大象传媒

Hal貌 a-rithist, a ch脿irdean. An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh gun tigeadh dr貌bhairean cruinn ann an Coire Bhran mus rachadh iad c貌mhla thar Monadh Miongaig, agus iad a鈥� toirt an cuid cruidh eadar B脿ideanach agus Athall. 鈥橲 e as coireach gun do rinn iad sin gu robh na h-uachdarain agus na h-霉ghdarrasan-st脿ite m矛-thoilichte gu robh iad fhathast a鈥� gabhail slighe tro na beanntan. B鈥� fhe脿rr leothasan gun gabhadh na dr貌bhairean 鈥淩athad an R矛gh鈥� thairis air Druim Uachdair, oir bhiodh aca ri c矛s a ph脿igheadh an uair sin ann an Dail na Ce脿rdaich.

Anns an naoidheamh linn deug, bhiodh aig dr貌bhairean ri c貌ig sgillinn a ph脿igheadh airson gach fichead beathach cruidh, agus d脿 sgillinn airson gach fichead caora a bh鈥� aca nuair a ruigeadh iad Dail na Ce脿rdaich. Bha sin an coimeas ri d脿 thastan airson carbad a bh鈥� air a tharraing le d脿 each 鈥� an se貌rsa rud a bha a-mh脿in aig daoine beartach. Ach do dhr貌bhairean 鈥檚 e c矛s mh貌r a bh鈥� ann agus, airson a seachnadh, ghabhadh iad an seann rathad eadar Ruadhainn agus Bl脿r Athall 鈥� thairis air Monadh Miongaig 鈥� a bha gan toirt seachad air Dail na Ce脿rdaich saor an asgaidh.

Bha na h-uachdarain is na h-霉ghdarrasan ag iarraidh stad a chur orra, agus 鈥檚 e sin a bu choireach gun rachadh na dr貌bhairean air an rathad c貌mhla. Aig 脿mannan chaidh iarraidh orra c矛s a ph脿igheadh air an rathad sin agus, mar bu trice, bhiodh iad a鈥� di霉ltadh, ag r脿dh gur e rathad poblach dualchasach a bh鈥� ann is gu robh l脿n-chead aca a chleachdadh. Is bha iad na bu l脿idire c貌mhla.

As t-Sultain ochd ceud deug is naoi ar fhichead (1829), chaidh faisg air sia ceud beathach cruidh air rathad Monadh Miongaig ann an tr矛 l脿. Agus leis an fh矛rinn innse, bhiodh na dr貌bhairean a鈥� faighinn taic bho na geamairean is c矛obairean a bha a鈥� fuireach anns na glinn. Gheibheadh iadsan buannachd 脿s na dr貌bhairean, oir bhiodh iad a鈥� reic uisge-beatha dhaibh.

Lean an d貌igh-beatha sin tron naoidheamh linn deug agus th脿inig i gu cr矛ch mu thoiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Agus, ged nach eil crodh is caoraich a鈥� falbh air an rathad sin tuilleadh, dh鈥檉h脿g na dr貌bhairean, agus muinntir na Gaidhealtachd a bhiodh ga choiseachd, d矛leab dhuinn, leis gu bheil an t-slighe aithnichte mar ch貌ir-slighe 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin rathad air a bheil l脿n-ch貌irichean aig an t-sluagh a choiseachd bho cheann gu ceann.

Uill sin mar a tha, ach thig an t-acras nas trice na aon uair. Agus aig deireadh an fhicheadamh linn dhi霉lt uachdaran m貌r Athall gabhail ri inbhe mar ch貌ir-slighe d矛reach mar a dhi霉lt na sinnsearan aige. Anns na naochadan bha Monadh Miongaig na chuspair-c貌mhraidh ann an Taigh nan Cumantan, agus am Ball P脿rlamaid, Dennis Canavan, a鈥� cur gluasad air adhart, a鈥� c脿ineadh Di霉c Athall airson feuchainn ri stad a chur air daoine bho bhith a鈥� coiseachd air an rathad.

