大象传媒

Mar as trice, ann an Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh, bidh mi a-mach air cuspairean G脿idhealach. Ach, an t-seachdain seo, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu rudeigin a thachair聽taobh a-muigh na G脿idhealtachd, ged a thuigeas a h-uile mac m脿thar air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd carson a thug e buaidh mh貌r orm.

Tha ceathrad bliadhna air a dhol seachad bhon a chaidh b脿ta-teasairginn Longhope fodha le call a h-ochdnar criutha. 鈥橲 e Longhope baile beag ann an Arcaibh. Tha e air Eilean Hothaigh no, ma tha sibh airson a bhith mionaideach, air South Walls a tha co-cheangailte聽ri Hothaigh le tairbeart. Am-bliadhna bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� comharrachadh is聽a鈥� cuimhneachadh na tubaist-mhara a thachair air an t-seachdamh latha deug dhen Mh脿rt,聽naoi ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a naoi (1969).

Bha sian eagallach ann 鈥� aig 矛re 9. Bha stuaghan br霉ideil anns a鈥� Chaol Arcach. Agus bha long mh貌r, a bh鈥� air a cl脿radh ann an Liberia, ann an staing gu sear air D霉n Gasbaith. Chaidh b脿ta-teasairginn Longhope a ghairm a-mach. Chaidh an long 鈥� an Irene 鈥撀燼ir na creagan, ach rinn na maoir-chladaich cobhair air a鈥� chriutha. Ge-t脿, cha do thill am聽b脿ta-teasairginn. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gun do bhuail stuagh m貌r innte agus gun do聽chuir i car. Rinneadh seachdnar bhoireannach nam banntraichean.
Bidh mi fh矛n a鈥� falbh gu muir aig amannan ann an gheat agus tha mi gu math mothachail do dh鈥檕bair ghaisgeil an RNLI ann a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh cobhair air maraichean.

Nam 貌ige bha mi a鈥� fuireach ann am Broughty Ferry, faisg air Dun D猫, nuair a chaidh am b脿ta-teasairginn fodha le call ochdnar. Bha sin o chionn leth-cheud bliadhna.Bha sinn air t矛r ann an Longhope am-bliadhna nuair a th貌isich boireannach 鈥� t猫 脿s an 脿ite 鈥� air bruidhinn ris a鈥� bhean agam. Leis gun robh sinn far gheat, agus gun charbad,聽thabhainn i lioft timcheall South Walls dhuinn gus am faiceamaid an t-脿ite. Bha sin gu聽math fialaidh. Chaidh sinn gu slaodach anns a鈥� ch脿r aice, agus i a鈥� comharrachadh nan聽seann togalaichean eachdraidheil.

An ceann beagan mhionaidean, bha sinn a鈥� dr脿ibheadh seachad air a鈥� chladh. 鈥淪inan carragh-cuimhne don fheadhainn a chailleadh,鈥� thuirt i na Beurla bhinn Arcach. Choimhead mi a-null gu carragh-cuimhne m貌r. Gun a bhith a鈥� smaoineachadh cus air a h-aois聽鈥� bha i sna seasgadan 鈥� thuirt mi, 鈥淏idh na lotan ann fhathast, tha mi cinnteach, agus聽daoine fhathast a鈥� faireachdainn a鈥� chall.鈥�

Stad i an c脿r ann am meadhan an rathaid. 鈥淐haill mi an duine agam, m鈥� athair-ch猫ile is mo bhr脿thair-ch猫ile,鈥� thuirt i. Bha mulad na guth. Bha an ceathrad bliadhna air giorrachadh na h-inntinn gu 霉ine ghoirid. Bha na de貌ir a鈥� sruthadh s矛os a gruaidhean. Bha聽na lotan ann fhathast agus bithidh gu s矛orraidh. Mas e 霉ine a n矛 sl脿nachadh, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun聽toir e barrachd na saoghal aon duine airson sl脿nachadh ceart.

D猫 chanainn rithe? Cha b鈥� e beul br猫agha a bh鈥� agam ach beul dha-r矛ribh. Thuirt an dithis againn gun robh sinn f矛or dhuilich mu a call agus gun robh sinn, mar dhaoine a th猫id聽gu muir, cho taingeil airson nan daoine a tha ag obair air na b脿taichean-teasairginn.聽Mo bheannachd air a鈥� bhoireannach choibhneil sin, agus air a leithid anns gach 脿ite.

Goirid 脿s d猫idh na tubaist o chionn ceathrad bliadhna, bha c脿irdean 貌ga aig feadhainn achaill am beatha a鈥� cur an ainmean air adhart airson a bhith sa chriutha 霉r. Agus tha sin air聽leantainn chun an latha an-diugh. Clach air c脿rn an fheadhainn a chailleadh. Agus mobheannachd air criutha gach b脿ta-teasairginn 鈥檚 a th鈥� ann. 鈥橲 e gaisgich a th鈥� annta uile.

Arcaibh: Orkney; Hothaigh: Hoy; tairbeart: isthmus; gaisgeil: heroic; maraichean: mariners; fialaidh: generous; cladh: cemetery; lotan: wounds; de貌ir: tears; gruaidhean: cheeks: gu s矛orraidh: for ever.

am-bliadhna bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� comharrachadh is a鈥櫬燾uimhneachadh na tubaist-mhara: this year the local people were marking and聽remembering the maritime accident; sian eagallach aig 矛re 9: a terrible storm of Force 9;聽stuaghan br霉ideil anns a鈥� Chaol Arcach: horrific waves in the Pentland Firth; ann an staing聽gu sear air D霉n Gasbaith: in trouble east of Duncansby Head; chaidh b脿ta-teasairginn聽Longhope a ghairm a-mach: the Longhope lifeboat was called out; rinn na maoir-chladaich聽cobhair air: X the coastguards assisted/rescued; gun do bhuail stuagh m貌r innte agus gun聽do chuir i car: that a big wave hit her and that she capsized; rinneadh seachdnar聽bhoireannach nam banntraichean: seven women were made widows; leis gun robh sinn far聽gheat: because we were off a yacht; thabhainn i lioft timcheall X dhuinn: she offered us a聽lift around X; gus am faiceamaid: so that we鈥檇 see; an carragh-cuimhne don fheadhainn a聽chailleadh: the memorial to those who were lost; na Beurla bhinn Arcach: in her melodious聽Orcadian dialect; bha mulad na guth: there was a terrible sadness in her voice; gun toir ebarrachd na saoghal aon duine airson sl脿nachadh ceart: that it will take more than onehuman lifetime for proper healing; cha b鈥� e beul br猫agha a bh鈥� agam ach beul dha-r矛ribh:they weren鈥檛 just words 鈥� I really meant it; clach air c脿rn an fheadhainn a chailleadh: astone on the cairn of those who were lost (a traditional Gaelic way of praising the deceased); 鈥檚 e gaisgich a th鈥� annta uile: they鈥檙e all heroes.

le call a h-ochdnar criutha: with the loss of her eight crewmen. We generally use the numerical nouns (dithis, tri霉ir, ceathrar etc) when dealingwith numbers of people. I might have said le call ochdnar criutha (with the loss of eightcrew) or just le call ochdnar (with the loss of eight persons) as I did later in the Litir with regard to the Broughty Ferry lifeboat. But I wanted to say 鈥渙f her鈥� crewmen 鈥� boats being conceptually feminine (at least when at sea) 鈥� that鈥檚 the reason for the presence of the feminine possessive adjective (a) and the h- prefixed to ochdnar.

ged a thuigeas a h-uile mac m脿thar: although every person[lit. every son of a mother] understands.

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA