大象传媒

Anns a鈥� bhliadhna naoi-deug is sia-deug (1916), thug atharrachadh anns a鈥� Chogadh Mh貌r buaidh air obair na m猫inne-iarainn ann an Ratharsair. Cha robh e furasta don chompanaidh a bha a鈥� ruith na m猫inne, Bairds, an obair aca a dh猫anamh air sg脿th cion luchd-obrach. Cha robh muinntir an 脿ite pailt co-dhi霉, agus leugh mi gu robh trithead 鈥檚 a sia dhiubh air falbh ann am feachdan na r矛oghachd. Gu dearbh, chaidh fichead 鈥檚 a dh脿 dhiubh a mharbhadh.

Bha sin dona gu le貌r ach, gu n脿iseanta, bha c霉isean duilich ann an naoi-deug is sia-deug (1916), oir 鈥檚 ann an uair sin a th貌isich cogadh nam b脿taichean-aiginn. Bha na b脿taichean sin a鈥� cur fodha m貌ran de na soithichean-cargo a bha a鈥� toirt stuth a-nall a Bhreatainn 脿 d霉thchannan thall thairis. Agus am measg a鈥� chargo a tha sin, bha clach-iarainn a bhiodh air a toirt thar a鈥� chuain ann an cruth amh, agus an uair sin air a giollachd ann am Breatainn airson iarainn agus st脿ilinn a dh猫anamh.

Aig 脿m a鈥� chogaidh, bha iarrtas a bharrachd nan 脿bhaist ann airson iarainn 鈥� airson armachd is uidheamachd-cogaidh. Mar sin, chuir Ministrealachd na h-Armachd sgeama air chois airson tuilleadh iarainn is st脿ilinn a dh猫anamh bho chlach a bh鈥� air a m猫inneadh ann am Breatainn. Ach ciamar a bha Bairds a鈥� dol a dh猫anamh barrachd iarainn 脿 clach 脿 Ratharsair, mura robh luchd-obrach gu le貌r aca?

Bheachdaich iad air m猫inneadairean a thoirt a-nall 脿 Portagal, 脿s an Sp脿innt no 脿 Nirribhidh ach, aig a鈥� cheann thall, shaoil iad gur e pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach a b鈥� fhasa dhaibh. Sgr矛obh fear de cheannardan na companaidh chun na Ministrealachd, ag r脿dh gu robh trithead 鈥檚 a dh脿 taigh anns an eilean a ghabhadh cuairteachadh le u猫ir bhiorach, airson priosanaich a chumail nam broinn air an oidhche, agus gu robh fichead taigh falamh eile ann, anns am faodadh na ge脿ird a bhith a鈥� fuireach.

Dh鈥檕braich Bairds a鈥� mh猫inn as leth an Riaghaltais agus dh鈥檃ontaich an Riaghaltas riutha suas ri d脿 cheud pr矛osanach Gearmailteach a thoirt dhaibh airson obair a dh猫anamh innte. Chaidh feachd bheag de dhusan saighdear a chur a Ratharsair airson smachd a chumail air na pr矛osanaich. B鈥� e an commandair aca fear air an robh 鈥渁n Caiptean MacLe貌id鈥�, ged nach urrainn dhomh dearbhadh co-dhi霉 bha ceangal aige do Ratharsair. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach robh. Bha e air a bhith na sgoilear aig Colaiste Fettes ann an D霉n Eideann.

Ach rinn na h-霉ghdarrasan mearachd leis a鈥� chiad bhuidhinn de Ghearmailtich a thagh iad. Bha iad air a bhith nam maraichean c貌mhla air soitheach-cogaidh, am Bl眉cher, anns a鈥� Chuan a Tuath, nuair a chaidh a cur fodha leis na Breatannaich anns an Fhaoilleach, naoi-deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig-deug (1915). Nuair a chaidh na longan Breatannach a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� Bhl眉cher airson cobhair a dh猫anamh air na maraichean Gearmailteach, airson an togail far na mara, nochd pl猫ana agus Zeppelin Gearmailteach os an cionn. Feumaidh gu robh an fheadhainn a bh鈥� air b貌rd nan itealan dhen bheachd gur e soitheach Breatannach, seach Gearmailteach, a bh鈥� ann an 猫iginn agus thug iad ionnsaigh oirre. Cha deach a sh脿bhaladh ach d脿 cheud is seasgad (260) duine a-mach 脿 c貌rr is m矛le agus ceud.

