大象传媒

Bha D貌mhnall MacRath na mhaighstir-sgoile ann an Sgoil Bhail鈥� Ailein ann an Le貌dhas airson d矛reach d脿 bhliadhna. Ach choisinn e cli霉 ann. Bha e an s脿s gu m貌r ann an 鈥楥reach Mh貌r nam Fiadh鈥�, a鈥� chreach ainmeil a thachair air Fr矛th na P脿irce ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a seachd (1887).

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chan e Le貌dhasach a bh鈥� ann an D貌mhnall, ge-t脿. Rugadh e ann am Ploc Loch Aillse ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1851). 鈥橲 e sgoilear G脿idhlig a bh鈥� ann agus tha p脿ipearan aige am measg cruinneachadh Comunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis. Bha e a鈥� teagasg ann an Inbhir Nis agus an uair sin, fhuair e dreuchd mar cheannard-sgoile ann an Ceann Drochaid ann an Alanais, ann an Ros an Ear.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ach rinn e n脿imhdean am measg uachdarain agus 脿rd-urrachan na G脿idhealtachd, oir bha e a鈥� taobhadh gu l脿idir ris na croitearan a bha a鈥� str矛 airson c貌raichean fearainn. Bha D貌mhnall an s脿s gu m貌r ann an obair L矛og an Fhearainn agus ann an Institiud Foghlaim na h-Alba.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chuir 脿rd-urrachan b貌rd na sgoile 脿s a dhreuchd e. Bha iad a鈥� cumail a-mach gun robh e a鈥� toirt poilitigs a-steach don t-se貌mar-theagaisg. Bha D貌mhnall a鈥� dol 脿s 脿icheadh sin. Bha na daoine cumanta feargach gun do chaill e a dhreuchd. 鈥橲 ann an uair sin a choisinn D貌mhnall cli霉 dha fh猫in mar 鈥楳hairtir Alanais鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cha robh e fada gun obair, ge-t脿. Fhuair e dreuchd mar mhaighstir-sgoile ann am Bail鈥� Ailein ann an Sg矛re nan Loch ann an Le貌dhas. An sin, bha na daoine ag agairt airson fearann an sinnsirean fhaighinn air ais. Bha an sinnsirean air am fuadachadh agus bha m貌ran dhen fhearann fhathast 鈥� sin Fr矛th na P脿irce 鈥� air a chur gu feum airson f猫idh an uachdarain. Th脿inig D貌mhnall MacRath gu 脿ite far am b鈥� urrainn dha leantainn le obair airson ceartas do mhuinntir na G脿idhealtachd. Bhiodh cuid a鈥� gabhail 鈥楳airtir Bhail鈥� Ailein鈥� air, seach 鈥楳airtir Alanais鈥�.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 脌s d猫idh grunn choinneamhan poblach 鈥� ann an Sgoil Bhail鈥� Ailein 鈥� roghnaich na croitearan a dhol air adhart le bhith a鈥� marbhadh fhiadh air fearann na P脿irce. Bha iad a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh sin gu follaiseach agus chuir iad fios do na poilis, don uachdaran agus do na p脿ipearan-naidheachd. Bha iad a鈥� dol a dh鈥檕brachadh air cogais muinntir na h-Alba is muinntir Bhreatainn gus am faigheadh iad ceartas.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nuair a th脿inig an latha 鈥� an d脿rna latha fichead dhen t-Samhain 鈥� chaidh na croitearan a-steach don oighreachd, agus p矛obairean aig an ceann. Th脿inig geamair nan rathad. 鈥楢n ann 脿s bhur ciall a tha sibh?鈥� thuirt e. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair e freagairt.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 An uair sin, thuirt e, 鈥楥貌 tha air bhur ceann?鈥� Agus fhuair e freagairt de she貌rsa. 鈥楾ha ar bonaidean!鈥� thuirt na croitearan. Cha robh ceannard aca. Bha gach duine na cheannard.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lean iad orra airson tr矛 latha 鈥� na ceudan de dhaoine. Mharbh iad ceudan de dh鈥檉h猫idh. Rinn iad campa le n脿dar de ph脿illean a bh鈥� air a dh猫anamh de shi霉il chanabhais agus cabraichean. Thog iad teintean m貌ra agus ghoil iad fe貌il.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu dheidhinn a鈥� ghnothaich an-ath-sheachdain. Ach f脿gaidh mi sibh le 矛omhaigh. Croitearan air beulaibh teine anns an dorchadas. A鈥� beannachadh toradh nam beann. Agus a鈥� gabhail 貌rain Gh脿idhlig, leithid 鈥楥hunna鈥� mi 鈥檔 Damh Donn鈥�. Uill, d猫 eile?

Bha D貌mhnall MacRath na mhaighstir-sgoile ann an Sgoil Bhail鈥� Ailein: Donald MacRae was a schoolmaster in Balallan School; choisinn e cli霉 ann: he won a reputation there; rugadh e ann am Ploc Loch Aillse: he was born in Plockton; tha p脿ipearan aige am measg cruinneachadh Comunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis: he contributed papers to the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness; Ceann Drochaid ann an Alanais, ann an Ros an Ear: Bridgend in Alness, in Easter Ross; rinn e n脿imhdean am measg uachdarain agus 脿rd-urrachan na G脿idhealtachd: he made enemies among the landlords and establishment leaders in the Highlands; bha e a鈥� taobhadh gu l脿idir ris na croitearan: he was strongly siding with the crofters; chuir X 脿s a dhreuchd e: X fired him from his position; a鈥� toirt poilitigs a-steach don t-se貌mar-theagaisg: taking politics into the classroom; a鈥� dol 脿s 脿icheadh sin: denying that; ag agairt airson fearann an sinnsirean fhaighinn air ais: claiming back the land of their ancestors; far am b鈥� urrainn dha leantainn le obair airson ceartas: where he could continue with his work for justice; grunn choinneamhan poblach: several public meetings; roghnaich na croitearan a dhol air adhart le bhith a鈥� marbhadh fhiadh: the crofters chose to go ahead and kill deer; chuir iad fios do na poilis, don uachdaran agus do na p脿ipearan-naidheachd: they informed the police, the landlord and the newspapers; a鈥� dol a dh鈥檕brachadh air cogais muinntir na h-Alba: going to work on the conscience of the people of Scotland; agus p矛obairean aig an ceann: with pipers at their head; an ann 脿s bhur ciall a tha sibh?: are you out of your minds?; bha gach duine na cheannard: each man was a leader; n脿dar de ph脿illean a bh鈥� air a dh猫anamh de shi霉il chanabhais agus cabraichean: a sort of marquee made of canvas sails and wooden poles; ghoil iad fe貌il: they boiled meat; a鈥� beannachadh toradh nam beann: blessing the bounty of the hills.

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