大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mun 貌ran F貌ghnan na h-Alba. 鈥橲 e b脿rd Loch F矛ne, E貌ghann MacColla, a sgr矛obh e. Bha mi anns an sg矛re san do rugadh e o chionn ghoirid. Tha carragh-cuimhne ann dha air a鈥� Cheann Mh貌r, no Kenmore, air cladach Loch F矛ne.

Rugadh MacColla air a鈥� Cheann Mh貌r ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1808). Chaidh an carragh-cuimhne a chur suas dha ann an naoi ceud deug is trithead (1930). 鈥橲 e Mac Cailein M貌r, Di霉c Earra-Gh脿idheal, a dh鈥檉hoillsich e.

鈥橲 ann ri obair-fearainn agus iasgach a bha E貌ghann nuair a bha e 貌g. Ach bha t脿lant aige airson sgr矛obhadh. Bha e a鈥� sgr矛obhadh an d脿 chuid ann an G脿idhlig is Beurla. Anns na tritheadan fhuair e cruinneachadh dhen stuth Gh脿idhlig aige ann an cl貌 fon tiotal Cl脿rsach nam Beann. Bha am frith-ainm air 鈥� 鈥淐l脿rsair nam Beann鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha m脿thair E貌ghainn 脿 Comhghall. Bha E貌ghann measail air an sg矛re sin air taobh thall Loch F矛ne. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e Moladh Abhainn Ruaile 鈥� ann an Comhghall 鈥� an d脿n as fhe脿rr a sgr矛obh e.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檉halbh teaghlach E貌ghainn a dh鈥檉huireach ann an Canada ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1831). Ach dh鈥檉huirich E貌ghann ann am Breatainn. Chaidh e a dh鈥檕bair ann an Liverpool mar chlarc ann an seirbheis na cusbainn. Dh鈥檉huirich e an sin gu ochd ceud deug is caogad (1850).

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chaidh e a thadhal an uair sin air na c脿irdean aige ann an Canada. Chaidh obair a thabhann dha ann an seirbheis na cusbainn ann an Kingston, Ontario. Ghabh e ris an obair. Dh鈥檉huirich e ann an Canada. R脿inig e deagh aois. Chaochail e ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1898).

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cuiridh mi cr矛och air an Litir le rann bho Moladh Abhainn Ruaile: A mhuime nam breac, feuch siud iad a鈥� gleac, Rid chaislichean sneachd-gheal, steallaireach; An seo iad a鈥� leum an coinneamh na gr猫in 鈥� Mo cheist air na laochain gheal-tharrach! O, iasgair, bi clis! Siud fear dhiubh a-nis fo dhubhar a鈥� phris ud feitheamh ort; Cuir cuileag gun d脿il na rathad mas 脿ill leat fhaicinn an c脿s nach laghach聽leis.

I was telling you last week about the song The Thistle of Scotland. It was the Loch Fyne bard, Evan MacColl, that wrote it. I was in the parish in which he was born recently. There is a memorial to him at Kenmore, on the shore of Loch Fyne.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 MacColl was born at Kenmore in 1808. The memorial was erected for him in 1930. It was the clan chief of the Campbells, the Duke of Argyll, that unveiled it.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Evan was involved in agric-ulture and fishing when he was young. But he had a talent for writing. He was writing both in Gaelic and English. In the thirties he got a collection of his Gaelic work published under the title Cl脿rsach nam Beann. He had the nickname 鈥淐l脿rsair nam Beann鈥� [harpist of the mountains].

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Evan鈥檚 mother was from Cowal. Evan liked that area on the far side of Loch Fyne. Some people are of the opinion that 鈥淚n Praise of the River Ruel鈥� 鈥� in Cowal 鈥� is the best poem he wrote.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Evan鈥檚 family left to live in Canada in 1831. But Evan remained in Britain. He went to work in Liverpool as a clerk in the customs office. He stayed there until 1850.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Then he went to visit his relatives in Canada. Work was offered to him in the customs service in Kingtson, Ontario. He accepted the work. He remained in Canada. He reached a good age. He died in 1898.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I鈥檒l finish the Litir with a verse from 鈥淚n Praise of the River Ruel鈥�: Foster-mother of the trout, see them as they fight, with your snow-white, splashing shallows; Here they make leaps towards the sun 鈥� how I love the white-bellied little heroes! O fisher, be quick! There鈥檚 one of them now under the shade of that bush, awaiting you; Send a fly his way without delay if you wish to see him in a plight that he won鈥檛 enjoy.