麻豆约拍

Chaidh mi a choimhead air uaigh o chionn ghoirid, ann an cladh a-muigh air an d霉thaich faisg air Inbhir Nis. Bha mi air taobh an iar na d霉thcha nuair a chaochail am fear a bh鈥� air 霉r-thiodhlacadh ann 鈥� fear a b鈥� aithne dhomh a bhuineadh do Shrath Narann. Bha e貌las air leth aige air eachdraidh agus dualchas na sg矛re. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air Andaidh MacCuimein.

Bha e follaiseach dhomh sa mhionaid d猫 an uaigh a bh鈥� aige, oir air t猫 de na h-uaighean bha fl霉raichean 霉ra. Chan e fl霉raichean na b霉tha a bh鈥� annta, ge-t脿, ach feadhainn a chaidh a thogail anns a鈥� mhonadh le muinntir an 脿ite. Bha gr脿dh aig Andaidh air an d霉thaich aige. Agus, a bharrachd air na fl霉raichean, bha na botannan aige agus bratach na h-Alba. 鈥橲 e 鈥渃aractar鈥� a bh鈥� ann agus chitheadh tu sin anns na bh鈥� air fh脿gail air an uaigh aige.

Bha seo anns a鈥� chladh ri taobh na seann eaglais aig D霉n Fhlicheadaidh. Ainm-脿ite inntinneach a tha sin 鈥� D霉n Fhlicheadaidh. Bha beachd aig Andaidh air, mar a bha air iomadach rud co-cheangailte ris an sg矛re. Bha cuid de na seann daoine dhen bheachd gun t脿inig e 脿 鈥淒霉n an Leth-cheud鈥�, leis gu robh leth-cheud duine air am marbhadh ann am bl脿r agus gu robh iad air an tiodhlacadh anns a鈥� chladh. Ma tha sin f矛or, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh cuin鈥� a thachair e, oir tha e coltach gu bheil eaglais air a bhith air an l脿rach sin airson co-dhi霉 m矛le is tr矛 cheud bliadhna.

Co-dhi霉, cha chreid mi nach robh Andaidh amharasach mu dheidhinn a鈥� mhineachaidh sin. Bha esan dhen bheachd gun t脿inig Flicheadaidh 脿 Fliuch no Fliuchad, a鈥� ciallachadh gur e 脿ite fliuch a bh鈥� ann.

Tha mi gu m貌r an comainn Andaidh airson notaichean fh脿gail againn air seann st貌iridhean is naidheachdan a chruinnich e anns an sg矛re, agus bu mhath leam, mar chomharra air a bheatha is air a bh脿s, t猫 bheag dhiubh sin aithris dhuibh an-dr脿sta. Tha i mu dheidhinn ainm-脿ite eile anns an sg矛re 鈥� Uaigh an Duine Bhe貌.

Tha e coltach gu robh Clann 鈥檌c an T貌isich agus Clann 鈥檌cIlleBhrath an ugannan a ch猫ile mu chr矛ochan an cuid fearainn. As deidh 霉ine, dh鈥檃ontaich an d脿 chinneadh gabhail ri beachd bodaich a bha mion-e貌lach air dualchas an 脿ite. 鈥橲 e an duilgheadas a bh鈥� ann gur e fear de Chloinn 鈥檌cIlleBhrath a bh鈥� ann 鈥� fear E貌in MacIlleBhrath.

L脿 a bha seo, chaidh E貌in agus 脿rd-urrachan an d脿 chinnidh a-mach c貌mhla. Gheall e air 鈥渁鈥� cheann a bha fo bhonaid鈥� gur ann le Cloinn 鈥檌cIlleBhrath a bha 鈥渁n talamh fo chasan鈥�. Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh Clann 鈥檌cIlleBhrath toilichte le bhreith, ach cha robh Clann 鈥檌c an T貌isich riaraichte idir. Feumaidh gu robh iad amharasach mu dheidhinn na thuirt E貌in. Agus feumaidh gun do rinn iad beagan sgr霉daidh air, oir fhuair iad a-mach gu robh ceann eile fo bhonaid 鈥� ceann coilich! Agus am broinn a chuid bhr貌g, fo chasan, bha talamh a bh鈥� air a thoirt far fearann aig a鈥� chinneadh aige fh猫in 鈥� Clann 鈥檌cIlleBhrath. Mar sin, cha robh E貌in breugach, ach cha robh e buileach ag innse na f矛rinn na bu mh貌!

