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A letter for Gaelic learners with Roddy MacLean.

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Litir 282: D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain

B鈥 e D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain fear de ghaisgich Gh脿idhealach na P脿rlamaid anns na h-ochdadan dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Rugadh e ann an ochd ceud deug is trithead (1830) ann an Gallaibh. Bha athair, Ailean MacPh脿rlain, na oifigear iasgaich ann an Inbhir 脵ige. 鈥橲 e Mairead Horne a bh鈥 air a mh脿thair, is bha ise 脿 Gallaibh cuideachd.

Bha tr矛 duine deug aca de chloinn. Bha ceathrar mhac am measg sin, agus b鈥 e D貌mhnall am fear a b鈥 貌ige dhiubh. Nuair a bha e ochd bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, rinn an teaghlach eilthireachd gu Astr脿ilia. Aig an aon 脿m, chaidh cuid de na c脿irdean aca a dh鈥檉huireach anns na h-Innseachan. Nuair a bha D貌mhnall fichead bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois, dh鈥檉h脿g e Astr脿ilia, agus chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach c貌mhla ri ch脿irdean anns na h-Innseachan.

Chaidh c霉isean gu math dha ann a sin. Dh鈥櫭╥rich e gu bhith na cheannard air companaidh de mharsantan ann an Calcutta. Tha e coltach gun do choisinn e airgead m貌r an sin. Gu cinnteach, leis gu robh e beartach, bha e gu math eadar-dhealaichte bho na daoine 鈥 na croitearan bochda Albannach 鈥 a bha e a鈥 dol a riochdachadh anns a鈥 Ph脿rlamaid. Ach chan ann as leth muinntir na h-Alba a sheas e, anns a鈥 chiad dol a-mach co-dhi霉.

Ph貌s D貌mhnall t猫, Mary Isabella Bagshawe, ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a seachd (1857). Bhathar ag r脿dh gun do bhuin ise do shliochd na h-脠ireann. Agus bhathar ag r脿dh gur ann troimhpese a thog e 霉idh ann am poileataics na h-脠ireann, agus anns an Eaglais Chaitligich.

Th貌isich e ann am poileataics gu dreuchdail, ann an 脠irinn, ann an ochd ceud deug is ochdad (1880), nuair a chaidh a thaghadh mar bhall do Chontae a鈥 Cheatharlaich, no Carlow. Thuirt e mu dh猫idhinn fh猫in gur e 鈥淟ibearalach鈥 a bh鈥 ann, a bha a鈥 creidsinn ann am f猫in-riaghladh do dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Ach tha e coltach nach robh e cho l脿idir ri cuid de na N脿iseantaich, agus gun deach e an aghaidh seasamh ceannard p脿rtaidh na h-脠ireann anns a鈥 Ph脿rlamaid, Te脿rlach Sti霉bhart Parnell.

Fhad 鈥檚 a bha D貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain na bhall p脿rlamaid do sg矛re 脠ireannach, thog e 霉idh ann an ceist an fhearainn ann an Alba. Cha b鈥 fhada gus an robh e aithnichte mar fhear de luchd na p脿rlamaid a bha taiceil do na croitearan Albannach. 脌s d猫idh Bl脿r a鈥 Chumhaing anns an Eilean Sgitheanach ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1882), eadar croitearan is na h-霉ghdarrasan, thog MacPh脿rlain a ghuth aig Westminster. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥 Ph脿rlamaid Coimisean R矛oghail a st猫idheachadh a bheireadh s霉il air ceist an fhearainn ann an Alba.

Cha deach leis aig an toiseach, ach mu dheireadh chuir a鈥 Ph脿rlamaid Coimisean Napier air d貌igh airson an gnothach a sgr霉dadh. Ged a bha e aig an 脿m ud a鈥 riochdachadh sg矛re 脠ireannach, bhiodh MacPh脿rlain cho tric a鈥 bruidhinn mu shuidheachadh na h-Alba, 鈥檚 gun do chuir cuid de na buill am far-ainm air 鈥淏all P脿rlamaid an Eilein Sgitheanaich鈥.

