大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha sinn ann an 脠irinn. Bha sinn ann an Contae Mhaigh Eo. Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu charragh-cuimhne. Tha an carragh-cuimhne faisg air an Dubh Loch. Tha grunn sgr矛obhaidhean air ann am Beurla. Nam measg tha seo: 鈥淗ow can men feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings?鈥�: Mahatma Gandhi. Tha sgr矛obhadh eile air a tha a鈥� cuimhneachadh 鈥渢he hungry poor who walked here in 1849鈥�. C貌 bh鈥� annta?

Anns a鈥� Mh脿rt ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi (1849), bha muinntir taobh an iar na h-脠ireann gu math bochd. Bha gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta ann. Cha robh biadh gu le貌r aig na daoine. Thachair rudeigin uabhasach faisg air an Dubh Loch.

Chaidh buidheann de dhaoine gu Taigh nam Bochd ann an Cluain Cearb谩n, no Louisburgh. Tha am baile sin gu tuath air an Dubh Loch. Dhi霉lt an t-oifigear biadh a thoirt dhaibh. Cha d鈥� fhuair iad biadh sam bith. 鈥橲 e d矛reach am B貌rd 鈥� The Board of Guardians 鈥� a thug biadh seachad.

Bha dithis aig a鈥� Bh貌rd a鈥� coinneachadh beagan mh矛ltean air falbh. Bha e a鈥� f脿s dorch. Chuir na daoine an oidhche seachad a-muigh. Bha i fuar is fliuch. An ath mhadainn choisich iad don 脿ite far an robh buill a鈥� Bh霉ird.

R脿inig iad an t-脿ite aig meadhan-latha. Bha na buill 鈥� an Coirneal Hograve agus Mgr Lecky 鈥� a鈥� gabhail biadh. Cha t脿inig iad a-mach airson greis.

Nuair a th脿inig iad a-mach bha droch naidheachd aca. Cha robh biadh aca airson nan daoine. Dh鈥檉halbh na daoine. Bha iad a鈥� coiseachd air ais a Chluain Cearb谩n. Bha iad fuar is fliuch. Bha iad lag le acras. Air an oidhche sin chaochail m貌ran dhiubh 鈥� a-muigh air an d霉thaich.

Chan eil duine cinnteach cia mheud duine a chaochail. 鈥橲 d貌cha c貌rr is d脿 cheud. Bha e muladach.

Bidh feadhainn a鈥� dol air chuairt gach bliadhna eadar an Dubh Loch is Cluain Cearb谩n. Bidh iad a鈥� cuimhneachadh na thachair. O chionn sia bliadhn鈥� deug, chaidh an t-脌rd-easbaig Desmond Tutu 脿 Afraga a Deas air a鈥� chuairt. Chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a chur suas 脿s d猫idh sin.

Faclan is abairtean: bha sinn ann an 脠irinn: we were in Ireland; Contae Mhaigh Eo: County Mayo; tha an carragh-cuimhne faisg air an Dubh Loch: the memorial

is close to Doolough; c貌 bh鈥� annta?: who were they?; gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta: the potato blight; thachair rudeigin uabhasach: something terrible happened; gu Taigh nam Bochd ann an Cluain Cearb谩n: to the workhouse/poorhouse in Louisburgh; gu tuath air; to the north of; dhi霉lt an t-oifigear biadh a thoirt dhaibh: the officer refused to give them food; a鈥� coinneachadh beagan mh矛ltean air falbh: meeting a few miles away; chuir na daoine an oidhche seachad a-muigh: the people passed the night out of doors; an ath mhadainn choisich iad: next morning they walked; far an robh buill a鈥� Bh霉ird: where the Board members were; cha t脿inig iad a-mach airson greis: they didn鈥檛 come out for a while; lag le acras: weak with hunger; air an oidhche sin chaochail m貌ran dhiubh: on that night many of them died; chan eil duine cinnteach cia mheud duine a chaochail: nobody is sure how many died; muladach: very sad; bidh feadhainn a鈥� dol air chuairt gach bliadhna: some people go on a walk every year; a鈥� cuimhneachadh na thachair: remembering what happened; chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a chur suas 脿s d猫idh sin: the memorial was erected after that.