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O chionn ceud gu leth bliadhna, bha tachartas ainmeil ann an Eilean Bhe脿rnaraigh far costa siar Le貌dhais. Ann am Beurla, bidh daoine a鈥� gabhail 鈥�The Bernera Riot鈥� air.

Ach an e 鈥榓imhreit鈥� a chanas sinn ann an G脿idhlig? Math dh鈥檉haodte gu bheil 鈥榓r-a-mach鈥� nas fhreagarraiche. Sheas muinntir an eilein an aghaidh ana-ceartas. 始S e se貌id a bha annta.

Beagan ron 鈥榓r-a-mach鈥�, bha c貌raichean ionaltraidh aig muinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh air t矛r-m貌r Le貌dhais. Bha sin air m貌inteach Beinn a鈥� Chuailein. Ge-t脿, ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872), chaidh na c貌raichean sin a thoirt bhuapa.

Bha cumhachd mar sin aig na h-uachdarain. B鈥� e uachdaran Le貌dhais an Ridire Seumas MacMhathain. Dh鈥檉h脿g e c霉isean riaghlaidh l脿itheil don t-siamarlan aige, D貌mhnall Rothach. Bha gr脿in aig muinntir Le貌dhais air an Rothach. Fo a sti霉ir-san, chaidh m貌inteach Beinn a鈥� Chuailein a dh猫anamh na fr矛th.

Chaidh talamh m貌intich eile a thoirt do na croitearan faisg air Iarsiadar. Ach bha e na bu lugha. Bha aig na croitearan ri g脿rradh-cr矛che a thogail eadar am fearann aca fh猫in agus fr矛th Sgealasgro. Agus bha aig na croitearan ri p脿igheadh airson sin!聽

Bha aonta sgr矛obhte ann mun ch霉is. Chaidh innse do na croitearan gum biodh c貌raichean aca don fhearann 霉r, ach le d脿 ch霉mhnant. Dh鈥檉heumadh iad a bhith gan gi霉lan fh猫in gu d貌igheil. Agus dh鈥檉heumadh iad am m脿l a ph脿igheadh ann an deagh 脿m.聽

Ge-t脿, an d猫idh bliadhna gu leth, chaidh innse do na croitearan nach robh an t-uachdaran a鈥� cumail ris a鈥� bhargan. Cha bhiodh cead aca an caoraich a chumail air m貌inteach Iarsadair tuilleadh. Bhiodh iad a鈥� faighinn tuathanas Th脿cleit air an eilean fh猫in. Sin uile.

Cha do ghabh na croitearan ri sin. Dh鈥檌arr iad air an t-siamarlan an litir a shealltainn dhaibh a bha a鈥� dearbhadh gun d鈥檉huair iad c貌raichean air Iarsadar bliadhna gu leth roimhe. Ach 鈥� obh obh 鈥� cha robh sgeul air an litir ann an oifis an t-siamarlain.聽

Thug tri霉ir oifigearan p脿ipearan b脿irlingidh 鈥� eviction notices 鈥� do na croitearan. Bhiodh iad a鈥� call an taighean agus an croitean. Bha e maslach. Innsidh mi dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain mar a sheas na se貌id Bhe脿rnarach an aghaidh an ana-cheartais sin.

A hundred and fifty years ago, there was a famous occurrence on Great Bernera off the west coast of Lewis. In English, people call it 鈥楾he Bernera Riot鈥�.

But do we say 鈥�aimhreit鈥� (riot) in Gaelic? Perhaps 鈥�ar-a-mach鈥� (rebellion) is more appropriate. The people of the island stood against injustice. They were heroes.

A little before the 鈥榬ebellion鈥�, the people of Bernera had grazing rights on the mainland of Lewis. That was on the hill country of Beinn a鈥� Chuailein. However, in 1872, those rights were taken from them.

The landlords had power like that. The landlord of Lewis was Sir James Matheson. He left day-to-day management of matters to his factor, Donald Munro. The people of Lewis hated Munro. Under his leadership, the hill grazings of Beinn a鈥� Chuailein were turned into a deer forest.

Other hill country was given to the crofters near Iarsiadar. But it was smaller. The crofters had to build a boundary wall between their land and the Scaliscro deer forest. And the crofters had to pay for that!

There was a written agreement about the matter. The crofters were told they would have rights to the new land, but under two conditions. They would have to carry themselves responsibly. And they would have to pay their rent on time.

However, after a year and a half, the crofters were told that the landlord was not keeping to the bargain. They would not have permission to keep their sheep on the Iarsiadar hill grazings any longer. They would be getting the Haclete farm on the island itself. That鈥檚 all.

The crofters didn鈥檛 accept that. They asked the factor to show them the letter, proving that they got rights for Iarsiadar a year and a half before. But 鈥� oh dear 鈥� there was no sign of the letter in the factor鈥檚 office.

Three officers delivered eviction notices to the crofters. They would be losing their houses and their crofts. It was disgraceful. I鈥檒l tell you next week about how the Bernera heroes stood against that injustice.