大象传媒

Anns an litir mu dheireadh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mar a thr猫ig am Morair Leverhulme Eilean Le貌dhais. Ach cha b鈥� e sin deireadh na sge貌il dha anns na h-Eileanan Siar, oir bha e fhathast na uachdaran air Na Hearadh. Agus bha e dhen bheachd gum b鈥� urrainn dha an aon se貌rsa de phlana a bh鈥� aige airson Ste貌rnabhagh a chur an s脿s anns an t-脪b, ann an ceann a deas Na Hearadh. Gu dearbh, 鈥檚 e Leverburgh a th鈥� air a鈥� bhaile sin fhathast ann am Beurla.

Th貌isich Leverhulme air an obair-leasachaidh air cidhe an t-脪ib, agus anns a鈥� bhaile fh猫in, agus chuir e airgead mu choinneamh pr貌iseactan airson rathaidean a thogail. Ach cha do mhair an obair sin fada oir chaochail e anns a鈥� Ch猫itean, naoi deug is c貌ig ar fhichead (1925). Seachdain as d猫idh a bh脿is, thug b貌rd-sti霉iridh 霉r na companaidh, Lever Brothers, 貌rdugh seachad gu feumadh an obair anns an t-脪b sgur, ach a-mh脿in air taighean 霉ra a bha faisg air a bhith deiseil.

Cha robh 霉idh sam bith aig c脿ch air a鈥� bh貌rd anns na h-Eileanan Siar. Gu dearbh, bha droch bheachd aig feadhainn aca orra. Thuirt an cathraiche 霉r ri Le貌dhasach a bha c脿irdeach do Leverhulme tro ph貌sadh: 鈥溾�橲 e an rud a b鈥� fhe脿rr a b鈥� urrainn dhut d猫anamh leis na h-eileanan agad 鈥� an cur fodha anns a鈥� Chuan Siar airson ceithir uairean a th矛de, agus an uairsin an togail suas a-rithist.鈥� Cha robh sp猫is sam bith aige do mhuinntir nan eilean.

Tha e coltach nach robh mac Leverhulme m貌ran na b鈥� fhe脿rr. Thathar ag aithris gu robh e uaireigin a鈥� coimhead air map air balla, map de dh鈥橝lba, a bha as aonais nan Eilean Siar. 鈥溾�橲 e sin,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁m map as fhe脿rr de dh鈥橝lba a chunnaic mi a-riamh.鈥�

Nas lugha na sia m矛osan as d猫idh b脿s Leverhulme, chaidh Na Hearadh air a鈥� mhargaidh, aig r霉p ann an Lunnainn. Cha robh e air a reic ann an aon chnap, ge-t脿, ach ann am p矛osan agus cha d鈥� fhuair e pr矛s mhath idir. Tha e coltach gu robh cuid, a bha ag iarraidh oighreachd airson sealg, amharasach mun t-suidheachadh as d猫idh na thachair do Leverhulme ann an Le貌dhas.

Dh鈥檉halbh na togalaichean m貌ra aig port an t-脪ib airson c貌ig m矛le not 鈥� cuibhreann bheag de na chosg iad airson a thogail anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach. Cheannaich an sgr矛obhadair Compton MacCoinnich na h-Eileanan M貌ra. Agus chaidh Caisteal Amhuinnsuidhe a reic, cuide ri Loids 脌ird a鈥� Mh霉laidh, Taigh-貌sta Na Hearadh agus sia m矛le acaire de thalamh airson 鈥� uill 鈥� d猫 tha sibh a鈥� smaoineachadh鈥�? D脿 mh矛le not. Seadh, agus thathar ag iarraidh c貌rr is ceithir gu leth millean not airson oighreachd Cheann a Tuath Na Hearadh, a鈥� gabhail a-staigh Caisteal Amhuinnsuidhe, an-diugh.