Co-dhi霉, bha Clann 鈥檌c an T貌isich feargach. Chaidh E貌in a thiodhlacadh be貌 fon talamh mar pheanas agus tha c脿rn ri fhaicinn anns an 脿ite fhathast, air a bheil Uaigh an Duine Bhe貌.

Faclan na seachdaine: cladh: cemetery; chaochail: died; Srath Narann: Strathnairn; Andaidh MacCuimein: Andy Cumming; botannan: boots; caractar: character; D霉n Fhlicheadaidh: Dunlichity; Uaigh an Duine Bhe貌: The Grave of the Living Man; gheall e: he pledged; ceann coilich: a cockerel鈥檚 head; breugach: untruthful.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chaidh mi a choimhead air uaigh: I went to look at a grave; fear a b鈥� aithne dhomh: a man I knew; bha e follaiseach dhomh sa mhionaid: it was instantly obvious to me; chitheadh tu sin anns na bh鈥� air fh脿gail: you could (would) see that in what was left; leis gu robh leth-cheud duine air am marbhadh: because 50 people were killed; cha chreid mi nach robh Andaidh amharasach: I think Andy was doubtful; mar chomharra air a bheatha is air a bh脿s: to mark his life and death; gu robh Clann 鈥檌c an T貌isich agus Clann 鈥檌cIlleBhrath an ugannan a ch猫ile: that the Mackintoshes and MacGillivrays were at each other鈥檚 throats; dh鈥檃ontaich an d脿 chinneadh gabhail ri beachd bodaich: the two clans agreed to accept the opinion of an old man; air a鈥� cheann a bha fo bhonaid: on the head that was under his bonnet; 鈥檚 d貌cha gu robh X toilichte le bhreith: perhaps X was pleased with his judgement; am broinn a chuid bhr貌g: inside his shoes (emphasis on his); a bh鈥� air a thoirt far fearann aig a鈥� chinneadh aige fh猫in: that had been take from his own clan鈥檚 land; cha robh e buileach ag innse na f矛rinn na bu mh貌: he wasn鈥檛 exactly telling the truth either; chaidh E貌in a thiodhlacadh be貌 mar pheanas: John was buried alive as punishment.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: am fear a bh鈥� air 霉r-thiodhlacadh ann: the man who was newly buried there. You will be familiar with 霉r as an adjective meaning 鈥渘ew鈥� eg a bheil seo 霉r? (is this new?) In the construction above, it is used to prefix a verbal noun in the terminal position, in which case a lenitable consonant at the start of the verbal noun will generally be lenited. Other examples: tha sinn air 霉r-thighinn don sg矛re (we have newly come to the area), bha iad d矛reach air 霉r-ph貌sadh (they were just newly married). Remember to give the 霉 vowel its proper length so that a listener does not confuse 霉r with the unaccented ur, the second person plural possessive article. Bha e air ur tiodhlacadh (without lenition) is 鈥渉e had buried you鈥�, whereas bha e air 霉r-thiodhlacadh means 鈥渉e was newly buried鈥� 鈥� a significant difference!

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Tha mi gu m貌r an comainn Andaidh: I am much obliged to Andy. The name of the person is in the genitive so with Seumas we would say tha mi gu m貌r an comainn Sheumais. To somebody鈥檚 face you would say tha mi gu m貌r (or fada) nad chomainn (singular/informal) or nur comainn (plural/formal) ie I am much obliged to you.