Chaidh ochd duine deug de na maraichean sin a Ratharsair ann an naoi-deug 鈥檚 a sia-deug (1916), ach bha iad anns an eilean d矛reach deich l脿. 鈥橲 e a bu choireach ri sin an t-eagal a bh鈥� ann gum biodh buidheann de mharaichean a bh鈥� air fulaing c貌mhla buailteach oidhirp a dh猫anamh gus teicheadh thar na mara bhon eilean.

Faclan na seachdaine: pailt: plentiful; gu n脿iseanta: nationally; Ministrealachd na h-Armachd: Ministry of Munitions; bheachdaich iad: they considered; m猫inneadairean: miners; nam broinn: inside them; falamh: empty; ge脿ird: guards; as leth: on behalf of; dusan: a dozen; maraichean: seamen; an Cuan a Tuath: the North Sea; os an cionn: above them.

Abairtean na seachdaine: air sg脿th cion luchd-obrach: because of a lack of workers; gu robh trithead 鈥檚 a sia dhiubh air falbh: that 36 of them were away; 鈥檚 ann an uair sin a th貌isich cogadh nam b脿taichean-aiginn: it is then that the submarine war started; a bhiodh air a toirt thar a鈥� chuain ann an cruth amh: which would be brought over the ocean in a raw state; air a giollachd airson iarainn agus st脿ilinn a dh猫anamh: processed in order to make iron and steel; iarrtas a bharrachd nan 脿bhaist: more demand than usual; gur e pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach a b鈥� fhasa dhaibh: that it was German prisoners-of-war that was easiest for them; a ghabhadh cuairteachadh le u猫ir bhiorach: which could be surrounded by barbed wire; bha e air a bhith na sgoilear: he had been a student; nuair a chaidh a cur fodha: when she was sunk; airson cobhair a dh猫anamh air X: to provide assistance to X; airson an togail far na mara: to pick them up from the sea; cha deach a sh脿bhaladh ach X: only X were saved; gum biodh iad buailteach oidhirp a dh猫anamh gus teicheadh: that they would be likely to make an effort to escape.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: a鈥� cur fodha m貌ran de na soithichean-cargo: sinking many of the cargo vessels. You will be aware that the Gaelic word cargo is derived from the English 鈥渃argo鈥� and is a relatively recent addition to the language. It is sometimes spelled carago, reflecting the pronunciation, but mostly it is not. Why not? The reason is that the word cargo just asks to be pronounced 鈥渃arago鈥� in Gaelic because of a phenomenon known as the Svarabhakti Vowel (try saying it ten times quickly and it sounds like a severe medical condition!) The name originates in Sanskrit, a language in which it also occurs. Put most simply, it is the (unwritten) repetition of a (written) vowel sound. A good example is gorm. This is pronounced 鈥済orom鈥� but the second vowel is not written. Other examples (with approximate pronunciations) are dearg (鈥渏erek鈥� or 鈥渏eruk鈥�, red); morghan (鈥渕oroghan鈥�, shingle); anmoch (鈥渁namoch鈥�, late); searbh (鈥渟herev鈥�, sour); crannchur (鈥渒ranachur鈥�, lottery). But why not simply write the vowels? There is a historical issue here, but also an orthographic one related to the change in vowel quality because of inflexion. For example, gorm in its slenderised form is guirm eg c貌mhdach an leabhair ghuirm (the cover of the blue book). Guirm is pronounced 鈥済ooroom鈥� because the second vowel faithfully repeats the first. If we were to write the Svarabhakti Vowel, 鈥済orom鈥� would become 鈥済uiruim鈥� which is orthographically problematical. It is easier and more supportive of orthographic conventions to leave the vowel unwritten. It is a pitfall for learners only in their early days, and is fairly quickly understood and mastered.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: thug atharrachadh anns a鈥� Chogadh Mh貌r buaidh air obair na m猫inne-iarainn: a change in the Great War influenced the work of the iron mine. Tha X a鈥� toirt buaidh air Y: X has an effect/influence upon Y.