhail: about what happens to transport facilities; nan robh agam ris na sgithean agam a thoirt leam: if I had to take my skis with me; a bhiodh fa-near dhomh: which would be in my mind; air s脿illeamh sneachda: because of snow; na bu mhiosa buileach: much worse; tr矛 ciadameatairean (no 貌irleach ma tha sibh sean-fhasanta): 3 centimetres (or an inch if you are old-fashioned); a h-uile mac m脿thar: every Tom, Dick and Harry; eachdraidh Sg矛re Raoird ann an Cataibh: the history of Rogart in Sutherland; cha bhiodh duine na b鈥� e貌laiche air buaidh na h-aimsir: there wouldn鈥檛 be anyone with a greater knowledge of the effect of the weather; airson na h-霉ine as fhaide fo shneachd a mhair caora be貌: for the longest time a sheep remained alive buried in snow; 脿s an dearbh sg矛re anns an dearbh stoirm: from the same area in the same storm; le bhith ag ithe a cl貌imhe fh猫in: by eating her own wool; r霉sg 脿 preas conaisg: bark from a whin (gorse) bush; greimeachadh len l脿mhan air na u猫richean-f貌n: grabbing the telephone wires with their hands; bileag-iarrtais airson airgead 脿s d猫idh l脿imh: invoice for payment afterwards.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bu mhath leam gum faighinn ticead bho chuideigin: I would like to get a ticket from somebody. How would you deal with the word faighinn in a situation like this because it is given in the dictionaries as the present participle of the irregular verb faigh (the verbal noun is a鈥� faighinn)? If I had been using this grammatical structure, however, I would have said bu math leam ticead fhaighinn. The fact that the sentence starts with a conditional verb (bu instead of is) is a clue; the 鈥搃nn ending on the verb is another. It is the first person singular conditional in its dependent form (ie gheibhinn, I would get; gum faighinn, that I would get. Literally I am saying 鈥淚 would like that I would get...鈥�

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: Chan eil port an asgaidh ann, mar a thuirt an seann chl脿rsair: there鈥檚 no free tune, as the old harper said. The first part is a proverb, equivalent to the English 鈥渢here鈥檚 no such thing as a free lunch鈥�, and the second refers to what I imagine to be its origin 鈥� when musicians, notably harpers, toured the Scottish and Irish Gaidhealtachd playing for clan chiefs. They expected a reward for their efforts!