大象传媒

An t-seachdain 鈥檚 a chaidh, dh鈥檉h脿g sinn Colla Ciotach ann an Colasa, agus e a鈥� cur Calum Mac a鈥� Ph矛 gu b脿s. Uill, an d猫idh sin, bha c霉isean na bu sh矛theile do Cholla airson bliadhnaichean. Ach, mu dheireadh, ann an sia ceud deug is naoi deug ar fhichead (1639), th脿inig an t-str矛 eadar an R矛gh, Te脿rlach a h-Aon, agus Cl猫irich na h-Alba, na Pr貌stanaich a bha an aghaidh easbaigeachd anns an Eaglais, gu cogadh.

Bha Colla Ciotach na Chaitligeach agus cha robh e de貌nach ainm a chur air a鈥� Ch霉mhnant a bha ag iarraidh Eaglais Chl猫ireach a st猫idheachadh gu neo-eisimileach bhon R矛gh. Air sg脿th sin, chaill e a chuid fearainn ann an Colasa agus chaidh a chur anns a鈥� phr矛osan le Iarla Earra-Ghaidheal. Dh鈥檉halbh cuid de a ch脿irdean, ge-t脿, a dh鈥橢irinn. Nam measg bha an treas mac aige - Alasdair. Alasdair Mac Cholla.

Bha Colla na dhuine m貌r ach bha Alasdair na bu mhotha buileach. Bha e sia troighean is sia 貌irlich a dh鈥櫭爄rde, agus bha e uabhasach l脿idir. Bha e ciotach, mar a bha athair, agus a-r猫ir beul-aithris, nuair a bha uaislean na h-Eireann air tighinn cruinn airson ceannard a thaghadh don arm aca ann an Alba, arm a bhiodh a鈥� sabaid airson an R矛gh an aghaidh muinntir a鈥� Ch霉mhnaint, leum Alasdair gu a chasan.

Aig an 脿m sin, 鈥檚 e an duine a bu l脿idire a chleachdadh claidheamh a bhiodh air a thaghadh mar cheannard an airm. Bha dithis Eireannach ann a bha an d霉il gur iadsan a rachadh a thaghadh. Ach bha smuain eile aig Alasdair Mac Cholla. 鈥淒猫 an g脿irdean as l脿idire a th鈥檃nn?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich na h-uaislean. 鈥淪eo e!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh Alasdair agus tharraing e a chlaidheamh 脿s a thruaill le a l脿imh dheis.

鈥淚s c脿it鈥� a bheil an ath gh脿irdean as l脿idire?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich na h-uaislean. 鈥淪eo e!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh Alasdair, agus chuir e a chlaidheamh na l脿imh chl矛; bha e ciotach, cuimhnich. Cha robh duine de貌nach dhol na aghaidh agus chaidh Alasdair a thaghadh mar cheannard an airm.

Dh鈥檕braich e fh猫in agus Montr貌s, Marcuis Mhontr貌is, c貌mhla ann an arm an R矛gh, agus choisinn Alasdair cli霉 dha fh猫in, gu h-脿raidh am measg nan G脿idheal Caitligeach, mar fhear dhen ghaisgich a bu l脿idire a bh鈥檃nn a-riamh. Taobh a-staigh bliadhna rinn iad a鈥� ch霉is air arm muinntir a鈥� Ch霉mhnaint sia tursan, agus tha m貌ran fhathast a鈥� cuimhneachadh dh脿 dhen bhatailean sin 鈥� aig Allt Eireann, gu sear air Inbhir Nis, agus ann an Inbhir L貌chaidh ann an Loch Abar.

Ghabh Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh 脿ite ann am meadhan a鈥� gheamhraidh as d猫idh do dh鈥檃rm Mhontr貌is dhol gu cabhagach tarsainn bealaich 脿rda anns na beanntan. Th脿inig iad a-mach 脿s na beanntan gun fhiosda do dh鈥檃rm nan Caimbeulach, agus rinn iad a鈥� ch霉is orra gu furasta. Chaill na Caimbeulaich m矛le is tr矛 cheud duine air an latha sin.

