大象传媒

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar o chionn聽ghoirid. Bha e taitneach. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a聽tha air Thugam agus Bhuam. 鈥橲 e聽cruinneachadh de sgeulachdan is 貌rain a聽tha ann. Tha iad uile le P脿druig聽Moireasdan nach maireann.聽Bha na st貌iridhean air an aithris聽le P脿druig. Bha iad air an cl脿radh le聽D貌mhnall E脿irdsidh D貌mhnallach nach聽maireann. Thagh esan agus dheasaich聽esan na sgeulachdan anns an leabhar.聽Bha D貌mhnall E脿irdsidh ag obair aig聽Sgoil E貌lais na h-Alba. Th脿inig an聽leabhar a-mach o chionn trithead 鈥檚 a聽dh脿 bliadhna. Ach chuir Comann聽Coimhearsnachd Ghriomasaigh ann an聽cl貌 a-rithist e o chionn ghoirid.聽Rugadh P脿druig Moireasdan ann聽an Griomasaigh. Bha sin ann an ochd聽ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1889). Tha聽Griomasaigh na eilean beag eadar聽Uibhist a Tuath agus Beinn a鈥� Bhadhla.聽Nuair a thogadh P脿druig ann, bha a鈥櫬燾hoimhearsnachd gu math traidiseanta.聽Bha an taigh-c猫ilidh fhathast a鈥� dol.聽Nuair a bha P脿druig 貌g bha e ag聽obair air Chluaidh. Bha e ag obair ann聽am b脿taichean. Bha na b脿taichean a鈥櫬爐oirt bathar eadar Glaschu is Beal聽Feirste. Nuair a bha e anns an dreuchd聽sin, chunnaic e rud m貌r ainmeil.聽Thachair e ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon-聽deug (1911). Tha aithris mu聽dheidhinn a鈥� ghnothaich anns an leabhar.聽鈥橲 ann am Beal Feirste a thachair聽e. A bheil fios agaibh d猫 bha ann? Bha聽P脿draig an l脿thair nuair a chaidh an聽soitheach as motha a chaidh a thogail聽riamh a chur air bhog. B鈥� ise an Titanic.聽Thachair sin air an latha mu dheireadh聽dhen Ch猫itean naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a聽h-aon-deug (1911). Cha robh i deiseil聽airson daoine a ghi霉lain. Bha obair ri聽dh猫anamh oirre fhathast. Ach bha a slige聽deiseil.聽Chaidh c貌rr is fichead tonna de聽gheir a chur air an t-slip. Leig sin leis an聽t-slige sleamhnadh s矛os don abhainn.聽Dh鈥檕braich a h-uile c脿il an 矛re mhath.聽Bha m貌ran an l脿thair.聽Ach chuala P脿druig rudeigin聽ne貌nach air an latha sin. Rudeigin air an聽robh e a鈥� smaoineachadh nuair a chaidh聽an Titanic fodha. An ath-sheachdain,聽innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 d矛reach a chuala聽P脿druig air an latha sin.

I was reading a book recently. It聽was pleasurable. It鈥檚 name is聽Thugam agus Bhuam [鈥渢o me聽and from me鈥漖. It鈥檚 a collection聽of stories and songs. They are all聽by the late Peter Morrison.聽The stories were told by聽Peter. They were recorded by the聽late Donald Archie MacDonald.聽He chose and edited the stories聽in the book. Donald Archie was聽working for [at] the School of聽Scottish Studies. The book came聽out 32 years ago. But the聽Grimsay Community Association聽reprinted it recently.聽Peter Morrison was born in聽Grimsay. That was in 1889.聽Grimsay is a small island聽between North Uist and Benbecula.聽When Peter was raised聽there, the community was very聽traditional. The ceilidh house聽was still on the go.聽When Peter was young he聽was working on the Clyde. He聽was working in boats. The boats聽were taking goods between Glasgow聽and Belfast. When he was in聽that job, he saw a famous thing聽[event]. It happened in 1911.聽There is a report about the聽matter in the book.聽It happened in Belfast. Do聽you know what it was? Peter was聽present when the largest vessel聽ever built was launched. That聽was the Titanic. It happened on聽the last day of May, 1911. She聽wasn鈥檛 ready to carry people.聽There was still work to be done聽on her. But her hull was ready.聽More than twenty tons of聽tallow were put on the slipway.聽That let the hull slide down to the聽river. Everything went pretty聽well. Many people were present.聽But Peter heard something聽strange that day. Something on聽which he was thinking when the聽Titanic was sunk [went under].聽Next week I鈥檒l tell you exactly聽what Peter heard that day.