大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar gu math taitneach o chionn ghoirid. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air Thugam agus Bhuam. 鈥橲 e cruinneachadh de sgeulachdan is 貌rain a th鈥� ann, agus iad uile air an aithris no air an cruthachadh le P脿druig Moireasdan nach maireann. 鈥橲 e D貌mhnall E脿irdsidh D貌mhnallach nach maireann a thagh agus a dheasaich na sgeulachdan. Bha D貌mhnall E脿irdsidh ag obair fad 霉ine mh貌r aig Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba. Bha esan am measg nan daoine a chl脿ir P脿druig Moireasdan, agus e ag aithris sgeulachdan. Th脿inig an leabhar a-mach an toiseach o chionn trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 bliadhna.

Ach chuir Comann Coimhearsnachd Ghriomasaigh ann an cl貌 a-rithist e o chionn ghoirid. Mo bheannachd orra.

Rugadh P脿druig Moireasdan 鈥� P脿druig mac 鈥檌lleasb鈥� 鈥檌c Ph脿druig 鈥檌c Iain 鈥� ann an Griomasaigh ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1889). Mura h-eil sibh e貌lach air Griomasaigh, 鈥檚 e eilean beag a th鈥� ann eadar Uibhist a Tuath agus Beinn a鈥橞hadhla. Nuair a thogadh P脿druig ann, bha a鈥� choimhearsnachd gu math traidiseanta. Bha daoine math gus sgeulachdan innse, agus bha an taigh-ceilidh fhathast a鈥� dol. 鈥橲 iomadh taigh anns am biodh daoine a鈥� tighinn cruinn c貌mhla air an oidhche. Agus bhiodh sgeulachdan, naidheachdan is dibhearsain gu le貌r a鈥� dol.

Nuair a bha P脿druig na dheugaire dh鈥檉halbh e taobh Abhainn Chluaidh, far an robh e ag obair ann an Guireag is Glaschu. Bha e na she貌ladair fad greis. Chuir e seachad Cogadh a鈥� Cheusair ann an r猫isimeid Mhic Shimidh agus thill e an uair sin a Ghriomasaigh. Bha e ri iasgach is obair na croite ann an Griomasaigh. Airson a鈥� ch貌rr de a bheatha bha e eadar a鈥� Ghalltachd, Griomasaigh agus Eilean Heisgeir. Faodaidh sibh eachdraidh a bheatha a leughadh le bhith a鈥� ceannach an leabhair.

Ach tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu aon de na st貌iridhean aig P脿druig a nochdas anns an leabhar. Chan e sgeulachd a chuala e anns an taigh-ch猫ilidh ach tachartas na bheatha fh猫in, nuair a bha e 貌g. Bha sin ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1911). Bh脿 P脿draig an l脿thair nuair a thachair rudeigin iongantach. 鈥橲 e latha m貌r a bh鈥� ann.鈥橲 ann am Beal Feirste a thachair e agus bha P脿druig ann a chionn 鈥檚 gun robh eag obair air t猫 de bh脿taichean Ghlaschu aig an 脿m, a鈥� toirt bathar eadar Alba is 脠irinn. A bheil fios agaibh d猫 bh鈥� ann? Bha P脿draig an l脿thair nuair a chaidh an Titanic a chur air bhog ann am Beal Feirste.

Air an latha mu dheireadh dhen Ch猫itean naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-deug (1911) bhathar a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil airson an soitheach as motha a chaidh a thogail riamh a chur聽air bhog. Cha robh i deiseil airson luchd-turais a ghi霉lain. Bha t貌rr ri dh猫anamh oirre聽fhathast. Ach bha a slige deiseil airson a dhol air bhog.

Chaidh c貌rr is fichead tonna de gheir a chur air an t-slip airson leigeil leis an t-slige sleamhnadh s矛os don abhainn. Bha sgioba de luchd-obrach deiseil airson am fiodha bha ga cumail na h-脿ite a thoirt air falbh. Bha a h-uile c脿il an 矛re mhath ceart gu le貌r. Ach dh鈥檉hairich P脿druig rudeigin ne貌nach air an latha sin. Beagan is bliadhna 脿s d猫idh sin, tha mi cinnteach gun do thill na thachair do chuimhne nuair a chaidh an Titanic don aiginn anns a鈥� chuan mh貌r. An ath-sheachdain, leigidh mi le P脿druig innse dhuibh beagan na fhaclan fh猫in air d猫 d矛reach a thachair air an latha ainmeil sin ann am Beal Feirste.

taitneach: pleasant; D貌mhnall E脿irdsidh D貌mhnallach: Donald聽Archie MacDonald; Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba: School of Scottish Studies; traidiseanta:聽traditional; deugaire: teenager; Guireag: Gourock.

sgeulachdan is 貌rain: stories and songs; air an aithris no air an聽cruthachadh le P脿druig Moireasdan: recounted or created by Peter Morrison; nach聽maireann: deceased; mo bheannachd orra: well done to them; eadar Uibhist a Tuath聽agus Beinn a鈥� Bhadhla: between North Uist and Benbecula; dh鈥檉halbh e taobh Abhainn聽Chluaidh: he went off to the Clyde; chuir e seachad Cogadh a鈥� Cheusair ann an聽r猫isimeid Mhic Shimidh: he spent the First World War in the Lovat Scouts; airson a鈥櫬燾h貌rr de a bheatha: for the rest of his life; 鈥檚 ann am Beal Feirste a thachair e: it鈥檚 in聽Belfast it happened; a鈥� toirt bathar: taking goods; nuair a chaidh an Titanic a chur air聽bhog: when the Titanic was launched; an soitheach as motha a chaidh a thogail riamh:聽the largest vessel ever built; deiseil airson luchd-turais a ghi霉lain: ready to carry聽passengers; bha a slige deiseil: her hull was ready; chaidh c貌rr is fichead tonna de聽gheir a chur air an t-slip: more than 20 tons of tallow were put on the slipway;聽sleamhnadh s矛os don abhainn: sliding down to the river; dh鈥檉hairich P脿druig rudeigin聽ne貌nach: Peter heard/sensed a strange thing; gun do thill na thachair do chuimhne: that聽what happened returned to his memory; don aiginn anns a鈥� chuan mh貌r: to the abyss in聽the ocean.

bhiodh sgeulachdan, naidheachdan is dibhearsain gu le貌r聽a鈥� dol: there would be plenty of stories, anecdotes and fun happening. Isn鈥檛 it聽interesting how a loanword from another language can take on a new life in its adopted聽tongue. Or sometimes the word retains a meaning that was present in the donor聽language when the word passed over, but which has become weaker in the donor聽language. An example is dibhearsain which derives from the English 鈥渄iversion鈥�. In聽Gaelic the primary meaning of the word is 鈥渇un, entertainment鈥� which is no longer the聽primary meaning of the word in English. Sp貌rs is another 鈥� it came from the English聽鈥渟port鈥�. While both words mean 鈥渁 physical activity, often competitive鈥�, the secondarymeaning of 鈥渇un, good-humoured joking鈥� is now stronger in Gaelic than in the donorlanguage. If somebody objects to you making fun of them you can say, 鈥淏ha mi d矛reacha鈥� gabhail sp貌rs.鈥�

chuir Comann Coimhearsnachd Ghriomasaigh ann an聽cl貌 a-rithist e: Grimsay Community Association reprinted/republished it.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA