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06/08/2007

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruairidh MacIlleathain.

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An Litir Bheag 116

Dh’fhàg mòran daoine Eilean Mhanainn anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Cha robh an t-eilean beartach mar a tha e an-diugh. Chaidh mòran do na Stàitean Aonaichte. Chaidh cuid mhath aca gu Ohio agus Pennsylvania. Bha an cànan aca – Gàidhlig Eilean Mhanainn – beò ann am Pennsylvania aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Agus bha i aig mòran ann an grunn bhailtean ann an Ohio – eadhon ann an Cleveland fhèin. Tha tùsan Manainneach aig trithead mìle duine ann an Cleveland.

Anns an eilean fhèin, anns an naoidheamh linn deug, cha robh na h-ùghdarrasan uabhasach taiceil don chànan. Ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ’s a h-aon (1871), bha i fhathast aig cairteal dhen t-sluagh – còrr is trì mìle deug duine. Aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn bha sin air tuiteam gu beagan is ceithir mìle. Ann an naoi ceud deug seasgad ’s a h-aon (1961), bha dìreach dithis ann – Sage Kinvig agus Ned Maddrell. Chaochail Sage bliadhna às dèidh sin. Chaochail Ned Maddrell ann an naoi ceud deug, seachdad ’s a ceithir (1974).

Nuair a bha mi ann an Eilean Mhanainn chaidh mi a Chreneash. ’S e baile sean-fhasanta – agus brèagha – a th’ ann an Creneash. Tha mullaichean tughaidh air cuid de na taighean fhathast. ’S e sin am baile anns an deach am film Waking Ned a dhèanamh. Am faca sibh am film? Tha e glè shnog. Tha iad a’ toirt a’ chreidsinn gu bheil a h-uile càil a’ tachairt ann an Èirinn. Ach chaidh am filmeadh gu lèir a dhèanamh ann an Eilean Mhanainn.

Tha e car iongantach gur e Ned an t-ainm a bh’ air a’ bhodach anns a film, oir tha ceangal làidir eadar an t-ainm agus Creneash. ’S e sin am baile anns an robh Ned Maddrell a’ fuireach. Agus roimhe sin bha Ned eile ann a bha ainmeil. B’ esan Edward Faragher. Bha daoine eòlach air mar Neddy Beg Hom Ruy. Bha e na iasgair, sgrìobhadair, sgeulaiche is bàrd. Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu dheidhinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: Dh’fhàg mòran daoine Eilean Mhanainn anns an naoidheamh linn deug: many people left the Isle of Man in the 19th Century; na Stàitean Aonaichte: the United States; cuid mhath aca: a good proportion of them; toiseach an fhicheadamh linn: the start of the 20th Century; ann an grunn bhailtean: in several towns; tha tùsan Manainneach aig trithead mìle duine: thirty thousand people have Manx roots; cha robh na h-ùghdarrasan uabhasach taiceil: the authorities weren’t very helpful; cairteal dhen t-sluagh: a quarter of the population; còrr is trì mìle deug duine: more than thirty thousand people; dìreach dithis: only two people; chaochail X bliadhna às dèidh sin: X died the following year [a year after that]; chaidh mi a Chreneash: I went to Cregneash; tha mullaichean tughaidh air cuid de na taighean: some of the houses have thatched roofs [there are thatched roofs on some of the houses]; am faca sibh am film?: have you seen [did you see] the film?; tha iad a’ toirt a’ chreidsinn gu bheil a h-uile càil a’ tachairt ann an Èirinn: they pretend that everything happens in Ireland; chaidh am filmeadh gu lèir a dhèanamh: all the filming was done; tha e car iongantach gur e Ned an t-ainm a bh’ air a’ bhodach: it is quite surprising/remarkable that the old man is called Ned; am baile anns an robh Ned Maddrell a’ fuireach: the village in which Ned Maddrell lived; roimhe sin bha Ned eile ann a bha ainmeil: before that there was another Ned who was famous; bha daoine eòlach air mar Neddy Beg Hom Ruy: people knew him as Neddy Beag Thom Ruaidh; bha e na iasgair, sgrìobhadair, sgeulaiche is bàrd: he was a fisherman, writer, story-teller and poet.

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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