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Co bhuannaich Cupa na Camanachd o chionn ceud bliadhna, ann an naoi ceud deug is trì (1903)? Nise, bidh fios aig duine sam bith a tha a’ leantainn iomain an là an-diugh gur iad Ceann a’ Ghiuthsaich an fheadhainn as fheàrr. Bhuannaich iad an fharpais gu furasta am bliadhna, agus tha iad air anns a’ phrìomh àite airson bliadhnaichean.

Ach cò bhuannaich Cupa na Camanachd o chionn ceud bliadhna? Uill …Ceann a’ Ghiuthsaich. Bha iad cumhachdach aig an àm sin cuideachd. Ach cha b’ ann gun strì no gun chonnspaid a rinn iad a’ chùis anns a’ bhliadhna sin.

Bha iad anns a’ chuairt dheireannaich airson an t-siathamh turas agus bha iad an aghaidh Inbhir Aora, sgioba eile le eachdraidh mhòr, a bha a’ nochdadh anns a’ chuairt dheireannaich airson an dàrna turas. Chaidh an co-dhùnadh a dhèanamh an geam a chumail ann am Peairt agus chaidh a chluich air an ochdamh là fichead dhen Mhàrt.

Bidh fios agaibh, ’s dòcha, gu bheil Comunn na Camanachd air aontachadh an seusan atharrachadh an ath-bhliadhna gus am bithear a’ cluich as t-samhradh seach anns a’ gheamhradh. Ach ann an naoi ceud deug is trì, bha an geam as mò ann faisg air deireadh a’ gheamhraidh agus bha a’ phàirc ann an droch staid. Bha an aimsir sgriosail. A dh’aindeoin sin, ge-tà, chaidh còig ceud duine à Bàideanach gu ruige Peairt air trèana shònraichte.

Chaidh an geam air adhart agus chuir Aonghas MacCoinnich tadhal do Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich. Bha iad air thoiseach air Inbhir Aora airson leth-uair a thìde dhen gheam, ach chuir fear MacEoghainn tadhal airson Inbhir Aora agus thàinig an fharpais gu crìch leis an dà sgioba co-ionann, 1-1.

Uill, dè bhathar a’ dol a dhèanamh? Bha dìle bhàthte ann ’s bha i mì-chàilear do na cluicheadairean. A bharrachd air sin, cha robh cuairt dheireannach sam bith a-riamh air a dhol gu ùine a bharrachd. Bha coinneamh sgiobalta aig cuid de bhuill Comhairle Stiùiridh Chomunn na Camanachd agus cho-dhùin iad leantainn orra le ùine a bharrachd airson a’ chiad turas a riamh. Chluich na sgiobannan airson leth-uair a thìde, ach cha robh tadhal eile ann.

Ceithir là as dèidh sin, choinnich Comhairle a’ Chomuinn ann an suidheachadh nas càileire – ann an taigh-òsta ann an Inbhir Nis, le fear à Ceann a’ Ghiuthsaich, Eoghann Caimbeul, anns a’ chathair. Chuir muinntir na Comhairle romhpa an geam a chumail a-rithist air an aonamh là deug dhen Ghiblean ann an Inbhir Nis. Thagh iad Inbhir Nis airson dèanamh cinnteach gum biodh sluagh mòr an làthair is gun dèanadh iad gu leòr airgid às.

Uill, bha sin math gu leòr do mhuinntir Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich, oir chan eil am baile-san fad’ air falbh bho Inbhir Nis, ach cha robh sgioba Inbhir Aora ro thoilichte. Chuir iad fios gu Rùnaire Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich, ag innse dha nach b’ urrainn dhaibh faighinn a dh’Inbhir Nis air an là sin airson a’ gheama. Ach thuirt iad anns an teileagram gum biodh iad deònach coinneachadh riutha ann an Glaschu air an dearbh là.

’S ann an uair sin a chaidh cùisean ceàrr. Thuirt muinntir Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich gum biodh iadsan deònach dhol air ais a Pheairt no eadhon a dh’Inbhir Aora, ach tha e coltach gun do ghabh àrd-urrachan Chomunn na Camanachd san t-sròin e gun do dhiùlt muinntir Inbhir Aora siubhal a dh’Inbhir Nis. Thug iad an cupa do Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich. Cha chuir e iongnadh sam bith oirbh nuair a dh’innseas mi dhuibh gu robh an caothach air muinntir Inbhir Aora. Dhiùlt iad eadhon pàirt a ghabhail ann am farpais Chupa na Camanachd air a’ bhliadhna às dèidh sin.

Faclan na seachdaine: Cupa na Camanachd: Camanachd Cup; Ceann a’ Ghiuthsaich: Kingussie; Inbhir Aora: Inveraray; sgriosail: terrible; co-ionann: equal; mì-chàilear: unpleasant; rùnaire: secretary.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a tha a’ leantainn iomain: who follows shinty; cha b’ ann gun strì no gun chonnspaid: it wasn’t without a struggle or controversy; bha iad anns a’ chuairt dheireannaich: they were in the final (round); air an ochdamh là fichead dhen Mhàrt: on the 28th March; gu bheil X air aontachadh an seusan atharrachadh: that X have agreed to change the season; gus am bithear a’ cluich as t-samhradh: so that playing takes place in the summer; a dh’aindeoin sin: despite that; à Bàideanach gu ruige Peairt: from Badenoch to Perth; chuir Aonghas MacCoinnich tadhal: Angus Mackenzie scored a goal; dè bhathar a’ dol a dhèanamh?: what was to be done?; ùine a bharrachd: extra time; chluich na sgiobannan airson leth-uair a thìde: the teams played for half an hour; ann an suidheachadh nas càileire: in a more pleasant situation; anns a’ chathair: in the chair; chuir X romhpa an geam a chumail a-rithist: X decided to hold the game again; air an aonamh la deug dhen Ghiblean: on the 11th of April; gum biodh sluagh mòr an làthair: that there would be a big crowd present; chan eil am baile-san fad’ air falbh: their town isn’t far away; gum biodh iad deònach coinneachadh riutha: that they would be willing to meet them; gun do ghabh àrd-urrachan X anns an t-sròin e: that the heads of X took offence [ie took it on the nose]; gu robh an caothach air X: that X were very angry.

Puing-ghràmair na seachdaine: cuid de bhuill Comhairle Stiùiridh Chomunn na Camanachd: some of the members of the [governing] Council of the Camanachd Association. Internal lenition within a noun phrase is one of the most tricky issues in modern grammar and there are different usages in different places. But here is a general rule which might be useful. Where there is a phrase of this nature in which there is a genitivised noun followed by an article and then another genitivised noun, the first one, if masculine singular, is often lenited to mark it as a genitive, even though any genitive ending will be absent. In the above example buill (nominative) and comhairle (genitive) are not lenited. But they are followed by the genitivised phrase Comunn na Camanachd. In this instance it is natural to lenite the singular masculine noun Comunn making it Chomunn (but not slenderising it because it is followed by a definite genitive). Another example is the Speaker of the House of Commons. Here we lenite taigh to get Labhraiche Thaigh nan Cumantan. Note also in the Litir – sgioba Cheann a’ Ghiuthsaich and farpais Chupa na Camanachd.

Gnàths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha dìle bhàthte ann: there was a downpour.