大象传媒

脕it bhre谩 l谩 ar bith sa bhliain is ea Gleann Cholm Cille. An do thuig sibh sin ceart gu le貌r? 鈥橲 e sin G脿idhlig na h-脠ireann. 鈥橲 e 脿ite br猫agha a th鈥� ann an Gleann Cholm Cille latha sam bith dhen bhliadhna. Agus tha mi a鈥� creidsinn gu bheil sin f矛or.

Tha Gleann Cholm Cille air taobh an iar Th矛r Chonaill ann an 脠irinn agus bha mi ann as t-Earrach am-bliadhna airson beagan Gaeilge ionnsachadh. Tha ionad-foghlaim sa ghleann air a bheil Oideas Gael mar ainm. Bidh iad a鈥� d猫anamh chlasaichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh 鈥� mar a tha leithid Sabhal M貌r Ostaig agus Ionad Chaluim Chille 脤le a鈥� d猫anamh ann an Alba. 鈥橲 e 脿ite f矛or mhath a th鈥� ann.

Tha iomadach rud ann an Gleann Cholm Cille a tha aithnichte do Gh脿idheal 脿 Alba. Am measg sin tha an dualchas co-cheangailte ris an naomh 鈥� Colm Cille no Calum Cille mar a theirear ann an Alba. Ach d猫 d矛reach an ceangal a th鈥� aig Calum Cille ris a鈥� ghleann? Uill, rugadh e ann an T矛r Chonaill agus tha e coltach, aig a鈥� char as lugha, gun robh e a鈥� searmonachadh ann. Agus seo agaibh st貌iridh 脿 beul-aithris a tha ag innse mu rudeigin a thachair nuair a bha e a鈥� searmonachadh anns an sg矛re.

Tha e a鈥� t貌iseachadh anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn AC, mu cheud bliadhna mus do rugadh Calum Cille. Bha Naomh P脿draig ag iompachadh muinntir na h-脠ireann gu Cr矛osdachd. Theich na deamhain as miosa anns an eilean gu ruige an gleann seo airson faighinn air falbh bho Ph脿draig. Thog iad ce貌 draoidheil agus rinn iad an abhainn na sruth teine gus nach fhaigheadh Cr矛osdaidh sam bith ann. Cha robh comas aig P脿draig faighinn cuidhteas nan droch spioradan ach thuirt e gun tigeadh fear na b鈥� fhe脿rr 脿s a dh猫idh agus gum biodh esan a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghlinn na 脿ite beannaichte. B鈥� e am fear sin Calum Cille.

Latha a bha seo bha Calum Cille a鈥� searmonachadh ann an taobh an iar-dheas Th矛r Chonaill. Thilg deamhan slat cuilinn a-mach 脿s a鈥� ghleann. Bhuail i ann am fear de luchd-leantainn an naoimh, fear air an robh Cearc mar ainm. Chun an latha an-diugh, thathar a鈥� gabhail Srath na Circe air an 脿ite mar chuimhneachan air. Bha mise a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh Srath na Circe a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥淭he Strath of the Hen鈥� ach tha fios agam a-nise gun robh mi ce脿rr!

Bha Calum Cille feargach. Thilg e an t-slat air ais. Far an do bhuail i san talamh, th貌isich craobh cuilinn air f脿s. Chuir sin eagal air na deamhain agus theich iad. Ruith Calum Cille 脿s an d猫idh, a鈥� tilgeil chlachan orra. Lean na deamhain orra, a鈥� ruith nan deann. Chaidh iad a-steach don mhuir ann an 脿ite ris an canar Screig na nDeamhan 鈥� no Creag nan Deamhan. Bha smachd aig Calum Cille agus Cr矛osdachd air a鈥� ghleann.

Tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do rinn Calum Cille na deamhain nan 猫isg 鈥� se貌rsa ris an canar dall贸ga caocha. Cha chreid mi nach e sin an dallag againne 鈥� no dogfish. Tha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� smaoineachadh gu bheil na h-猫isg sin dall ann an aona s霉il. Tha cuid eile ag r脿dh gun do rinn an naomh na deamhain nan r貌in, seach nan dallagan. Bidh na r貌in a鈥� faighinn d矛oghaltas air muinntir an 脿ite le bhith a鈥� reubadh l矛n nan iasgairean.

Chan e, ge-t脿, Calum Cille an aon duine a cheanglas Gleann Cholm Cille agus Alba ri ch猫ile 鈥� mar a ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: T矛r Chonaill: Donegal; ionad-foghlaim: educational establishment; rugadh e: he was born; a鈥� searmonachadh: preaching; beul-aithris: oral tradition; feargach: angry; theich iad: they fled; dallag: dogfish.

Abairtean na Litreach: latha sam bith dhen bhliadhna: any day of the year; tha mi a鈥� creidsinn gu bheil sin f矛or: I believe that鈥檚 true; airson beagan Gaeilge ionnsachadh: to learn a bit of Irish Gaelic; a tha aithnichte do: which is familiar to; tha an dualchas co-cheangailte ris an naomh: the heritage connected to the saint; rudeigin a thachair: something that happened; anns a鈥� ch貌igeamh linn AC: in the 5th Century AD [AD is also used]; bha Naomh P脿draig ag iompachadh muinntir na h-脠ireann gu Cr矛osdachd: Saint Patrick was converting the people of Ireland to Christianity; theich na deamhain as miosa gu ruige an gleann seo: the worst demons fled to this glen; thog iad ce貌 draoidheil: they raised a magic mist; rinn iad an abhainn na sruth teine: they turned the river into a stream of fire; gus nach fhaigheadh Cr矛osdaidh sam bith ann: so that no Christian could get there; cha robh comas aig X faighinn cuidhteas nan droch spioradan: X wasn鈥檛 able to get rid of the bad spirits; gun tigeadh fear na b鈥� fhe脿rr 脿s a dh猫idh: that a better man would come after him; gum biodh esan a鈥� d猫anamh a鈥� ghlinn na 脿ite beannaichte: that he would make [be making] the glen a blessed place; thilg deamhan slat cuilinn: a demon threw a stick of holly; bhuail i ann am fear de luchd-leantainn an naoimh: it struck one of the saint鈥檚 followers; mar chuimhneachan air: in his memory; th貌isich craobh cuilinn air f脿s: a holly tree started to grow; 脿s an d猫idh, a鈥� tilgeil chlachan orra: after them, throwing stones at [on] them; lean na deamhain orra, a鈥� ruith nan deann: the demons continued on, running at speed; tha cuid a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do rinn Calum Cille na deamhain nan 猫isg: some people maintain that St Columba made the demons into fish; bidh na r貌in a鈥� faighinn d矛oghaltas air X le bhith a鈥� reubadh l矛n nan iasgairean: the seals gain their revenge on X by ripping the fishermen鈥檚 nets.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: aig a鈥� char as lugha: at the (very) least. There are a number of expressions involving aig a鈥� char as ... Just remember that the adjective which comes at the end must be in its comparative form. Here are some other examples: gheibh e fichead dolair aig a鈥� char as motha (he鈥檒l get $20 at most), bidh mi air ais aig meadhan-oidhche aig a鈥� char as anmoiche (I will be back midnight at the latest), bidh e ann airson bliadhna aig a鈥� char as giorra (he鈥檒l be there for a year at the very least, shortest); caillidh e ceithir corragan aig a鈥� char as fhe脿rr (he鈥檒l lose four fingers at best).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: mar a theirear ann an Alba: as is said in Scotland [a passive verbal form].