麻豆社

Cha robh e furasta do bh貌tairean air G脿idhealtachd na h-Alba anns an taghadh n脿iseanta ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1885). Bha sin gu h-脿raidh f矛or ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal. Bha aig bh貌tairean 脿 Tiriodh ri dhol a Bhun Easain ann am Muile, d矛reach airson bh貌tadh. Bha e a cheart cho duilich do na Collaich. Bha acasan ri dhol a Thobar Mhoire airson bh貌tadh.

Ach bha e f矛or chudromach gun d猫anadh na h-eileanaich oidhirp faighinn gu ionadan bh貌taidh. Oir, as an aonais, bha an t-eagal ann nach rachadh leis an tagraiche a bha a鈥� seasamh c貌raichean nan croitearan. B鈥� esan D貌mhnall Horne MacPh脿rlain.

Bha MacPh脿rlain beartach, agus is math gu robh. Dh鈥檉hastaich e b脿ta-sm霉id, an 鈥淗ebridean鈥� airson bh貌tairean Thiriodh is Cholla a thoirt a Mhuile. Cha robh d貌igh eile ann dhaibh faighinn thar na mara, oir bha f矛or dhroch sh矛de ann. Bha e doirbh gu le貌r do na Tiristich eadhon le sin, oir b鈥� fheudar dhaibh dhol a-mach don Hebridean ann an eathar bheag.

Rinn MacPh脿rlain a鈥� ch霉is anns an taghadh. Fhuair e tr矛 mile, tr矛 cheud, trithead 鈥檚 a sia bh貌taichean, faisg air c貌ig ceud a bharrachd nan d脿rna tagraiche. Tuigidh sibh nach robh deamocrasaidh ceart ann aig an 脿m. Cha robh c貌raichean bh貌taidh aig m貌ran fhear aig an 脿m ud, agus cha robh c貌raichean bh貌taidh aig boireannach sam bith.

Nuair a chualas an naidheachd gun do bhuannaich MacPh脿rlain, bha toileachas m貌r ann. Chuir m貌ran teintean-aighir thuige. Thug an Hebridean an naidheachd gu ruige Tiriodh agus cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh sia teintean-aighir a鈥� dol anns an eilean. Bha an aon uiread de gh脿irdeachas ann an Liosm貌r, ann am Bail鈥� a鈥� Chaolais, ann an Inbhir Aora, ann an Tobar Mhoire, ann an Luinn 鈥� gu dearbh, ann am m貌ran 脿iteachan air feadh Earra-Gh脿idheal.

Bha e inntinneach gun do rinn MacPh脿rlain cho math san taghadh, oir bha e na Chaitligeach, eu-coltach ris a鈥� chuid a bu mh貌 de na daoine a bh貌t air a shon. Sheall na croitearan, anns an taghadh sin co-dhi霉, gu robh iad a鈥� cur poileataics, agus taic do chroitearachd, air thoiseach air rud sam bith eile.

Cha robh cl猫irich nan eaglaisean Pr貌stanach buileach cho taiceil dha, ge-t脿. Eadhon anns an Eaglais Bhaistich bha sgaradh bheachd ann. Ann an 脤le, bha am ministear Baisteach, D貌mhnall Ros, na aghaidh. Ach bha an t-Urramach Donnchadh MacGriogair, am ministear Baisteach ann an D霉n Omhain, am measg an fheadhainn a bu mh貌 a thug taic dha. Bha MacGriogair air a bhith an s脿s gu m貌r anns an iomairt airson c貌raichean fearainn a thoirt do mhuinntir na G脿idhealtachd.

