大象传媒

An cuala sibh a-riamh mu 鈥淎r-a-mach a鈥� Bhunt脿ta鈥� ann an Inbhir Nis? Uill, 鈥檚 e m矛 fh矛n a chuir an tiotal sin air. 鈥橲 e tachartas iongantach a bh鈥� ann.

Tha ceud is seasgad bliadhna air a dhol seachad bho thachair gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta. Thug e buaidh uabhasach air muinntir na h-脠ireann, ach bha e dona gu le貌r ann an Alba cuideachd. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha daoine ann an 猫iginn, gun bhiadh gu le貌r, bha cuid eile a鈥� reic biadh is a鈥� d猫anamh prothaid 脿s. Bha iad eadhon a鈥� d猫anamh 脿s-mhalairt de bhunt脿ta.

Air an treas latha dhen Ghearran, ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1846) th貌isicheadh air bunt脿ta a chur air b貌rd d脿 shoitheach ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha iad a鈥� dol gu ruige Lunnainn far am faighte pr矛s mhath air a鈥� mhargaidh. Bha fios aig muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath, ge-t脿, air d猫 bha a鈥� dol ann an 脠irinn agus gun robh an suidheachadh a鈥� f脿s truagh ann an Alba cuideachd.

Air an latha sin chaidh buidheann de mh脿thraichean len cuid cloinne don chidhe. Bha iad air an cuideachadh le fir. Am measg nam fear bha Aonghas Siosalach, a bha na ghobha. Nuair a th脿inig cairtean is eich, is na cairtean l脿n bhunt脿ta, chun a鈥� chidhe, chuir na daoine stad orra. Thionndaidh iad cinn nan each, agus tharraing iad na h-eich air falbh bhon chidhe.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach chaidh feuchainn a-rithist na cairtean fhaighinn chun a鈥� chidhe. Ach a-rithist chaidh stad a chur orra. Bha an sluagh a-nise air f脿s m貌r. Chuala 霉ghdarrasan a鈥� bhaile mun t-suidheachadh. Rinn an t-Iar-Shiorram, am Pr貌bhaist, maighstirean-lagha agus poilis air a鈥� chidhe. Ach chaidh stad a chur orra mus do r脿inig iad an cidhe. Agus chaidh poll a thilgeil orra.

An 脿ite a bhith ag 猫isteachd ris na daoine, ge-t脿, chuir iad fios don arm ann an Gearastan De貌rsa. Th脿inig buidheann de sheachdad saighdear. R脿inig iad Caisteal Inbhir Nis air an oidhche sin.

Ach cha do chuir sin eagal air na daoine. Th脿inig m矛le gu leth dhiubh cruinn c貌mhla, a鈥� togail fianais. Bha iad ag iarraidh air na h-霉ghdarrasan stad a chur air 脿s-mhalairt a鈥� bhunt脿ta.

Cha robh iad buileach s矛theil, ge-t脿. Bha Aonghas Siosalach air a dhol na cheannard orra. Dh鈥檌arr e air gille 貌g coiseachd tro shr脿idean a鈥� bhaile, a鈥� bualadh a dhruma. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad a鈥� coiseachd, dh鈥檉h脿s an sluagh, a bha a鈥� leantainn a鈥� ghille, na bu mhotha 鈥檚 na bu mhotha.

Chaidh iad gu Tom a鈥� Chaisteil, far an robh na saighdearan. Bha iad ag 猫igheachd air na saighdearan. Agus chan ann modhail a bha iad. Dh鈥檉huirich na saighdearan am broinn a鈥� chaisteil, ge-t脿.

An uair sin chaidh iad gu taigh aig seann phr貌bhaist a鈥� bhaile agus bhris iad cuid de na h-uinneagan aige. Rinn iad an aon rud aig taigh a鈥� phr貌bhaist. Ghluais iad s矛os gu taigh aig fear dhen fheadhainn a bha a鈥� ruith nan soithichean a bha a鈥� toirt a鈥� bhunt脿ta air falbh. B鈥� esan Seumas Mason. Th脿inig an cl脿rc aige a-mach le gunna na l脿imh. Chaidh an gunna a thoirt bhuaithe agus bha e air a ghoirteachadh anns an sp脿irn.

An uair sin nochd Mason fh猫in. 鈥溾�橲 e mise a bu choireach,鈥� dh鈥檃idich e, 鈥渞i 脿s-mh脿lairt a鈥� bhunt脿ta, ach bheir mi arbhar is bunt脿ta gu le貌r a-steach a dh鈥橧nbhir Nis ma tha sin a dh矛th.鈥� Agus innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 rinn an sluagh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: gobha: blacksmith; poll: mud; seachdad: seventy; s矛theil: peaceful; bataichean: sticks; cl脿rc: clerk; sp脿irn: struggle.

Abairtean na Litreach: Ar-a-mach a鈥� Bhunt脿ta: The Potato Revolt; tachartas iongantach: an amazing occurrence; bho thachair gaiseadh a鈥� bhunt脿ta: since the potato blight happened; buaidh uabhasach air muinntir na h-脠ireann: a terrible effect on the people of Ireland; ann an 猫iginn: in dire straits; a鈥� d猫anamh prothaid 脿s: making a profit from it; an treas latha dhen Ghearran: 3rd February; th貌isicheadh air bunt脿ta a chur air b貌rd d脿 shoitheach: loading of potatoes onto two vessels was started; far am faighte pr矛s mhath air a鈥� mhargaidh: where a good price would be obtained on the market; muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath: the people of the north; m脿thraichean len cuid cloinne: mothers with their children; thionndaidh iad cinn nan each: they turned the horses鈥檚 heads; tharraing iad na h-eich air falbh: they pulled the horses away; air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the next day; rinn an t-Iar-Shiorram, am Pr貌bhaist, maighstirean-lagha agus poilis air a鈥� chidhe: the Depute Sheriff, the Provost, magistrates and police made for the quay; chuir iad fios don arm ann an Gearastan De貌rsa: they sent word to the army at Fort George; a鈥� togail fianais: demonstrating; bha Aonghas Siosalach air a dhol na cheannard orra: Angus Chisholm had become their leader; a鈥� bualadh a dhruma: banging his drum; chan ann modhail a bha iad: they weren鈥檛 polite; fear dhen fheadhainn a bha a鈥� ruith nan soithichean: one of the people who ran the vessels; chaidh an gunna a thoirt bhuaithe: the gun was taken from him: 鈥檚 e mise a bu choireach: it鈥檚 me who was responsible: bheir mi arbhar is bunt脿ta gu le貌r a-steach: I will import enough corn and potatoes.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha iad eadhon a鈥� d猫anamh 脿s-mhalairt de bhunt脿ta: they were even exporting potatoes. Note that bunt脿ta stands for both the singular and plural potato and potatoes. 脌s- is the prefix sometimes used as an equivalent to ex- in English (which comes directly from Latin). The opposite is in-, equivalent to the English in- (or 矛m-). Thus we have 脿s-mhalairt (export) and in-mhalairt (import). Also 脿s-d霉nadh (exclusion) and in-ghabhail (inclusion); the Gaelic for social exclusion is 脿s-d霉nadh s貌isealta. We also have 脿s-imrich (emigration) and in-imrich (immigration). However, 脿s-imrich is rarely heard in informal language, the more usual being eilthireachd (an old word derived from eile and t矛r), although eilthireachd can also mean pilgrimage (the main reason for going to other lands in pre-diaspora times).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: ma tha sin a dh矛th: if that is required, needed.