大象传媒

O chionn ceithir fichead bliadhna an-diugh fh猫in, ma tha sibh ag 猫isteachd ris a鈥� chiad chraoladh dhen phr貌gram seo, bha a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd aig teis-meadhan na h-Iompaireachd Breatannaich ann an d貌igh nach robh a-riamh roimhe sin, no as d猫idh l脿imh. Air an l脿 sin, an seachdamh l脿 dhen t-Sultain, naoi ceud deug is aon ar fhichead (1921), choinnich Caibineat Bhreatainn ann an Inbhir Nis, an aon turas a-riamh taobh a-muigh Lunnainn, co-dhi霉 aig 脿m s矛the.

鈥橲 e a bu choireach airson sin gu robh am Pr矛omhaire, Daibhidh Lloyd George, a鈥� gabhail l脿ithean-saora ann an Ge脿rrloch agus gu robh an R矛gh faisg air l脿imh, anns a鈥� Mh貌igh. Air an t-siathamh l脿, rinn Courier Inbhir Nis coimeas eadar a鈥� choinneamh a bha gu bhith ann air an lathairne-mh脿ireach agus t猫 eile a bh鈥� ann fada roimhe sin, nuair a chum R矛gh Seumas I p脿rlamaid ann an Inbhir Nis ann ceithir ceud deug is seachd ar fhichead (1427). Agus chaidh iad na b鈥� fhaide air ais buileach, a鈥� d猫anamh coimeas leis an turas a bhuail Calum Cille dorsan l霉chairt R矛gh nan Cruithneach le bhachall.

Bha gu le貌r a鈥� dol air a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd aig an 脿m a dh鈥檉haodadh aire a鈥� Chaibineit a tharraing. Bha bochdainn is cion-obrach uabhasach ann. Ann an Le貌dhas a-mh脿in, bha tr矛 m矛le is c貌ig ceud duine gun obair. Agus bha c貌mh-stri an fhearainn a鈥� leantainn ann an 脿iteachan mar Ratharsair, Uibhist a Tuath agus Le貌dhas.

Cha b鈥� e gnothaichean na Gaidhealtachd a bh鈥� air a鈥� chl脿r, ge-t脿, ach suidheachadh na h-Eireann. Bha Lloyd George ann an Ge脿rrloch, agus e fo 貌rdughan dhotairean fois a ghabhail. Ach cha b鈥� urrainn dha faighinn air falbh o phoileataics na h-Eireann, fi霉 鈥檚 ann an sin. Bha teachdairean Sinn F茅in air a bhith air ais 鈥檚 air adhart eadar a鈥� Ghaidhealtachd agus Bail鈥� Atha Cliath, agus nochd commandair nam feachdan Breatannach ann an Eirinn ann an Ge脿rrloch air soitheach-cogaidh.

Bha na h-uibhir de mhuinntir Inbhir Nis a鈥� feitheamh taobh a-muigh Talla a鈥� Bhaile nuair a th脿inig na ministearan, nam measg Winston Churchill, Stanley Baldwin, Sir Hamar Greenwood agus am Morair Fitzalan. Th貌isich a鈥� choinneamh aig aon uair 鈥檚 deug, agus aig cairteal gu ceithir feasgar, dh鈥檉halbh an dithis theachdairean Eireannach ann an cabhaig airson faighinn air an tr猫ana. Nan l脿mhan, bha litir bho Lloyd George, a鈥� toirt cuireadh do Sinn F猫in p脿irt a ghabhail ann an co-labhairt airson 鈥渇aighinn a-mach ciamar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a b鈥� urrainn an c脿irdeas eadar Eirinn agus 鈥� Iompaireachd Bhreatainn agus miann n脿iseanta nan Eireannach a bhith air an co-r猫iteachadh.鈥� Bha an co-labhairt gu bhith ann an Inbhir Nis air an fhicheadamh l脿 dhen t-Sultain.

Uill, bidh fios agaibh nach do thachair e. Chan e nach robh Eamonn de Valera ga iarraidh, ach gu robh e airson 鈥檚 gum biodh na Breatannaich ag aithneachadh an riochdaire aig D谩il Eireann, p脿rlamaid na Poblachd, mar riochdaire aig d霉thaich neo-eisimileach. Cha robh Lloyd George de貌nach sin a dh猫anamh agus tharraing e an cuireadh don cho-labhairt. Grunn seachdainean as d猫idh sin, ghabh co-labhairt eile 脿ite ann an Lunnainn.