Ach bha suidheachadh an riaghaltais aig Westminster gu math cugallach an d猫idh an taghaidh. Bhuannaich p脿rtaidh na h-脠ireann, fo Th猫arlach Sti霉bhart Parnell, ochdad 鈥檚 a sia suidheachain 鈥� a h-uile fear a bh鈥� ann taobh a-muigh Uladh. Thug iadsan taic do na T貌raidhean. Thug sin an aon 脿ireamh de bhuill Thaigh nan Cumantan do na T貌raidhean 鈥檚 a bh鈥� aig na Libearalaich 鈥� tr矛 cheud, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig. Fhuair na T貌raidhean, fon Mhorair Salisbury, cead riaghlaidh, ach chaill iad bh貌t anns na Cumantan tr脿th sa bhliadhn鈥� 霉ir. Bha Gladstone an uair sin air ais mar phr矛omhaire.

Bha esan air a bheachd atharrachadh air f猫in-riaghladh do dh鈥櫭坕rinn. Bha e a-nise air a shon. Mar sin, thug na buill 脠ireannach an taic dha. Ach nuair a chuir e am bile aige air adhart airson f猫in-riaghladh anns an 脪gmhios, ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a sia (1886), chaill e, oir chaidh cuid de na Libearalaich na aghaidh. Bha taghadh n脿iseanta eile ann. Agus bha aig D貌mhnall MacPh脿rlain ri dhol air ais gu muinntir Earra-Gh脿idheal, is an cuid bh貌taichean iarraidh a-rithist.

Faclan na seachdaine: bh貌tairean: voters; taghadh: election; Tiriodh: Tiree; Colla: Coll; Tobar Mhoire: Tobermory; Tiristich: people of Tiree; Liosm貌r: Lismore; Inbhir Aora: Inveraray; Luinn: Luing; D霉n Omhain: Dunoon; Pr貌stanach: Protestant; an t-Urramach Donnchadh MacGriogair: Rev. Duncan MacGregor; cugallach: unstable; Taigh nan Cumantan: House of Commons; f猫in-riaghladh: self-government; am Morair Salisbury: Lord Salisbury; pr矛omhaire: prime minister.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha aig X ri dhol a Bhun Easain ann am Muile: X had to go to Bunessan in Mull; a cheart cho duilich do na Collaich: just as difficult for the people of Coll; as an aonais: without them; gun d猫anadh X oidhirp: that X would make an effort; nach rachadh leis an tagraiche: that the candidate wouldn鈥檛 be successful; thar na mara: across the sea; eadhon le sin: even with that; bh鈥� fheudar dhaibh dhol a-mach: they had to go out; nuair a chualas an naidheachd: when the news was heard; chuir m貌ran teintean-aighir thuige: many [people] lit bonfires; bha an aon uiread de gh脿irdeachas: there was equivalent celebration; bha e na Chaitligeach: he was a Catholic; eu-coltach ris a鈥� chuid a bu mh貌: unlike the majority; air thoiseach air rud sam bith eile: ahead of everything else; eadhon anns an Eaglais Bhaistich bha sgaradh bheachd ann: even in the Baptist Church there was a divergence of opinion(s); a h-uile fear a bh鈥� ann taobh a-muigh Uladh: every one there was outside Ulster; bha e a-nise air a shon: he was now in favour of it; is an cuid bh貌taichean iarraidh a-rithist: and seek their votes again.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: Cha robh c貌raichean bh貌taidh aig m貌ran fhear aig an 脿m ud: not many men at that time had voting rights. Sometimes today you will hear m貌ran fir for 鈥渕any men鈥� but this neglects an old and well established grammatical rule which is still adhered to many native speakers with a good command of the language, particularly older ones 鈥� that is, that m貌ran commands the genitive when followed by a (plural) noun. What we are saying is 鈥渕any of men鈥�. Fir is the nominative plural, but the genitive plural is the same as the nominative singular, this being a noun which pluralises in the nominative by slenderisation (ie fear, man, becomes fir, men). For 鈥渙f the men鈥� we say nam fear and for 鈥渙f men鈥� we lenite it and say fhear. Thus 鈥渕any men鈥� is m貌ran fhear.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: is math gu robh: it鈥檚 [a] good [thing] that he was.