Bidh luchd-eachdraidh ag argamaid gu s矛orraidh buan air buaidh Leverhulme air Le貌dhas agus Na Hearadh. An e droch rud neo deagh rud a bh鈥� ann gun do dh鈥檉heuch e ri tionnsgal m貌r a chruthachadh anns na h-eileanan? An e an d貌igh anns an do dh鈥檉h脿g e Le貌dhas na dhearbhadh air misneachd nan eileanach nach gabhadh m霉chadh le duine sam bith, ge bith d猫 cho beartach 鈥檚 a bha e? No an robh e na dhearbhadh air a鈥� chasaid, a chualas bho mh貌ran, nach b鈥� urrainn do chroitearachd agus d貌igh-beatha 霉r nodha a bhith be貌 c貌mhla?

Agus d猫 thachradh nan robh na h-eileanaich air an c貌raichean-fearainn a leigeil seachad, agus nan robh an gn矛omhachas aig Leverhulme air tuiteam as a ch猫ile tro th矛de co-dhi霉? Mmm. Uill, tha aon rud cinnteach. Chan fhaic sinn a leithid tuilleadh anns na h-Eileanan Siar.

Faclan na seachdaine: thr猫ig: quit, abandoned; cathraiche: chairman; an Cuan Siar: the Atlantic; r霉p: auction; sealg: hunting; na h-Eileanan M貌ra: the Shiant Islands; Loids 脌ird a鈥� Mh霉laidh: Ardvourlie Lodge; beartach: wealthy; dearbhadh: proof; casaid: accusation; chualas: was heard (passive).

Abairtean na seachdaine: gum b鈥� urrainn dha an aon se貌rsa de phlana a bh鈥� aige airson Ste貌rnabhagh a chur an s脿s: that he could put in place the same sort of plan he had for Stornoway; chuir e airgead mu choinneamh pr貌iseactan: he supplied money for projects; seachdain as d猫idh a bh脿is: a week after his death; cha robh 霉idh sam bith aig c脿ch: the others had no interest; 鈥檚 e an rud a b鈥� fhe脿rr a b鈥� urrainn dhut d猫anamh: the best thing you could do; a bha c脿irdeach do Leverhulme tro ph貌sadh: who was related to Leverhulme by marriage; a bha as aonais nan Eilean Siar: which was without the Western Isles; cha robh e air a reic ann an aon chnap: it wasn鈥檛 sold in one piece; as deidh na thachair do Leverhulme ann an Le貌dhas: after what happened to Leverhulme in Lewis; gu s矛orraidh buan: for ever and ever; gun do dh鈥檉heuch e ri tionnsgal m貌r a chruthachadh: that he tried to create a big industry; misneachd nan eileanach nach gabhadh m霉chadh: the courage of the islanders which would not be quenched; nach b鈥� urrainn do chroitearachd agus d貌igh-beatha 霉r nodha a bhith be貌 c貌mhla: that crofting and a modern way of life could not co-exist; nan robh na h-eileanaich air an c貌raichean-fearainn a leigeil seachad: if the islanders had relinquished their land rights; chan fhaic sinn a leithid tuilleadh: we鈥檒l never see his like again.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: I would like to explain the place name an t-脪b (Leverburgh, in the south of Harris) this week because, if you are unfamiliar with it, it seems to provide a grammatical conundrum. 脪b means a 鈥� small, relatively land-locked bay鈥�; it is masculine and it occurs in the nominative case, as would be expected, preceded by a t- (cf an t-eilean, an t-貌rd). It first appears in the Litir in the dative case 鈥� anns an t-脪b. In such a situation, we would normally drop the initial t-, getting anns an 脪b (cf anns an eilean, air an 貌rd). But this is not what the people of Harris say. They say anns an t-脪b, ie it does not follow the rules. So we retain the t- in the spelling in the dative. The genitive case is even more obtuse. It appears in the Litir as cidhe an t-脪ib and port an t-脪ib (the quay and harbour of Leverburgh respectively). So the t- is retained in the genitive (cf loch an eilein, ceann an 霉ird). It is however slenderised, as would be expected, although the pronunciation of the slenderised vowel is a little unusual (鈥渦hn T脠B鈥�). Why does it not follow the rules? My guess is that its origin, as a loan-word from the old Norse h贸p, may be the reason.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: cha b鈥� e sin deireadh na sge貌il dha: that wasn鈥檛 the end of the story for him.