麻豆约拍

Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach de chanadh na Gaidheil ris anns a鈥� ch脿nan aca fh猫in, oir tha a h-uile rud a tha mi air fhaicinn mu dheidhinn ann am Beurla. Chanainn gur d貌cha gur e 鈥淢aighstir Raghnall鈥� a chanadh iad ris, ach chan urrainn dhomh a bhith cinnteach. Ann am Beurla chanadh iad 鈥淔ather Burn鈥� ris, agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm oifigeil a bh鈥� air Ronald Graham Burn. 鈥橲 e duine 脿raidh a bh鈥� ann, agus bu mhath leam rudeigin innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn an-dr脿sta.

Rugadh Raghnall, no Ronnie, Burn ann an Deir ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain anns a鈥� bhliadhna ochd deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a seachd (1887). 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bi fios agaibh gu bheil seann cheanglaichean eadar an t-脿ite sin 鈥� Deir, no Old Deer 鈥� agus a鈥� Gh脿idhlig, oir 鈥檚 ann ann an seann mhanachainn ann a sin a chaidh Leabhar Dheir a chur ri ch猫ile 鈥� leabhar anns a bheil an l脿mh-sgr矛obhadh as sine a th鈥� againn ann an G脿idhlig na h-Alba. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhi霉 thug an eachdraidh sin buaidh air Raghnall ach, gu dearbh, dh鈥檉h脿s e fh猫in cianail measail air a鈥� ch脿nan.

B鈥� e athair an t-Urramach Iain Burn agus bha Raghnall a-riamh measail air an Eaglais. Ach, ged a th貌isich e anns an Eaglais Easbaigich, no san Eaglais Shasannaich, oir chuir e seachad bliadhnaichean aig sgoil ann an Sasainn, mu dheireadh thall, chaidh e a-null don Eaglais Chaitligich. 鈥橲 e Caitligich a bh鈥� ann an cuid de na Gaidheil air an do dh鈥檉h脿s e e貌lach cuideachd, gu h-脿raidh anns na glinn faisg air Canaich agus ann an Loch Abar.

Agus ciamar a dh鈥檉h脿s Raghnall e貌lach orra? Uill, bhiodh e a鈥� sreap nam beann faisg air an dachannan ann an glinn iomallach na Gaidhealtachd. Gu dearbh, shreap e a h-uile beinn ann an Alba a tha nas 脿irde na tr矛 m矛le troigh 鈥� 鈥淏eanntan an Rothaich鈥� mar a chanas daoine riutha 鈥� agus choilean e sin ann an naoi deug, fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1923). Aig an 脿m sin bha c貌ig ceud gu leth mullach air liosta an Rothaich agus b鈥� e Maighstir Raghnall a鈥� chiad duine a chuir a chas air a h-uile gin aca.

Ach nuair a bha e na bhalach anns an sgoil, cha robh coltas a鈥� ghaisgich air. Bha e beag is crotach, le casan goirid, bha e s脿mhach is aonaranach, agus 鈥檚 iad na cuspairean a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis na c脿nanan clasaigeach 鈥� seann Laideann is Greugais. Cha robh e math sam bith air sp貌rs, co-dhi霉 sp貌rs mar rugbaidh is ball-coise.

Ach thigeadh e be貌 air na beanntan. Nuair a bha e 貌g, bhiodh e a鈥� coiseachd nam beann ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain cuide ri athair. Agus ann an naoi deug is ceithir-deug (1914), dh鈥檉halbh e air cuairt mh貌r air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd, leis fh猫in. Th貌isich e anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh, agus chaidh e an uair sin a Ghleann Srath Farair agus Gleann Canaich. Cha robh e a-riamh f矛or chomasach air a shlighe a dh猫anamh tro na beanntan ann an droch sh矛de, agus fhuair e e fh猫in air chall ann an ce貌 air Beinn a鈥� Chlachair. Thairis air na bliadhnaichean, thachair sin dha iomadh turas ach, a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gur ann na aonar a bhiodh e a鈥� coiseachd mar bu trice, cha do dh鈥櫭╥rich c脿il dha.