An e call no buannachd a th鈥� ann gun do chaill Inbhir Nis an cothrom sin? Nuair a choimheadas sinn air eachdraidh Saorst谩t na h-Eireann, agus an cogadh a bh鈥� ann, 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil e na bhuannachd nach eil pr矛omh bhaile na Gaidhealtachd co-cheangailte ri uiread d貌rainn. Ach, air an l脿imh eile, nan robh muinntir na Gaidhealtachd mothachail gu robh am baile air a bhith mar bhean-ghl霉in aig breith d霉thaich Cheilteach neo-eisimileach, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun coimheadadh iad air suidheachadh poilitigeach na h-Alba le s霉ilean eadar-dhealaichte.

Faclan na seachdaine: Caibineat: Cabinet (political); a鈥� Mh貌igh: Moy (near Inverness); Bail鈥� Atha Cliath: Dublin; Saorst谩t na h-Eireann: the Irish Free State.

Abairtean na seachdaine: nach robh a-riamh roimhe sin, neo as d猫idh l脿imh: which it was never before then, or since; air an t-siathamh l脿: on the 6th (day); coimeas eadar a鈥� choinneamh a bha gu bhith ann air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach agus t猫 eile a bh鈥� ann fada roimhe sin: a comparison between the meeting that was to be on the morrow and another a long time before that; an turas a bhuail Calum Cille dorsan l霉chairt R矛gh nan Cruithneach le bhachall: the time St Columba struck the palace doors of the King of the Picts with his staff; bha c貌mhstr矛 an fhearainn a鈥� leantainn: the land agitation was continuing; cha b鈥� e gnothaichean na Gaidhealtachd a bh鈥� air a鈥� chl脿r, ach suidheachadh na h-Eireann: it wasn鈥檛 Highland business that was on the agenda, but the Irish situation; fo 貌rdughan dhotairean fois a ghabhail: under doctors鈥� orders to rest; nochd commandair nam feachdan Breatannach ann an Eirinn ann an Ge脿rrloch air soitheach-cogaidh: the commander of British forces in Ireland arrived in Gairloch on a warship; a鈥� toirt cuireadh do Sinn F茅in p脿irt a ghabhail ann an co-labhairt: sending an invitation to Sinn F茅in to participate in a conference; ciamar a b鈥� fhe脿rr a b鈥� urrainn an c脿irdeas eadar Eirinn agus鈥�Iompaireachd Bhreatainn agus miann n脿iseanta nan Eireannach a bhith air an co-r猫iteachadh: how the association of Ireland with鈥�the British Empire can best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations; chan e nach robh X ga iarraidh: it wasn鈥檛 that X didn鈥檛 want it; mar riochdaire aig d霉thaich neo-eisimileach: as the representative of an independent country; tharraing e an cuireadh: he withdrew the invitation; mar bhean-ghl霉in aig breith d霉thaich Cheilteach neo-eisimileach: like a housewife at the birth of an independent Celtic country.

Puing ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Bha bochdainn is cion-obrach uabhasach ann: there was dreadful poverty and unemployment. Cion means 鈥渄efect, lack, want鈥� and is very useful in combination with another noun to make a compound noun. Cion-obrach (or cion-cosnaidh) means unemployment (lack of work, employment). For example, 鈥渦nemployment benefit鈥� is now officially (according to Faclair na P脿rlamaid) sochair cion-cosnaidh. Note that the second noun in a compound noun is always in the genitive case and that it is upon this noun that the stress of the spoken word falls. Other commonly heard uses of cion are in cion-霉idhe (apathy, lack of interest), cion-e貌lais (a lack of knowledge), cion-l猫irsinn (a defect of vision), cion-airgid (a lack of money).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: aig teis-meadhan na h-Iompaireachd Breatannaich: at the epicentre of the British Empire. Teis-meadhan means 鈥渢he exact middle鈥� of something (eg bha mi aig teis-meadhan a鈥� bhaile; I was in the heart of the town centre), but can also be used conceptually as in the above example.