大象传媒

Chaidh comataidh a chur air chois ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1875) leis an amas Ceilteis a st猫idheachadh mar chuspair oilthigh ann an D霉n Eideann fo sti霉ir proifeasair. Am measg nam ball, bha Iain Sti霉bhart Blackie, Proifeasair na Greugais aig an dearbh oilthigh. 鈥橲 e Blackie, barrachd na duine sam bith eile, a sheas a-mach gu poblach air a鈥� ch霉is.

Bha aca ri dusan m矛le not a chruinneachadh agus, aig an toiseach, chaidh c霉isean gu math leotha. Taobh a-staigh c貌ig m矛osan bha an treas cuid dhen airgead aca. Bha e a鈥� tighinn bho iomadh ce脿rn 鈥� 脿 sliochd nan Gaidheal thall thairis, 脿s uaislean na Gaidhealtachd fh猫in, 脿 buidhnean culturach is oifisean is clubaichean thall 鈥檚 a-bhos.

Bhiodh an fheadhainn a bu bhochda a鈥� cur stampaichean-puist chun na comataidh oir cha robh airgead gu le貌r aca airson barrachd. Ach bha cuid ann, daoine beartach, a thug ceud not dhaibh 鈥� airgead m貌r sna l脿ithean ud. Agus nuair a chuala a鈥� Bh脿nrigh mun ghnothach bho Dhi霉c is Ban-di霉c Earra-Ghaidheal, thug i fh猫in d脿 cheud not seachad.

Bha Blackie cianail trang anns a鈥� Ghiblean is anns a鈥� Ch猫itean. Thug e 貌raidean mun t-suidheachadh ann am Birmingham is Lunnainn, thill e a Dh霉n Eideann airson 脿rd-sheanaidhean nan eaglaisean Cl猫ireach, agus chaidh e air ais a Shasainn an uair sin, airson tuilleadh 貌raidean ann an Lunnainn is Oxford.

Bha e airson 鈥檚 gum biodh a charaid Iain F. Caimbeul, no Iain 脪g 脤le, mar a b鈥� aithne do na Gaidheil e, na thagraiche airson na cathrach, oir bha e ainmeil mar sgoilear G脿idhlig agus fear-cruinneachaidh beul-aithris. Cha robh Iain air a shon, ge-t脿. Sgr矛obh e gu Blackie, ag innse st貌iridh dha a chruinnich e, anns an do thachair an gaisgeach ri fear a bhiodh a鈥� briseadh chlachan le bhith a鈥� suidh orra. 鈥橲 e T貌nchruaidh a chainte ris agus, eadhon nuair a dh鈥檉heuch droch r矛gh ri cur 脿s don ghaisgeach le cathair anns an robh bior iarainn, bha ar caraid s脿bhailte oir bha e air T貌nchruaidh fhastadh, agus shuidh esan anns a鈥� chathair roimhe. Bha Iain dhen bheachd gum biodh feum aig Proifeasair na Ceilteis air T貌nchruaidh dha fh猫in mus gabhadh e 脿ite anns a鈥� chathair aige, leis na bhiodh aige de n脿imhdean!

Bha Blackie a-nise ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail ach bha cuid ann nach aithneachadh an diofar eadar e fh猫in is am Proifeasair Blaikie 脿 Colaiste na h-Eaglaise Saoire. Nuair a bha Blaikie anns na St脿itean Aonaichte th脿inig m貌ran ga ionnsaigh airson taing mh貌r a thoirt dha airson Cathair na Ceilteis a chur air chois ann an D霉n Eideann. B鈥� fheudar dha innse dhaibh nach b鈥� esan an duine!

Chaidh an st貌ras de dh鈥檃irgead a bhathar a鈥� cruinneachadh airson na cathrach a dh霉nadh le c貌rr is ceithir m矛le deug not ann, agus chaidh an dreuchd a st猫idheachadh anns an D霉bhlachd, ochd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1882). 鈥橲 e D貌mhnall MacFhiongain 脿 Colasa a fhuair i. Anns an dearbh bhliadhna sin, leig Blackie dheth a dhreuchd mar Phroifeasair na Greugais.

Chaochail Blackie ann an ochd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1895) agus bha seirbheis-tiodhlacaidh aige ann an 脌rd-eaglais Ghill (no St. Giles Cathedral). B鈥� e a鈥� chiad duine a chuir teachdaireachd-bhr貌in ga ionnsaigh am Pr矛omhaire, am Morair Rosebery. Chuir esan bl脿th-fhleasg, a fhuair pr矛omh 脿ite air a鈥� chiste-laighe nuair a bha i air an rathad eadar an eaglais agus an cladh. Rinn na m矛ltean m貌ra caoidh air, agus thug iad urram do chuimhne air an rathad a Chladh Dean. Bha l脿n-fhios aca nach fhaiceadh Alba a leithid tuilleadh.

Faclan na seachdaine: sliochd: descendants; uaislean: gentry; stampaichean-puist: postage stamps; Ban-di霉c Earra-Ghaidheal: Duchess of Argyll; Iain 脪g 脤le: John Francis Campbell; n脿imhdean: enemies; Colaiste na h-Eaglaise Saoire: The Free Church College; Colasa: Colonsay; teachdaireachd-bhr貌in: message of condolence; bl脿th-fhleasg: wreath; ciste-laighe: coffin; bad fraoich: bunch of heather; Cladh Dean: Dean Cemetery.

Abairtean na seachdaine: chaidh comataidh a chur air chois: a committee was set up; bha aca ri dusan m矛le not a chruinneachadh: they had to collect 拢12,000; taobh a-staigh c貌ig m矛osan: within 5 months; bho iomadh ce脿rn: from many quarters, regions; thall 鈥檚 a-bhos: here and there; airson 脿rd-sheanaidhean nan eaglaisean Cl猫ireach: for the assemblies of the Presbyterian churches; mar a b鈥� aithne do na Gaidheil e: as the Gaels knew him; cha robh Iain air a shon: John didn鈥檛 want it [he wasn鈥檛 for it]; le cathair anns an robh bior iarainn: with a chair in which was an iron spike; bha e air T貌nchruaidh fhastadh: he had employed Hardbum (if you鈥檒l permit the inelegant translation of the name); nach aithneachadh an diofar eadar X is Y: who couldn鈥檛 recognise the difference between X and Y; b鈥� fheudar dha innse dhaibh nach b鈥� esan an duine: he had to tell them he wasn鈥檛 the man; chaidh an st貌ras a dh霉nadh: the collection [of money] was closed; rinn na m矛ltean m貌ra caoidh air: many mourned him; thug iad urram do chuimhne: they honoured his memory; bha l脿n-fhios aca nach fhaiceadh Alba a leithid tuilleadh: they fully knew that Scotland would not see his like again.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: anns an do thachair an gaisgeach ri fear a bhiodh a鈥� briseadh chlachan le bhith a鈥� suidh orra: in which the hero met with a man who would break stones by sitting on them. You do understand, I hope, that clachan here means 鈥渟tones鈥� and does not have an alternative meaning which might bring tears to a man鈥檚 eyes! Grammatically, I want to look at its lenition. It is here in the genitive (plural) case following the verbal noun a鈥� briseadh. A genitive plural like this, without the article, is lenited eg ch脿raichean (of cars), dhorsan (of doors), mh矛osan (of months). This lenition with the verbal noun is not universal 鈥� some people would ignore it, particularly where there is no article, using the nominative plural form (a鈥� briseadh clachan), but it is still very common and is grammatically correct.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: airgead m貌r sna l脿ithean ud: a lot of money in those days. Anns na l脿ithean ud: in those (distant) days.