麻豆约拍

鈥楢ir Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba,鈥� leugh mi o chionn ghoirid, 鈥榯ha e na chleachdadh aig a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh a bhith ri cur-seachad anns a鈥� gheamhradh, air a bheil 鈥渋omain鈥濃�� Thig buidhnean m貌ra cruinn ann an saor-l脿ithean na Nollaig, uaireannan le d脿rna paraiste a鈥� cluich an aghaidh t猫 eile. Anns an sp脿irn eadar na cluicheadairean, nithear buillean cruaidh, agus gu tric bidh lurgann air a briseadh, no bho 脿m gu 脿m tachraidh tubaist nas miosa na sin.鈥�

Chaidh an tuairisgeul sin de sp貌rs n脿iseanta nan Gaidheal a sgr矛obhadh o chionn fhada 鈥� ann an ochd-deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1835). Agus, uill, dh鈥檉haodadh gu bheil e f矛or gu 矛re fhathast, ged a tha beagan 貌rdugh anns na geamannan an l脿 an-diugh.

鈥橲 d貌cha gur e an geam as ainmeile a th鈥� air a chluich ann am meadhan a鈥� gheamhraidh an-diugh, am fear aig 脿m na Bliadhna 脵ire eadar d脿 sgioba faisg air Inbhir Nis 鈥� L貌bhat, a tha st猫idhichte ann an Cill Targhlain, agus a鈥� Mhanachainn. Tha iad nan n脿bannan do ch猫ile agus bidh c貌mhstri mh貌r ann eatarra. Am-bliadhna, bha an geam air an d脿rna l脿 dhen Fhaoilleach anns a鈥� Mhanachainn agus th脿inig sluagh m貌r ga choimhead.

Agus bha sp脿irn gu le貌r ann. Fhuair aon chluicheadair, airson na Manachainn, sgleog air a cheann agus bha fuil a鈥� sruthadh 脿s a鈥� chluais aige. Ach chan eil an iomain mar a tha sp貌rs eile. Chithear, fi霉 鈥檚 ann an rugbaidh, gu feum cluicheadair a鈥� ph脿irc fh脿gail ma bhios fuil a鈥� sruthadh 脿s. Is, gu dearbh, tha daoine gu math faiceallach an-diugh mun d貌igh 鈥檚 a bheil iad a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri fuil, eagal 鈥檚 nach gabh iad galar air choreigin.

Ach tha iomain eadar-dhealaichte. As d猫idh greis, gun iarrtas sam bith bhon chluicheadair, rinn an r猫itire fead agus rinn feadhainn cobhair air a鈥� chluicheadair. Cha t脿inig e far na p脿irce, ge-t脿. Chaidh uisge a dhortadh air a chluais, chaidh a shuathadh le spong m貌r, agus a thiormachadh le searbhadair, agus rinn an r猫itire fead a-rithist, is lean an geam. Cha do rinn an cluicheadair b矛og de ghearan. Chan e sin an d貌igh aig cluicheadairean iomain!

Tha e inntinneach anns an t-seann airteagal gu robh an iomain air a comharrachadh mar sp貌rs geamhraidh, oir 鈥檚 e sin a th鈥� ann fhathast, agus tha eachdraidh mh貌r aig geamannan na Bliadhna 脵ire. Ach tha beachd aig cuid ann an saoghal na h-iomain gum bu ch貌ir dhaibh cluich as t-samhradh agus feumaidh na clubaichean beachdachadh air.

Saoilidh mise gur e deagh rud a bhiodh ann, oir 鈥檚 e sp貌rs a th鈥� ann a tha nas fhe脿rr air p脿irc thioram luath, seach air feur fliuch trom a鈥� gheamhraidh. Uaireannan, tha na geamannan as t-samhradh, mar Chuairt Dheireannach Chupa na Camanachd, air leth math. Tha a鈥� ghrian a鈥� de脿rrsadh, tha i bl脿th, agus tha na cluicheadairean is an luchd-coimhead air an d貌igh. Agus, air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, chan eil sp貌rs m貌r sam bith eile a鈥� dol, oir tha seusan a鈥� bhall-coise seachad. Chanainn gur e sin an argamaid as m貌 a th鈥� ann airson iomain a chluich as t-samhradh 鈥� nach bi i ann am farpais le ball-coise. Cha robh farpais sam bith ann bho bhall-coise ann an ochd-deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig.

