大象传媒

Thathar ag r脿dh gum b鈥� e am batail mu dheireadh eadar G脿idheil is Goill ann an Alba 鈥淪abaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige鈥� ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a naoi (1859). 鈥橲 e gnothach uabhasach a bh鈥� ann 脿s nach bi G脿idheal no Gall moiteil an-diugh. Th貌isich e le ubhal 鈥� no, a r猫ir cuid, orainsear. Agus chr矛ochnaich e le aimhreit mh貌r air sr脿idean Inbhir 脵ige.

Bha na m矛ltean de Gh脿idheil ann an Inbhir 脵ige airson an iasgaich. 鈥橲 ann 脿 Le貌dhas a bha m貌ran aca. Air an t-seachdamh latha fichead dhen L霉nastal 鈥� 鈥檚 e Disathairne a bh鈥� ann 鈥� th貌isich sabaid air an 脿rd-shr脿id eadar dithis bhalach. 鈥橲 ann mu dheidhinn ubhal 鈥� no orainsear 鈥� a bha an t-sabaid. B鈥� iad an dithis gille 脿 Inbhir 脵ige agus fear Calum MacLe貌id 脿 Bail鈥� Ailein ann an Le貌dhas. Bha Calum ceithir bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois.

Bha gu le貌r a-muigh air an t-sr脿id agus sgaoil an t-sabaid mar fhalaisg sa mh貌intich. Taobh a-staigh d脿 mhionaid bha na ceudan air a dhol an amhaichean a ch猫ile. Th脿inig na poilis agus dh鈥檉heuch iad ri eileanach a chur an gr猫im a bhathar a鈥� coireachadh airson na h-aimhreit. Ach cha leigeadh a charaidean leis na poilis a thoirt air falbh. Mu dheireadh fhuair na poilis taic bho chuid de mhuinntir an 脿ite, agus chaidh aca air an duine a thoirt gu st猫isean nam poileas.

Chuairtich na h-eileanaich an togalach. Bha iad a鈥� toirt rabhadh seachad gun toireadh iad fh猫in an duine a-mach mura biodh e air a leigeil ma sgaoil. Bha na poilis dhen bheachd gum b鈥� e fear 脿 Ce貌s ann an Le貌dhas, Raibeart D貌mhnallach, an ceannard aca. Th脿inig iad a-mach agus tharraing iad Raibeart a-steach don togalach. A r猫ir aithris, chaidh a chuid aodaich a reubadh dheth anns an 霉praid.

Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� mh矛-rian na bu mhiosa. Thuirt an sluagh gun leagadh iad an togalach gu l脿r mura leigeadh na poilis na h-eileanaich ma sgaoil. Bha mu dh脿 mh矛le gu leth duine an l脿thair, ach bha d矛reach mu cheud a鈥� gabhail p脿irt san aimhreit.

Bha feadhainn a鈥� sadail chlachan. Chaidh trithead uinneag a bhriseadh ann an Talla a鈥� Bhaile agus bha feadhainn a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air daoine eile a bha d矛reach a鈥� coimhead a鈥� ghnothaich. Chaidh oidhirp a dh猫anamh, ann an G脿idhlig is Beurla, fearg an t-sluaigh a mh霉chadh, ach cha do dh鈥檕braich e.

Cha robh an t-脌rd-chonstabal air a bhith d矛omhain, ge-t脿. Bha e air fios a chur don t-soitheach d矛on-iasgaich, am Princess Royal, a bha anns an sg矛re. Bha e cuideachd air a bhith a鈥� cl脿radh cuid de dh鈥檉hir an 脿ite mar chonstabalan s貌nraichte.

Bha dragh air na h-霉ghdarrasan cuideachd mu choinneamh-霉rnaigh a bha a鈥� gabhail 脿ite faisg air l脿imh, anns an robh m矛le gu leth duine 鈥� a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha aca nan聽G脿idheil. Chaidh brath a chur don mhinistear, Mgr MacAoidh 脿 D霉thaich MhicAoidh, iarraidh air a鈥� choitheanal aige dhol d矛reach dhachaigh 脿s d猫idh l脿imh. Rinn e sin, agus chaidh a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na daoine dhachaigh gun d脿il. Rinn Mgr MacAoidh fh猫in air l脿rach na h-aimhreit agus bhruidhinn e ris an t-sluagh airson fichead mionaid, ag iarraidh orra sgaoileadh, ach cha do ghabh iad a chomhairle.

An uair sin leugh an Siorram Achd na h-Aimhreit. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Ce貌s: Keose; m矛-rian: disorder; crann: mast; d矛omhain: idle; coinneamh-霉rnaigh: prayer meeting; D霉thaich MhicAoidh: The Mackay country of N. Sutherland.

Abairtean na Litreach: Sabaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige: The Great Fight of Wick; 脿s nach bi X no Y moiteil an-diugh: of which neither X or Y is proud today; chr矛ochnaich e le aimhreit mh貌r: it finished with a great riot; b鈥� iad an dithis gille 脿 Inbhir 脵ige agus X 脿 Bail鈥� Ailein: the two were a lad from Wick and X from Balallan; sgaoil an t-sabaid mar fhalaisg sa mh貌intich: the fighting spread like a muirburn on the moor; bha na ceudan air a dhol an amhaichean a ch猫ile: hundreds [of people] were at loggerheads; dh鈥檉heuch iad ri eileanach a chur an gr猫im: they tried to arrest an islander; a bhathar a鈥� coireachadh: who was being blamed; cha leigeadh a charaidean leis na poilis a thoirt air falbh: his friends wouldn鈥檛 let the police take him away; chuairtich na h-eileanaich an togalach: the islanders surrounded the building; chaidh a chuid aodaich a reubadh dheth: his clothes were ripped off; gun leagadh iad an togalach gu l脿r: that they would completely destroy the building (to the ground); a鈥� sadail chlachan: throwing stones; a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh: attacking; chaidh oidhirp a dh猫anamh fearg an t-sluaigh a mh霉chadh: an effort was made to stifle the crowd鈥檚 anger; a鈥� cl脿radh cuid de dh鈥檉hir mar chonstabalan s貌nraichte: registering some men as special constables; rinn X air l脿rach na h-aimhreit: X made for the site of the riot; ag iarraidh orra sgaoileadh: asking them to disperse; leugh an Siorram Achd na h-Aimhreit: the Sheriff read the Riot Act.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha iad a鈥� toirt rabhadh seachad (gun toireadh iad fh猫in an duine a-mach mura biodh e air a leigeil ma sgaoil): they were warning (that they would release the man themselves if he were not let go). There is no simple Gaelic verb which serves as an equivalent to 鈥渨arn鈥�. The phrase thoir rabhadh do/dha is used where there is a direct object 鈥� eg bheir mi rabhadh dhaibh (I will warn them). If there is no object expressed then we often add seachad eg thug mi rabhadh seachad gum bithinn feargach (I gave a warning that I would be angry).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: chaidh aca air (an duine a thoirt gu st猫isean nam poileas): they managed (to take the man to the police station). Chaidh agam air a鈥� chraobh a leagail: I managed to fell the tree.