麻豆约拍

An t-seachdain sa chaidh dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mun t-sagart, an t-Athair Urramach Raghnall Burn. Aig 脿m a鈥� Chogaidh Mh貌ir, th貌isich e air coiseachd air m貌ran de bheanntan na Gaidhealtachd.

Bha e luath air a chasan agus chuir e iongnadh air muinntir an 脿ite leis cho fada 鈥檚 a chumadh e a鈥� dol, le gl猫 bheag de bhiadh. Cha toireadh e teanta leis ach, aig deireadh gach l脿, dh猫anadh e air an taigh a b鈥� fhaisge. Mar bu trice, bha sin aig geamair no c矛obair agus, mar bu trice, gheibheadh e cuid-oidhche leotha 鈥� ach a-mh脿in nuair a bha an t-uachdaran air casg a chur air a leithid.

Bha fad鈥� a bharrachd dhaoine a鈥� fuireach anns na glinn aig an 脿m sin. Agus bha G脿idhlig aig cuid mhath aca. Dh鈥檉h脿s Raghnall uabhasach d猫idheil orra agus air an c脿nan, agus dh鈥檉h脿s e gu math fileanta a r猫ir choltais, le blas math air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig aige.

B鈥� e fear dhiubh geamair ann an Gleann Srath Farair, Theodore Caimbeul, a bha e貌lach air an sgoilear Gh脿idhlig, Uilleam MacBh脿tair, a bh鈥� air a bhith a鈥� bruidhinn ris mu ainmean-脿ite. Bha Theodore gu math fiosrachail mu eachdraidh is dualchas, agus chuir Maighstir Raghnall seachad m貌ran 霉ine ris a鈥� chagailt a鈥� c貌mhradh leis, is a鈥� faighinn sgeulachdan bhuaithe.

Fhuair e deagh e貌las cuideachd air d脿 theaghlach eile anns an sg矛re sin 鈥� na Boas aig Lungard ann an Gleann Canaich agus na Scotts aig Allt Beithe ann an Gleann Afraig, far a bheil Ostail 脪igridh Ghleann Afraig an-diugh. Bhuineadh athraichean an dithis fhear sin do na Cr矛ochan. Bha iad air tighinn chun na Gaidhealtachd le treudan chaorach anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Mar a shaoileadh tu, cha robh G脿idhlig aca.

Ach bha G脿idhlig aig na gillean aca agus ph貌s Aonghas Scott t猫 脿s Na Hearadh is, gu dearbh, bha i fh猫in l脿n G脿idhlig, ged nach robh a鈥� chlann aca cho fileanta rim p脿rantan. Ch貌rd na feasgairean a chuir e seachad nan cuideachd gu m貌r ris an t-sagart. Bha e a鈥� faireachdainn airson greis gu robh e mar gu robh teaghlach aige. Tha e coltach gu robh meas aig na Scotts airsan cuideachd, ged a shaoil iad gu robh cuid de na cleachdaidhean pearsanta aige car annasach. Mar eisimpleir, chuireadh e siabann m矛n am broinn nan stocainnean aige gus nach fhaigheadh e balgan air buinn a chas.

Ch貌rd Deas-脿irigh ann an Cn貌ideart gu m貌r ris cuideachd. Bha teaghlach de Sti霉bhartaich a鈥� fuireach anns an t-Srathan aig bonn a鈥� ghlinne, agus gheibheadh Raghnall f脿ilte is furan ann an sin. Bha G脿idhlig aca uile agus bha iad l脿n sgeulachdan is 貌ran is beul-aithris. Aig an 脿m sin bha ochd taighean anns a鈥� ghleann anns an robh daoine a鈥� fuireach, agus bha sgoil ann anns an robh suas ri dusan duine cloinne. An-diugh chan eil duine a鈥� fuireach ann.

