麻豆社

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh, an t-seachdain sa chaidh, mu chall dithis 脿 Taigh-solais Heisgeir. Ach cha b鈥� e sin an call a bu mhotha 鈥� no a bu ne貌naiche 鈥� de luchd-obrach taigh-solais anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Thachair call m貌ran na bu ne貌naiche gu tuath air Heisgeir, agus m貌ran bhliadhnaichean roimhe.

B鈥� e sin call an tri霉ir luchd-obrach 脿 taigh-solais anns na h-Eileanan Flannach. Tha na h-eileanan sin gu siar air Le貌dhas, agus thachair an tubaist anns a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900). 鈥橲 e an rud a tha ne貌nach mu a deidhinn nach eil fios aig duine chun an latha an-diugh d猫 d矛reach a thachair.

Thadhail M脿rtainn MacIlleMh脿rtainn air Le貌dhas aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug. Sgr矛obh e anns an leabhar aige A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland gun robh daoine a鈥� dol do na h-Eileanan Flannach 脿 Le貌dhas airson eunachadh.

Nuair a ruigeadh iad an t-eilean, bhiodh na daoine a鈥� toirt am bonaidean dhiubh, bhiodh iad a鈥� tionndadh gu deiseil, agus bhiodh iad a鈥� toirt taing do Dhia airson an cumail s脿bhailte.

Air an Eilean Mh貌r, am fear as motha de na h-Eileanan Flannach, tha tobhta ann. 鈥橲 e seann chaibeal a th鈥� ann, agus bha e na thobhta nuair a chaidh MacIlleMh脿rtainn ann. Bha e coisrigte don Naomh Flannan a bha be貌 anns an t-seachdamh linn. Bha cli霉 aig na h-eileanan sin o shean mar 脿ite naomh.

Nuair a bhiodh na h-eunadairean a鈥� dol ann, tha MacIlleMh脿rtainn ag innse dhuinn, bhiodh iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-altarach. Nuair a bhiodh iad mu fhichead ceum coise air falbh bhon altair, bhiodh iad a鈥� cur dhiubh an cuid gheansaidhean is l猫intean. Agus gach latha mus biodh iad a鈥� t貌iseachadh air an eunachadh, bhiodh iad a鈥� d猫anamh tr矛 霉rnaighean eadar-dhealaichte an cois an t-seann chaibeil.

Bha iad saobh-chr脿bhach cuideachd. Bha cuid de dh鈥檉haclan ann nach cleachdadh iad anns an eilean. Mar eisimpleir, cha chanadh iad 鈥渃reag鈥�. An 脿ite sin 鈥檚 e 鈥渃ruaidh鈥� a chanadh iad. Chanadh iad 鈥渦amh鈥� an 脿ite 鈥渃ladach鈥�. Agus cha robh e ceadaichte a bhith a鈥� cantainn ainm nan eilean anns an robh iad, no eileanan eile a bha ainmeil airson eunachadh 鈥� Hiort.

Chaidh taigh-solais a thogail air an Eilean Mh貌r anns a鈥� bhliadhna mu dheireadh dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Chaidh an solas a chur thuige airson a鈥� chiad turas air an t-seachdamh latha dhen D霉bhlachd, ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a naoi (1899). D矛reach dusan m矛os 脿s d猫idh sin, air a鈥� ch貌igeamh latha deug dhen D霉bhlachd anns a鈥� bhliadhna naoi ceud deug (1900), thachair rudeigin f矛or annasach. Cha d鈥� fhuaras fuasgladh air a shon fhathast.

Bha soitheach air slighe 脿 Philadelphia gu ruige L矛te 鈥� port Dh霉n 脠ideann. Chaidh i seachad air na h-Eileanan Flannach ann an droch sh矛de agus mhothaich an sgiobair nach robh solas sam bith a鈥� tighinn bhon taigh-sholais mar bu ch貌ir. Dh鈥檃ithris e sin do na h-霉ghdarrasan anns an 脪ban nuair a r脿inig e am port sin. Ach cha do thachair dad sa bhad.

鈥橲 ann air an latha 脿s d猫idh Latha na Nollaige a r脿inig soitheach nan taighean-solais 鈥� an Hesperus 鈥� an t-eilean. Cha robh sgeul air duine ann. Bha an tri霉ir luchd-obrach air a dhol 脿 fianais. Innsidh mi tuilleadh dhuibh mu dheidhinn a鈥� ghnothaich annasaich seo an ath-sheachdain.

Na h-Eileanan Flannach: The Flannan Isles; M脿rtainnMacIlleMh脿rtainn: Martin Martin; eunachadh: fowling, hunting birds; tobhta: ruin;eunadairean: wildfowlers; saobh-chr脿bhach: superstitious; ceadaichte: permitted; Hiort: StKilda; An D霉bhlachd: December.

call dithis 脿 Taigh-solais Heisgeir: the loss of two people from theHeisker lighthouse; an call a bu mhotha no a bu ne貌naiche: the greatest or strangest loss;thachair an tubaist: the accident happened; bhiodh na daoine a鈥� toirt am bonaidean dhiubh:the people would take their bonnets off; a鈥� toirt taing do Dhia airson an cumail s脿bhailte:thanking God for keeping them safe; coisrigte don Naomh Flannan: dedicated to SaintFlannan; 脿ite naomh: a holy place; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-altarach: towards the altar; bhiodhiad a鈥� cur dhiubh an cuid gheansaidhean is l猫intean: they would take off their jerseys andshirts; tr矛 霉rnaighean eadar-dhealaichte an cois an t-seann chaibeil: three different prayersin the vicinity of the old chapel; chaidh an solas a chur thuige: the light was lit; bhasoitheach air slighe 脿 X gu ruige L矛te: a ship was en route from X to Leith; dh鈥檃ithris e sindo na h-霉ghdarrasan anns an 脪ban: he reported that to the authorities in Oban; cha dothachair dad sa bhad: nothing happened immediately; cha robh sgeul air duine ann: therewas no sign of anybody there; air a dhol 脿 fianais: had disappeared.

D矛reach dusan m矛os 脿s d猫idh sin: just twelve months afterthat. If you have trouble with counting the teens in Gaelic, dusan is a useful word toremember as an alternative to dh脿-dheug (12). Note that dusan takes a noun in thesingular. Note also that it almost always appears in normal usage as an equivalent to asingle dozen eg dusan ugh, dusan gille, or a half-dozen (6) eg leth-dhusan ugh. You mightmeet with d脿 dhusan (two dozen, 24) occasionally, but only rarely will you encounterhigher multiples of dusan. For the English 鈥渄ozens鈥� (eg dozens of seagulls) we might useficheadan (twenties) or another expression meaning a considerable number (eg na huibhir)鈥� ficheadan fhaoileagan or na h-uibhir de dh鈥檉haoileagan.

Cha d鈥� fhuaras fuasgladh air a shon fhathast: [lit.] asolution for it has not been obtained yet 鈥� ie it remains unexplained.