Seo p矛os eile dhen airteagal, agus mar a bhuannaich aon sgioba: 鈥楥hunnaic an sgr矛obhadair geam anns an do ruith fear de na cluicheadairean 鈥� m矛le leis a鈥� bhall na l脿imh, agus an sgioba aige fh猫in agus an fheadhainn eile, an t貌ir air, gus an do r脿inig e an ceann thall.鈥� Chan fhaod thu tadhal a chur mar sin ann an iomain an-diugh!

Faclan na seachdaine: cur-seachad: pastime; iomain: shinty; paraiste: parish; sp脿irn: struggle; tuairisgeul: description; fead: whistle; searbhadair: towel; b矛og: cheep; clubaichean: clubs; Cuairt Dheireannach Chupa na Camanachd: the Camanachd Cup Final; seusan: season (as in football, shinty).

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha e na chleachdadh aig a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh: it is customary for the population; ann an saor-l脿ithean na Nollaig: in the Christmas holidays; nithear buillean cruaidh: heavy blows are struck; bidh lurgann air a bhriseadh: a shin is broken; L貌bhat a tha st猫idhichte ann an Cill Targhlain, agus a鈥� Mhanachainn: Lovat, which is based in Kiltarlity, and Beauly; bidh c貌mhstri mh貌r ann eatarra: there is great rivalry between them; air an d脿rna l脿 dhen Fhaoilleach: on the 2nd of January; bha fuil a鈥� sruthadh 脿s a鈥� chluais aige: blood was running from his ear (not internally, thank goodness!); gu feum cluicheadair a鈥� ph脿irc fh脿gail: that a player must leave the field of play; eagal 鈥檚 nach gabh iad galar air choreigin: for fear of catching some disease or other; rinn feadhainn cobhair air a鈥� chluicheadair: some people gave the player assistance; cha t脿inig e far na p脿irce: he did not come off the field of play; chaidh a shuathadh le spong m貌r: he was rubbed with a large sponge; m矛le leis a鈥� bhall na l脿imh: a mile with the ball in his hand; an t貌ir air, gus an do r脿inig e an ceann thall: in pursuit of him, until he reached the far end; chan fhaod thu tadhal a chur mar sin: you can鈥檛 score a goal in that manner.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Agus, air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, chan eil sp貌rs m貌r sam bith eile a鈥� dol: and, in the Highlands/Gaidhealtachd, no other major sport is taking place. Have you noticed how frequently the roimhear, or preposition, in Gaelic does not correspond strictly to the preposition used in the equivalent phrase in English? There are a number of place-names in which the Gaelic equivalent of the preposition 鈥榠n鈥�, which would normally be 鈥榓nn an/anns an鈥�, must be disregarded, for its use would be wrong. The idiomatically correct preposition is 鈥榓ir鈥�, meaning 鈥榦n鈥� as in air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd and air a鈥� Ghalldachd (in the Lowlands). Note also the example at the start of the Litir: air Gaidhealtachd na h-Alba. It is important to know such examples in your own community. For example, if you live in Lewis, remember that we say air a鈥� Bhac for 鈥榠n Back鈥� and not anns a鈥� Bhac. Similarly, air na Lochan means 鈥榠n Lochs鈥� (a parish in Lewis). In Harris, air an Tairbeart is the equivalent for 鈥榠n Tarbert鈥�. And in Ross-shire, we say 鈥榓ir a鈥� Chomraich鈥� (literally 鈥榦n the Sanctuary鈥�) for 鈥榠n Applecross鈥�. Sometimes it works the other way. For example 鈥榦n Skye鈥� is anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, not air an Eilean Sgitheanach. And 鈥榦n Barra鈥� is ann am Barraigh.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Fhuair aon chluicheadair sgleog air a cheann: one player received a blow on his head. Sgleog means a sharp blow or slap.