大象传媒

Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu rud a聽thachair dhomh ann an Arcaibh. Bha mi聽ann am baile beag Longhope. Bha sin as聽t-samhradh am-bliadhna. Bha tubaist聽mhara ann an Longhope o chionn聽ceathrad bliadhna. Chaochail ochdnar 脿s聽an 脿ite. B鈥� iad an criutha air b脿ta-teasairginn 聽Longhope. Am-bliadhna bha 聽muinntir Longhope a鈥� cuimhneachadh 聽na tubaist.聽Thachair i sa Mh脿rt naoi ceud聽deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a naoi (1969). Bha聽stoirm mh貌r mh貌r ann. Bha long, a bha聽air a cl脿radh ann an Liberia, ann an聽trioblaid. Chaidh b脿ta-teasairginn Longhope聽a ghairm a-mach. Chaidh an long聽air na creagan. Rinn na maoir-chladaich聽cobhair air a鈥� chriutha. Ach cha do thill聽am b脿ta-teasairginn.聽Bha mi fh矛n is a鈥� bhean agam air聽t矛r ann an Longhope am-bliadhna.聽Th貌isich boireannach 鈥� t猫 脿s an 脿ite 鈥� air聽bruidhinn ris a鈥� bhean agam. Bha sinn聽far gheat. Cha robh carbad againn.聽Thabhainn am boireannach lioft dhuinn聽sa ch脿r aice timcheall na sg矛re.聽Bha sinn a鈥� dr脿ibheadh seachad聽air a鈥� chladh. 鈥淪in an carragh-cuimhne聽don fheadhainn a chailleadh,鈥� thuirt am聽boireannach. Bha Beurla bhinn Arcach聽aice. Choimhead mi a-null. Chunnaic mi聽carragh-cuimhne m貌r anns a鈥� chladh.聽Thuirt mi, 鈥淏idh na lotan ann fhathast.聽Bidh daoine fhathast a鈥� faireachdainn a鈥櫬燾hall.鈥澛燬tad i an c脿r. 鈥淐haill mi an duine聽agam, m鈥� athair-ch猫ile is mo bhr脿thair-ch猫ile,鈥澛爐huirt i. Bha i br貌nach. Bha na聽de貌ir a鈥� sruthadh s矛os a gruaidhean. Bha聽na lotan ann fhathast. Bithidh gu聽s矛orraidh.聽D猫 chanainn rithe? Thuirt an聽dithis againn gun robh sinn f矛or dhuilich聽mu a call. Bha sinn, mar dhaoine a th猫id聽gu muir, taingeil dha-r矛ribh do na daoine聽a tha ag obair air na b脿taichean-teasairginn.聽Is tha dl霉th-charaid a鈥櫬燽hoireannaich sin fhathast ag obair air a鈥櫬燽h脿ta-theasairginn ann an Longhope. A聽mac.聽Mo bheannachd air a鈥� bhoireannach聽choibhneil sin. Mo bheannachd air a聽leithid anns gach 脿ite. Tha an RNLI a鈥櫬燿猫anamh obair ghaisgeil air feadhBhreatainn is na h-脠ireann. Clach air聽c脿rn an fheadhainn a chailleadh o chionn聽ceathrad bliadhna. Agus mo bheannachd聽air a h-uile duine a tha ag obair air na聽b脿taichean-teasairginn. 鈥橲 e gaisgich a聽tha annta uile.

I want to tell you about a thing that聽happened to me in Orkney. I was in聽the village of Longhope. That was in聽the summer this year. There was a聽maritime accident in Longhope forty聽years ago. Eight people from the聽area died. They were the crew on聽the Longhope lifeboat. This year the聽people of Longhope were remembering聽the accident.聽It happened in March 1969.聽There was a terrible storm. A ship,聽which was registered in Liberia, in聽trouble. The Longhope lifeboat was聽called out. The ship went on the聽rocks. The coastguards rescued the聽crew. But the lifeboat did not return.聽My wife and myself were in聽Longhope this year. A woman 鈥� one聽of the locals 鈥� started to speak to my聽wife. We were off a yacht. We didn鈥檛聽have a vehicle. The woman offered聽us a lift in her car around the area.聽We were driving past the聽cemetery. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the memorial to聽those who were lost,鈥� the woman聽said. She spoke the melodious聽Orcadian dialect. I looked over. I聽saw a large memorial in the聽cemetery. I said, 鈥淭he wounds will聽still be there. People will still be 聽feeling the loss.鈥澛燬he stopped the car. 鈥淚 lost my聽husband, my father-in-law and my聽brother-in-law,鈥� she said. She was聽sad. [The] tears were running down聽her face. The wounds were still聽there. They always will be.聽What could [would] I say to聽her? The two of us said that we were聽very sorry for her loss. We were, as聽people who go to sea, extremely聽grateful to the people who work on聽the lifeboats. And that woman has a聽close relative still working on the聽Longhope lifeboat. Her son.聽My blessing on that kind聽woman. My blessing on people like聽her in all places. The RNLI does聽heroic work throughout Britain and聽Ireland. A stone on the cairn of聽those who were lost forty years ago.聽And my blessing on every person聽that works on the lifeboats. They are聽all heroes.