Bho Ruairidh MacMhathain aig Loch a鈥� Bhraoin ann an Siorrachd Rois, fhuair Maighstir Raghnall co-dhi霉 ceud ainm-脿ite nach robh sgr矛obhte aig duine roimhe. Fhad 鈥檚 as aithne dhomh, tha iad fhathast ann an tasg ann an Oilthigh Obair Dheathain, a鈥� feitheamh ri sgr霉dadh le sgoilear.

Chaochail Raghnall Burn ann an naoi deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1972). Aig 脿m a bh脿is, bha na glinn a chuimhnich e bho na bliadhnaichean eadar an d脿 chogadh air atharrachadh gu tur. Bha m貌ran aca fo uisgeachan dhamaichean is bha na seann teaghlaichean air falbh. Cha mh貌r gu robh duine ann a chuimhneachadh an sagart annasach. Tha e math, ma-th脿, gun do sgr矛obh Ealasaid Ailean leabhar mu dheidhinn 鈥� 鈥淏urn on the Hill鈥�. Ma tha 霉idh agaibh ann an eachdraidh nan gleann iomallach, mholainn e dhuibh.

Faclan na seachdaine: teanta: tent; geamair: gamekeeper; c矛obair: shepherd; na glinn: the glens; Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William (WJ) Watson; bhuaithe: from him; Ostail 脪igridh: Youth Hostel; treudan chaorach: flocks of sheep; Deas-脿iridh: Dessary; Cn貌ideart: Knoydart; Ruairidh MacMhathain: Rory Matheson; Ealasaid Ailean: Elizabeth Allan.

Abairtean na seachdaine: aig 脿m a鈥� Chogaidh Mh貌ir: at the time of the Great War; chuir e iongnadh air muinntir an 脿ite: he surprised the local people; leis cho fad 鈥檚 a chumadh e a鈥� dol: with how long he would keep going; dh猫anadh e air an taigh a b鈥� fhaisge: he would make for the nearest house; nuair a bha an t-uachdaran air casg a chur air a leithid: when the landlord had banned such a practice; chuir X seachad m貌ran 霉ine ris a鈥� chagailt a鈥� c貌mhradh leis: X spent much time at the hearth, conversing with him; bhuineadh athraichean an dithis fhear do na Cr矛ochan: the two men鈥檚 fathers belonged to the Borders; gu robh e mar gu robh teaghlach aige: that it was as if he had a family; am broinn nan stocainnean aige: inside his stockings; anns an robh suas ri dusan duine cloinne: in which there were up to a dozen children; tha iad fhathast ann an tasg ann an Oilthigh Obair Dheathain: they are still archived (in store) at Aberdeen University; a鈥� feitheamh ri sgr霉dadh le sgoilear: awaiting examination by a scholar; fo uisgeachan dhamaichean: under dam water (water of dams); cha mh貌r gu robh duine ann: there was hardly a person; mholainn e dhuibh: I would recommend it to you.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: gus nach fhaigheadh e balgan air buinn a chas: so that he would not get blisters on the sole(s) of his feet. I have taken the traditional approach here in giving cas as the genitive plural of cas, foot, although many today might give it as casan. The general rule is that genitive plurals have a broad vowel ending 鈥� which exists with cas (and also with casan). Generally speaking, nouns which pluralise in the nominative with an 鈥揳n (or 鈥揳ichean or 鈥揳nnan) suffix, have a genitive plural form identical to the nominative plural form, except that is lenited where there is no article present (eg dorsan ch脿raichean, dorsan nan c脿raichean), but this is sometimes foregone in preference of the nominative singular form if the last vowel in the nominative singular is broad (eg muinntir nan eilean, rather than muinntir nan eileanan; port nan long, rather than port nan longan and uighean nan cearc, rather than uighean nan cearcan). With a chas, you will know it means 鈥渙f his feet (plural)鈥� because the lenition tells us 鈥渉is鈥� and, if it referred to only one foot it would be 鈥渂onn a choise鈥�, coise being the genitive singular of cas.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: gheibheadh e cuid oidhche: he would get a night鈥檚 lodging.