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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 367: Sabaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige

Bha an Siorram ann an Inbhir 脵ige airson a鈥 mh矛-rian anns a鈥 bhaile, air an robh 鈥淪abaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige鈥, a bha gu 矛re mh貌r eadar G脿idheil is Goill, a thoirt gu ceann. Chuir e feachd a-mach leis an amas gr猫im fhaighinn air Raibeart D貌mhnallach, Le貌dhasach a bha m貌ran a鈥 coireachadh airson na h-aimhreit taobh a-muigh st猫isean a鈥 phoilis seachd latha roimhe.

Ach fhuair Raibeart fios ro l脿imh agus theich e. Aig Thrumster, gu deas air Inbhir 脵ige, ghabh e coidse thairis an aghaidh toil an dr脿ibheir. Rinn e air Poll I霉, far an do ghabh e b脿ta gu ruige na h-Eileanan a-Muigh. Chaidh e am falach ann an Sg矛re nan Loch ann an Le貌dhas.

Ann an Inbhir 脵ige fh猫in, ch霉m an Siorram na saighdearan a-mach 脿 sealladh. Chaidh rabhadh a thoirt don mh貌r-shluagh gun a bhith a鈥 dol air na sr脿idean agus bha gnothaichean an 矛re mhath s矛theil.

Ach aig deich uairean a dh鈥檕idhche, fhuair an Siorram droch naidheachd. Chaidh grunnan a sh脿thadh le sgeinean ann am Pulteneytown. Chaidh 貌rdugh a thoirt do na saighdearan agus taobh a-staigh c貌ig mionaidean bha iad air na sr脿idean. Th脿inig saighdearan eile far bh脿taichean anns a鈥 chala. Agus bha iad d矛reach ann an 脿m oir bha an naidheachd a鈥 sgaoileadh am measg an t-sluaigh. Bha buidhnean de Gh脿idheil is Goill a鈥 d猫anamh deiseil airson tuilleadh sabaid.

Ann an tr矛 sr脿idean, chaidh aona duine deug a sh脿thadh le sgeinean. 鈥橲 iad gillean 脿s a鈥 bhaile fh猫in a bu choireach. Bha iad a鈥 s脿thadh cha mh貌r G脿idheal sam bith a bha na sheasamh air stairsneach taighe. Gu fortanach, cha deach duine a mharbhadh.

Ged is iad na saighdearan a chuir an sluagh ma sgaoil, th貌isich an ci霉ineachadh 脿s an aonais. Bha cuid de mhuinntir a鈥 bhaile air an uabhasachadh leis na bha na c貌mhlain de ghillean a鈥 d猫anamh, agus chuir iad am buill-airm an d脿rna taobh. Chuidich iad an fheadhainn a bh鈥 air an le貌n agus chuir iad fios gu lighichean.

Bha an fh貌irneart seachad. Ged a bha poilis is saighdearan a鈥 coiseachd nan sr脿idean airson beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh sin, cha robh an tuilleadh m矛-rian ann. Chaidh duais luach c貌ig nota fichead a thabhann airson fiosrachadh a leigeadh leis na poilis luchd nan ionnsaighean a chur an gr猫im. Ach fhuair iad d矛reach aon ghille.

Cha do dh矛ochuimhnich iad mu Raibeart D貌mhnallach ann an Le貌dhas, ge-t脿. Chaidh barantas air a shon a chur gu ruige Ste貌rnabhagh ach bha an D貌mhnallach am falach air na Lochan. Chaidh seachdainean seachad is cha do thachair dad. Th貌isich Raibeart air a dhol a-mach gu c猫ilidhean is a leithid. Chuala na poilis mu dheidhinn. Oidhche a bha seo, chaidh dithis phoileas 脿 Ste貌rnabhagh ann airson a chur an gr猫im.