Bha sin ann an sia ceud deug, d脿 fhichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1645), an dearbh bhliadhna 鈥檚 a fhuair Colla a-mach 脿s a鈥� phr矛osan. Cha b鈥檉hada gus an robh Colla a鈥� toirt taic do dh鈥橝lasdair ged a bha e a-nise gu math sean.

Th脿inig saoghal an dithis gu cr矛ch anns an aon bhliadhna, d矛reach d脿 bhliadhna as d猫idh Bl脿r Inbhir L貌chaidh. Fhuair na Caimbeulaich greim air Colla, agus chaidh a chrochadh air cnoc gu tuath air an 脪ban. Chaill Alasdair batail ann an Cinn T矛re, agus theich e a dh鈥橢irinn, far an deach a mharbhadh le saighdearan Sasannach.

Dh鈥檉h脿g an dithis d矛leab mh貌r eachdraidheil don G脿idhealtachd, ach tha Alasdair Mac Cholla air a chuimhneachadh cuideachd leis gun do dh鈥檉h脿g e sean-fhacal dhuinn ann an G脿idhlig, a chluinnear fhathast. Agus innsidh mi sin dhuibh an ath sheachdain.

na bu sh矛theile: more peaceful (past tense); an t-str矛: the strife,struggle;Te脿rlach a h-Aon: Charles the First; Cl猫irich: Presbyterians; neo-eisimileach: independent;ciotach: ambidextrous (or left-handed); uaislean: nobles; g脿irdean: arm; MarcuisMhontr貌is: The Marquis of Montrose; batailean: battles; Allt Eireann: Auldearn; (Bl脿r)Inbhir L貌chaidh: (The Battle of) Inverlochy; Loch Abar: Lochaber; Cinn T矛re: Kintyre.

bha X na Chaitligeach: X was a Catholic; cha robh e de貌nachainm a chur air a' Ch霉mhnant: he was not willing to put his name on the Covenant; chaill ea chuid fearainn: he lost his land; bha Alasdair na bu mhotha buileach: Alasdair was evenbigger (lit. altogether bigger); sia troighean is sia 貌irlich: six feet and six inches; choisinn Xcli霉 dha fh猫in: X won a reputation for himself; taobh a-staigh bliadhna: within a year; 's e anduine a bu l脿idire a chleachdadh claidheamh a bhiodh air a thaghadh: it was the strongestman who would wield a sword who would be chosen; tharraing e a' chlaidheamh 脿s a thruaill:he drew his sword from its scabbard; tarsainn bealaich 脿rda: across high passes; gun fhiosdado X: with X completely unaware; th脿inig saoghal an dithis gu cr矛ch: the lives of the two mencame to an end; chaidh a chrochadh: he was hanged; d矛leab mh貌r eachdraidheil: a greathistorical legacy; a chluinnear fhathast: which is still heard.

na Pr貌stanaich a bha an aghaidh easbaigeachd: the Protestantswho were against episcopacy. If you dont know what the Gaelic is for episcopacy, butyou do know that easbaig means bishop, it is a fair bet that you will get episcopacy byadding eachd to the end of easbaig; and even if it is not right, you will probably be understood.Here are some other examples: draoidh (druid), draoidheachd (sorcery, magic); fiaclair(dentist), fiaclaireachd (dentistry); snaigheadair (hewer, carver), snaigheadaireachd (the artof hewing, carving); eunadair (wildfowler), eunadaireachd (wildfowling); c矛obair (shepherd),c矛obaireachd (shepherding). It is useful to note that most words ending in (e)achd arefeminine, even though the words from which they are derived are usually masculine.

ged a bha e a-nise gu math sean: although he was now veryold. Have you have been confused by hearing gu math in sentences like this? It is used tostrengthen an adjective in a similar way to uabhasach (although it is not as strong). Bha migu math toilichte (I was pretty pleased); bha Seumas gu math sg矛th an d猫idh latha anns a'mhonadh (James was very tired after a day on the hill). This usage, however, can causedifficulties for Irish Gaelic speakers. One said to me that a Scottish Gael had told him thatsomething was gu math dona (pretty bad) and the Irishman didn't know if the Scot meantit was good or bad or whether he was just confused!