大象传媒

Anns an Fhaoilleach, naoi-deug is ochd-deug (1918), chaidh riochdairean 脿 Caidreachas M猫inneadairean Bhreatainn a bhruidhinn ri Winston Churchill mu dheidhinn an t-suidheachaidh ann an Ratharsair, far an robh na h-eileanaich, a bha ag obair anns a鈥� mh猫inn-iarainn, air stailc. B鈥� e Mgr Churchill Ministear na h-Armachd, agus bha a鈥� mh猫inn air a ruith leis a鈥� chompanaidh Bairds airson na Ministrealachd aige.

Bha dragh ann gu robh luchd-sti霉iridh na m猫inne a鈥� cleachdadh pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach airson an stailc a bhriseadh. Thug Mgr Churchill 貌rdugh seachad nach fhaodadh a鈥� chompanaidh pr矛osanach sam bith a chur ann an dreuchd a bh鈥� aig eileanach ron stailc. Cha do mhair an stailc fada as deidh sin, agus fhuair na h-eileanaich 脿rdachadh-p脿ighidh.

Bha aon 脿ite faisg air a鈥� chladach far an robh a鈥� chlach-iarainn air uachdar na talmhainn, ach bha a鈥� chuid a bu mh貌 dhith fon talamh. Bha ochd ciolomeatairean de thunailean ann far am biodh na m猫inneadairean a鈥� cladhach na cloiche. Ma tha 霉idh agaibh ann an eachdraidh na m猫inne, tha leabhar ann a tha gu math fiosrachail mu a deidhinn - The Raasay Iron Mine le Laurence agus Pamela Draper.

Seo mar a bhiodh an l脿 a鈥� dol do na m猫inneadairean. Eadar aon uair deug a dh鈥檕idhche agus sia uairean sa mhadainn, bhiodh m猫inneadairean Breatannach a鈥� d猫anamh obair-spreadhaidh. Cha robh na h-霉ghdarrasan a鈥� dol a thoirt stuth-spreadhaidh do phr矛osanaich-chogaidh. Aig seachd uairean sa mhadainn, bhiodh na Gearmailtich a鈥� t貌iseachadh air a鈥� ghreis-obrach acasan. Gu ruige tr矛 uairean feasgar bhiodh iad a鈥� gluasad clach a-mach 脿s a鈥� mh猫inn, ga cur air carbadan a bhiodh a鈥� falbh air rathad-iarainn. Eadar tr矛 uairean feasgar agus aon uair deug a dh鈥檕idhche, bhiodh buidheann eile de mh猫inneadairean Breatannach a鈥� drileadh na cloiche.

Bha a鈥� mh猫inn feumail aig 脿m a鈥� chogaidh ach, nuair a th脿inig an cogadh gu cr矛ch, cha robh i prothaideach tuilleadh. A bharrachd air sin, bha m矛-rian ann an Ratharsair a thaobh an fhearainn. Anns a鈥� Mh脿rt naoi-deug is fichead (1920), ghabh cuid de na h-eileanaich, a bh鈥� air tilleadh dhachaigh bhon chogadh, greim air fearann ann an ceann a deas an eilein.

Bliadhna as d猫idh sin, chaidh grunnan 脿 R貌naigh a-null a Ratharsair, ag iarraidh an fhearainn a bh鈥� aig an cuid shinnsearan. Tha R貌naigh gu tuath air Ratharsair agus bha sinnsearan nan eileanach air an cur a-mach 脿 Ratharsair ann am fuadaichean ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug. Tha an talamh fada nas torraiche ann an Ratharsair na tha e ann an R貌naigh.

Thug a鈥� chompanaidh Bairds, leis an robh an t-eilean, luchd-str矛 an fhearainn gu lagh, agus chaidh c貌ignear aca a chur anns a鈥� phr矛osan airson d脿 fhichead l脿. Ach cha do chuir sin stad air an str矛 agus ann an naoi-deug, fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1922), reic Bairds an t-eilean do Bh貌rd an 脌iteachais.