Gu fortanach chan eil a leithid de dhol a-mach ann an-diugh. Mus deach mi air an rathad, chuir mi f貌n gu maoir-dh霉thcha na h-oighreachd, aig a bheil oifis ann am Bl脿r Athall, airson faighinn a-mach an robhar a鈥� sealg nam fiadh far an robh mi ag iarraidh dhol. 鈥淐a鈥� bheil sibh a鈥� dol?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am boireannach. 鈥淩athad Monadh Miongaig,鈥� fhreagair mi. 鈥淩athad Monadh Miongaig?鈥� thuirt i. 鈥淭ha sin fosgailte a h-uile l脿 dhen bhliadhna.鈥�

Seadh, uill, sin nuair a cheadaicheas s矛de a鈥� gheamhraidh! Co-dhi霉, tha sinn an comainn nan daoine o shean a choisich rathaidean-monaidh na Gaidhealtachd, len cuid cruidh agus 脿s an aonais, agus a dh鈥檉h脿g na c貌irichean againn a bhith a鈥� falbh orra mar a thogras sinn an-diugh.

Faclan na seachdaine: Monadh Miongaig: The Minigaig; B脿ideanach: Badenoch; Athall: Atholl; Dail na Ce脿rdaich: Dalnacardoch; Ruadhainn: Ruthven; as t-Sultain: in September; d矛leab: legacy; Taigh nan Cumantan: House of Commons; Dennis O Ceannubh脿in: Dennis Canavan; gluasad: motion.

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥檚 e as coireach gun do rinn iad sin: the reason they did that; gu robh na h-uachdarain agus na h-霉ghdarrasan-st脿ite m矛-thoilichte: that the landlords and the authorities of state were unhappy; b鈥� fhe脿rr leothasan gun ..: I they would have preferred that..; bhiodh aig dr貌bhairean ri: drovers had to; an coimeas ri d脿 thastan: compared to two shillings; mar bu trice bhiodh iad a鈥� di霉ltadh: usually they would refuse; gur e rathad poblach dualchasach a bh鈥� ann: that it was a public road which was part of their heritage; bho na geamairean is c矛obairean a bha a鈥� fuireach anns na glinn: from the gamekeepers and shepherds who were living in the glens; gheibheadh iadsan buannachd 脿s na dr貌bhairean: they would derive a benefit from the drovers; gu bheil an t-slighe aithnichte mar ch貌ir-slighe: that the route is recognised as a right of way; chuir mi f貌n gu maoir-dh霉thcha na h-oighreachd: I phoned the estate鈥檚 rangers; an robhar a鈥� sealg nam fiadh: were (the) deer being hunted; nuair a cheadaicheas s矛de a鈥� gheamhraidh: when the winter weather permits; tha sinn an comain nan daoine: we are indebted to the people; 脿s an aonais: without them; mar a thogras sinn: as we wish.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: c貌ig sgillinn 鈥� airson gach fichead beathach cruidh, agus d脿 sgillinn airson gach fichead caora: five pence 鈥� for every twenty cattle, and twopence for every twenty sheep. Can you explain why I used caora here but had to modify crodh to beathach cruidh? The reason is that fichead takes a singular noun, which works fine with caora (cf fichead c霉, fichead cat), but cannot with crodh because it is a collective noun which, while grammatically singular, is conceptually plural. So we cannot say fichead crodh. We have to use beathach to count (keeping it in the singular because fichead takes the singular), and we put crodh in the genitive (cruidh). This is the same for ceud and you will see sia ceud beathach cruidh also in the Litir. This principle applies to other collective nouns eg clann. We cannot say fichead clann 鈥� we have to say fichead duine cloinne, using the singular of duine and cloinne, the genitive of clann.

Seanfhacal na seachdaine: thig an t-acras nas trice na aon uair: hunger comes more than once. Things which are bound to repeat themselves do repeat themselves.