Chaidh Raibeart a cheangal le glas-l脿mh ri fear de na h-oifigearan. Th貌isich iad air coiseachd air ais a Ste貌rnabhagh. Bha m貌ran de mhuinntir na sg矛re nan cois. Air an rathad bha aca ri dhol seachad air loch. Thuirt Raibeart gun leumadh e a-steach don loch is gun toireadh e am poileas leis mura faigheadh e ma sgaoil. 脌s d猫idh sp脿irn fhuair Raibeart ma sgaoil agus theich e bhon eilean. Thathar ag r脿dh gu robh e na mharaiche 脿s d猫idh sin agus gun deach a bh脿thadh ann an Abhainn Thames timcheall air ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a seachd (1867).

A thaobh an iasgaich ann an Inbhir 脵ige cha robh f脿ilte cho cridheil air na h-iasgairean G脿idhealach 脿s d猫idh na Sabaid Mh貌ir. Bho dheireadh nan caogadan a-mach cha robh na coitheanalan G脿idhlig anns a鈥 bhaile idir cho m貌r 鈥檚 a bha iad roimhe.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na Litreach: theich: fled; Poll I霉: Poolewe; na h-Eileanan a-Muigh: the Outer Isles (colloquial); s矛theil: peaceful; 貌rdugh: order; cala: harbour.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na Litreach: an Siorram ann an Inbhir 脵ige: the Sheriff in Wick; bha X airson a鈥 mh矛-rian anns a鈥 bhaile a thoirt gu ceann: X wanted to bring the disorder to an end; ghabh e coidse thairis an aghaidh toil an dr脿ibheir: he took over a coach against the driver鈥檚 will; chaidh e am falach ann an Sg矛re nan Loch: he hid in the parish of Lochs; chaidh grunnan a sh脿thadh le sgeinean: some people were stabbed with knives; bha iad d矛reach ann an 脿m: they were just in time; 鈥檚 iad gillean 脿s a鈥 bhaile fh猫in a bu choireach: it鈥檚 local lads that were responsible; a bha na sheasamh air stairsneach taighe: who was standing in a house鈥檚 doorway; th貌isich an ci霉ineachadh 脿s an aonais: the pacification started without them; bha cuid air an uabhasachadh: some were horrified; chuir iad am buill-airm an d脿rna taobh: they laid their weapons aside; chuidich iad an fheadhainn a bh鈥 air an le貌n: they helped the ones who were wounded; chuir iad fios gu lighichean: they sent for doctors; bha an fh貌irneart seachad: the violence was over; a leigeadh leis na poilis luchd nan ionnsaighean a chur an gr猫im: which would let the police arrest the attackers; cha do dh矛ochuimhnich iad: they didn鈥檛 forget [they hadn鈥檛 forgotten]; oidhche a bha seo: one night; chaidh dithis phoileas 脿 Ste貌rnabhagh ann airson a chur an gr猫im: two policemen from Stornoway went there to arrest him; bha m貌ran de mhuinntir na sg矛re nan cois: many locals were with them; gun leumadh e a-steach don loch: that he would jump into the loch; 脿s d猫idh sp脿irn fhuair Raibeart ma sgaoil: after a struggle Robert got free; gun deach a bh脿thadh: that he was drowned; bho dheireadh nan caogadan a-mach: from the end of the fifties (1850s) [onwards].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: glas-l脿mh: handcuffs. Although the English is a plural word, do you notice that the Gaelic is singular. At least, it is singular with regard to glas. But what about l脿mh? This is in fact a genitive plural (old style, see last week鈥檚 Puing-ch脿nain) 鈥 because the device is usually used to tie 鈥渉ands鈥 together. Glas-l脿mh is literally 鈥渉ands-lock鈥. The Gaelic was adopted in the English spoken in Inverness and anglicised as 鈥済laslawes鈥, although that word has long since gone out of usage.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: air na Lochan: in the parish of Lochs, Lewis (see also Litir 187, 17.01.03)

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