Chum a鈥� chompanaidh a鈥� mh猫inn a dol, ge-ta, ach air st猫idh c霉raim is c脿raidh. Bha i deiseil airson t貌iseachadh as 霉r nan robh feum oirre. Ach cha robh an t-uamhas iarainn anns a鈥� chloich agus bha i ro chosgail airson fosgladh as 霉r. Agus 鈥檚 e aon iarainn a th脿inig bhuaipe anns an D脿rna Cogadh an stuth a fhuaireadh nuair a chaidh uidheamachd na m猫inne fh猫in a thoirt 脿s a ch猫ile.

Agus, gu m矛-fhortanach, ann an naoi-deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1943), nuair a bhathar a鈥� toirt nan 脿than as a ch猫ile, chaidh fear de mhuinntir Ratharsair, fear Iain MacLe貌id, a mharbhadh. Bha e ann an toll-luinge nuair a thuit p矛os de dh鈥櫭爐h air. B鈥� e sin deireadh duilich do earrann annasach ann an eachdraidh taobh an iar na Gaidhealtachd.

Faclan na seachdaine: am Faoilleach: January; riochdairean: representatives; Caidreachas M猫inneadairean Bhreatainn: Miners鈥� Federation of Great Britain; a鈥� mh猫inn-iarainn: the iron mine; Ministear na h-Armachd: Minister of Munitions; 脿rdachadh-p脿ighidh: pay increase; stuth-spreadhaidh: explosives; sinnsearan: ancestors; fuadaichean: clearances; nas torraiche: more fertile; B貌rd an 脌iteachais: Board of Agriculture; 脿th: kiln; toll-luinge: hold of ship.

Abairtean na seachdaine: bha dragh ann: there was annoyance; airson na Ministrealachd aige: for his Ministry; ann an dreuchd a bh鈥� aig eileanach ron stailc: in a position occupied by an islander before the strike; far an robh a鈥� chlach-iarainn air uachdar na talmhainn: where the ironstone was on the surface of the ground; bha ochd ciolomeatairean de thunailean ann: there were 8km of tunnels; far am biodh na m猫inneadairean a鈥� cladhach na cloiche: where the miners would dig the rock; bhiodh na Gearmailteach a鈥� t貌iseachadh air a鈥� ghreis-obrach acasan: the Germans would start on their shift; carbadan a bhiodh a鈥� falbh air rathad-iarainn: trucks which would leave on a railway line; bhiodh X a鈥� drileadh na cloiche: X would (be) drill(ing) the rock; cha robh i prothaideach tuilleadh: it (fem.) was no longer profitable; bha m矛-rian ann a thaobh an fhearainn: there was disorder regarding the land; chaidh grunn 脿 R貌naigh a-null a Ratharsair: some people from Rona went over to Raasay; leis an robh an t-eilean: to whom the island belonged; air st猫idh c霉raim is c脿raidh: on a care and maintenance basis; an stuth a fhuaireadh: the stuff that was obtained.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Eadar aon uair deug a dh鈥檕idhche agus sia uairean sa mhadainn: between 11 o鈥� clock at night and six o鈥� clock in the morning. I would like you to listen carefully to this part of the Litir. You will hear what appears to be an 鈥渟鈥� between the 鈥渞鈥� and 鈥渄鈥� in aon uair deug, although it is not written. The reason it is not written is that it is not an actual letter and has no grammatical function. It is simply a sound that recurs in most dialects of Gaelic where 鈥渞鈥� and 鈥渄鈥� are juxtaposed. You will be familiar with it in b貌rd (which sounds like 鈥渂貌rsd鈥� in most dialects), but here are some other examples with it internally in words: b脿rd (鈥渂脿rsd鈥�, poet); 脿rd (鈥溍爎sd鈥�, high); c貌mhnard (鈥渃貌mhnarsd鈥�, flat). But it can also occur between words when the 鈥渞鈥� and 鈥渄鈥� sounds meet eg air d貌igh (鈥渁irs d貌igh鈥� in some dialects). The same intrusive 鈥渟鈥� sound may also occur where 鈥渞鈥� and 鈥渢鈥� are juxtaposed, as in thuirt, gartan, murt and ceart. But note that it is less likely to happen in the Gaelic of Lewis, compared with most other places.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: nuair a chaidh uidheamachd na m猫inne fh猫in a thoirt 脿s a ch猫ile: when the equipment of the mine itself was dismantled. A鈥� toirt X 脿s a ch猫ile: dismantling X, taking X to pieces.