Agus a bharrachd air na beanntan, air an do ghabh e gr脿dh, bha na daoine ann 鈥� na c矛obairean is geamairean, agus an teaghlaichean. Dh鈥檉h脿s Maighstir Raghnall uabhasach measail orra. Agus bu mhath leam rudeigin innse dhuibh mu chuid dhiubh, agus na dh鈥檌onnsaich an sagart bhuapa mu dhualchas na Gaidhealtachd, anns an ath-Litir.

Faclan na seachdaine: Siorrachd Obair Dheathain: Aberdeenshire; manachainn: monastery; Leabhar Dheir: The Book of Deer; na glinn: the glens; Canaich: Cannich (Inverness-shire); Beanntan an Rothaich: The Munros (mountains over 3,000 ft first listed by Sir Hugh Munro); choilean e sin: he completed that; mullach: summit; crotach: hunch-backed; aonaranach: lonely; Gleann Srath Farair: Glenstrathfarrar; gr脿dh: love, affection.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha a h-uile rud a tha mi air fhaicinn mu dheidhinn ann am Beurla: everything I have seen about him is in English; 鈥檚 e duine 脿raidh a bh鈥� ann: he was an unusual man; an l脿mh-sgr矛obhadh as sine a th鈥� againn: the oldest handwriting we have; chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhi霉 thug an eachdraidh sin buaidh air Raghnall: I don鈥檛 know if that history had an effect on Ronnie; ged a th貌isich e anns an Eaglais Easbaigich: although he started in the Episcopalian Church; chaidh e a-null don Eaglais Chaitligich: he went over to the Catholic Church; bhiodh e a鈥� sreap nam beann faisg air an dachannan: he would climb the mountains close to their homes; cha robh coltas a鈥� ghaisgich air: he wasn鈥檛 very robust; 鈥檚 iad na cuspairean a b鈥� fhe脿rr leis na c脿nanan clasaigeach: his favourite subjects were the classical languages; thigeadh e be貌 air na beanntan: he would come alive in the mountains; cuide ri athair: with his father; th貌isich e anns a鈥� Mhonadh Ruadh: he started in the Cairngorms; cha robh e a-riamh f矛or chomasach air a shlighe a dh猫anamh ann an droch sh矛de: he was never particularly capable at finding his route in bad weather; c矛obairean is geamairean agus an teaghlaichean: shepherds and gamekeepers and their families; na dh鈥檌onnsaich an sagart bhuapa: what the priest learned from them.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: I would like to make some comments this week about how to deal linguistically with clergymen, who retain a great deal of respect in Gaelic communities 鈥� a respect which must be reflected in language use. Priests are given the honorific Athair Urramach (Reverend Father) and one might refer to Father Calum MacNeil as an t-Athair Urramach Calum MacN猫ill. But in speaking among themselves, Gaelic-speaking Catholics would refer to him as Maighstir Calum, using his first name and the honorific Maighstir. The famous b脿rd, Alasdair Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, had a father who was, as might be expected, a clergyman, although of the Episcopal tradition. With Presbyterian ministers, however, the situation is different. The Reverend Norman MacAulay would be an t-Urramach Tormod MacAmhlaigh, and he would be generally referred to as Maighstir (Mgr) MacAmhlaigh, always using the surname, and never the given name. You would address him as 鈥渁 Mhaighstir MhicAmhlaigh鈥� and, as with a priest, you would always use the second person plural or formal 鈥渟ibh鈥� when speaking to him, rather than the informal 鈥渢hu鈥�, even if he is not an elderly person. This is simply a matter of respect and should be adhered to unless you are a close personal friend of the clergyman.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha do dh鈥櫭╥rich c脿il dha: nothing (bad) happened to him.