B鈥 e D貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain a鈥 chiad cheann-suidhe air Comann Ath-leasachadh Lagh Fearainn na G脿idhealtachd, buidheann-choiteachaidh a bha st猫idhichte ann an Lunnainn. Mean air mhean, dh鈥檉h脿s croitearan na h-Alba e貌lach air ainm. Bha sin gu h-脿raidh f矛or ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal far an robh m貌ran nam buill dhen Chomann.

Anns an 脪gmh矛os ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1885), chaill riaghaltas Ghladstone bh貌t ann an Taigh nan Cumantan agus chum am Morair Salisbury air mar phr矛omhaire gus am biodh taghadh n脿iseanta ann san t-Samhain. Chuir D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain roimhe seasamh anns an taghadh airson Earra-Gh脿idheal. Ch矛 sinn mar a chaidh dha an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine

Faclan na seachdaine: D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain: Donald Horne MacFarlane; Inbhir 脵ige: Wick; Gallaibh: Caithness; eilthireachd: emigration; marsantan: merchants; gu dreuchdail: professionally; f猫in-riaghladh: self-government; Bl脿r a鈥 Chumhaing: Battle of the Braes; buidheann-choiteachaidh: lobby group; Taigh nan Cumantan: House of Commons; am Morair Salisbury: Lord Salisbury; pr矛omhaire: prime minister; taghadh: election; san t-Samhain: in November.

Abairtean na seachdaine

Abairtean na seachdaine: fear de ghaisgich Gh脿idhealach na P脿rlamaid: one of the Highland parliamentary heroes; 鈥檚 e Mairead Horne a bh鈥 air a mh脿thair: his mother was called Margaret Horne; cha c霉isean gu math dha: things went well for him; dh鈥櫭╥rich e gu bhith na cheannard: he rose to become a head/boss; gun do choisinn e airgead m貌r: that he made a lot of money; a bha e a鈥 dol a riochdachadh: that he was going to represent; chan ann as leth muinntir na h-Alba a sheas e: it is not on behalf of the people of Scotland he stood; gun do bhuin ise do shliochd na h-脠ireann: that she had Irish antecedents; bhathar ag r脿dh: it was said; gur ann troimhpese a thog e 霉idh ann an X: that it was through her that he became interested in X; ceist an fhearainn: the land question; cha b鈥 fhada gus an robh e aithnichte mar X: it was not long until he was recognised as X; dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥 Ph脿rlamaid Coimisean R矛oghail a st猫idheachadh: he asked the Parliament to establish a Royal Commission; 鈥檚 gun do chuir cuid de na buill am far-ainm air: that some of the members gave him the nickname; Comann Ath-leasachadh Lagh Fearainn na G脿idhealtachd: Highland Land Law Reform Association; mean air mhean: little by little; far an robh m貌ran nam buill: where many were members; chuir X roimhe: X decided; ch矛 sinn mar a chaidh dha: we鈥檒l see how he got on.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: chaidh e a dh鈥檉huireach c貌mhla ri ch脿irdean: he went to stay with his relatives. Where the verbal noun appears in this form following a verb of motion, it is lenited, eg tha mi a鈥 dol a thoirt X dhut (I am going to give you X). In the case of a verb commencing with 鈥渇鈥, this would mean that the article 鈥渁鈥 would be followed by the soundless letter combination 鈥渇h鈥, which would be difficult to say (try it). The 鈥渄h鈥 slips in there simply to make the sound transition between the vowels. Here are some other examples: a bheil thu a鈥 dol a dh鈥檉huireach an seo? (are you going to stay here?); tha iad a鈥 dol a dh鈥檉halbh uaireigin (they are going to leave sometime). Of course, the same is also true of verbs which start with vowels eg thig sinn a dh鈥櫭╥steachd ris (we鈥檒l come and listen to him); thig mi a dh鈥檌arraidh a鈥 bhainne (I will come to collect the milk); tha mise a鈥 dol a dh鈥櫭瞨dachadh a-nise (I am going to order now).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha deach leis (aig an toiseach): he didn鈥檛 succeed (to begin with).

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