大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Reachdas 脤, The Statutes of Iona. Rinn e cron m貌r air na G脿idheil. Thachair e ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609). Bha d脿 earrainn anns an reachdas a bha uabhasach millteach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檌arr an riaghaltas air na 聽聽聽h-uaislean G脿idhealach na mic a bu shine aca a chur don Ghalltachd. Bha na gillean sin a鈥� faighinn foghlam Beurla. Mura robh gille aig ceann-cinnidh, bha aige ri a nighean a bu shine a chur gu sgoil air a鈥� Ghalltachd.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Agus cha robh cead tuilleadh aig b脿ird a dhol timcheall. Roimhe sin bha na b脿ird a鈥� faighinn taic bho na cinn-chinnidh. Thuirt an riaghaltas gun robh na b脿ird coltach ri 鈥渂eggars [and] vagabonds鈥�. Cha robh idir! Bha iad gu math foghlamaichte. B鈥� e sin propaganda an riaghaltais.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha an riaghaltas ag iarraidh tr矛 rudan a dh猫anamh. Bha na gillean aig na cinn-chinnidh a鈥� fuireach air a鈥� Ghalltachd. Mar sin, bha an athraichean modhail 鈥� air neo bha an riaghaltas a鈥� dol a chur nan gillean an gr猫im. Bha na gillean a鈥� faighinn foghlam Pr貌stanach. Agus bha iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檉h脿s Gallta.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檉hosgail caolas eadar cinn-chinnidh agus an tuath. Dh鈥檉h脿s na h-uaislean Gallta. Agus cia mheud ceann-chinnidh an-diugh aig a bheil G脿idhlig? A bheil gin ann idir?

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha an Riaghaltas ag iarraidh cur 脿s don Gh脿idhlig. Ann an sia ceud deug is sia-deug (1616), rinn iad achd p脿rlamaid. B鈥� e aon amas na h-achd foghlam Beurla a st猫idh-eachadh. B鈥� e amas eile na h-achd cur 脿s don Gh脿idhlig.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha bliadhna sh貌nraichte gu bhith ann an ath-bhliadhna. 鈥橲 e an 聽聽聽聽t-ainm a th鈥� oirre Homecoming Scotland 2009. Bidh iad a鈥� comharrachadh m貌ran rudan matha mu Alba.

Last week I was telling you about the Statutes of Iona. They did a lot of damage to the Gaels. They happened in 1609. There were two clauses in the statutes which were terribly damaging.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The government demanded that the Gaelic gentry send their eldest sons to the Lowlands. Those lads were receving an Anglophone education. If a clan chief didn鈥檛 have a son, he had to send his eldest daughter to school in the Lowlands.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And bards were no longer permitted to travel around. Before that, the bards were receiving support from the clan chiefs. The government said that the bards were like 鈥渂eggars [and] vagabonds鈥�. They were not at all! They were very well educated. That was the government鈥檚 propaganda.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The government was wanting to do three things. The sons of the clan chiefs were living in the Lowlands. Thus, their fathers were well behaved 鈥� or the government was going to arrest the sons. The sons were receiving a Protestant education. And they were going to become non-Gaelic in character.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A gulf opened between clan chiefs and their tenantry. The gentry became non-Gaelic in character. And how many clan chiefs today have Gaelic? Are there any?

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The government was wanting to get rid of Gaelic. In 1616, they passed an act of parliament. One aim of the act was to establish Anglophone education. Another aim of the act was to get rid of Gaelic.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There will be a special year next year. It is called Homecoming Scotland 2009. They will be marking many good things about Scotland.