蜜芽传媒

O chionn m貌ran bhliadhnaichean a-nise, rinn mi sreath phr貌graman r猫idio air eileanan beaga ann an Earra-Gh脿idheal. Thadhail mi air Giogha, Ulbha, na h-Eileanan Treisnis, Colasa agus Lios M貌r. Ch貌rd iad uile rium. Gu dearbh, cha chreid mi gu robh mi riamh ann an 脿ite sam bith air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, co-dhi霉 air eileanan beaga na G脿idhealtachd, nach do ch貌rd rium.

Ach tha Lios M貌r a鈥� stobadh a-mach bhon ch貌rr nam chuimhne. 鈥橲 iad d脿 rud as coireach ri sin, chanainn 鈥� neart na G脿idhlig anns an eilean, agus fear a bha mion-e貌lach air eachdraidh is dualchas an 脿ite agus a thug taic mh貌r dhomh. B鈥� esan D貌mhnall MacIlleDhuibh. 鈥橲 e s脿r Gh脿idheal is duine gasta a th鈥� ann.

Tha D貌mhnall c貌ir air leabhar a thoirt a-mach o chionn ghoirid 鈥� mu dheidhinn Lios M貌r. Tha an leabhar d脿-ch脿nanach agus tha na p矛osan G脿idhlig sgr矛obhte ann an dualchainnt an eilein. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an leabhar Sgeul no Dh脿 脿s an Lios/A Tale or Two from Lismore.

Nuair a bha mi san eilean, dh鈥檌nnis D貌mhnall dhomh mu Mholuag, agus tha earrann anns an leabhar mu dheidhinn. Bha an Naomh Moluag gu math cudromach ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba. Thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e Cruithneach 脿 脠irinn a bh鈥� ann. Bha e be貌 aig an aon 脿m ri Calum Cille. Seo na chanas D貌mhnall anns an leabhar:

Innsidh beul-aithris mun labhairt a bha eadar an dithis Naomh nuair a bha Moluag a鈥� toirt Chaluim Chille air cuairt tro Lios M貌r:

Calum Cille: 鈥淎n e seo an G脿rradh M貌r?鈥�

Moluag: 鈥溾�橲 e Lios torrach a tha an seo.鈥�

Bha Moluag na anam-charaid do Lios M貌r. Ainm-charaid 鈥� a 鈥渟oul friend鈥�. Fhuair e foghlam ann am Manachainn Bheanachair ann an ceann a tuath na h-脠ireann. Tha D貌mhnall ag innse dhuinn gun robh Moluag anns a鈥� mhanachainn aig an aon 脿m ri Briannan am Maraiche. Seo earrann eile aig D貌mhnall:

C貌mhla ris bhiodh d脿 Abstalach dheug. Th脿inig iad gu cladach air taobh an ear an eilein. Br脿igh Port Moluag, agus ri taobh an uillt bha craobhan fe脿rn a鈥� cinntinn 鈥� craobhan a tha a鈥� cinntinn gus an l脿 an-diugh ri taobh a鈥� cheart uillt: cuimhneachan maireannach den Naomh Moluag, a rinn siubhal fada 鈥檚 farsaing air feadh na h-Alba a鈥� sgaoileadh an t-Soisgeil. Bho Lios M貌r chaidh e air cuairt suas Gleann M貌r na h-Alba gu ruig an t-Eilean Dubh, far an do st猫idhich e Manachainn an Ros Mhaircnidh, agus cuideachd aig Morthlach, dl霉th air far a bheil baile Eilginn a-nis. Anns na h-脿iteachan sin bha na manaich a鈥� teagasg na h-貌igridh mar ann an oilthighean. A bharrachd air sgr矛obhadh is cunntas, bha iad a鈥� teagasg sgr矛obhadh le dealbhan dathach. Chaidh 脿iteachan Cr矛osdail a st猫idheachadh ann an ainm Mholuag ann am Muile, Tiriodh, Ratharsair agus an t-Eilean Sgitheanach. Chaidh an Teampall m貌r a thogail ann an ainm Mholuag ann an ceann a tuath Le貌dhais. She貌l e cho fada tuath ri Innis T矛le ....

Chaochail Moluag anns a鈥� bhliadhna c貌ig ceud, naochad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (592). Tha D貌mhnall ag innse dhuinn gun robh e air a thiodhlacadh ann an 脌ird Chlach faisg air Eilginn agus gun do 鈥渄h鈥檉halbh ceithir air fhichead de ghillean l脿idir Liosach agus ghi霉lain iad a dhuslach a h-uile ceum air ais don Lios. Chaidh a thiodhlacadh a-rithist far an deachaidh 脌rd-eaglais Earra-Gh脿idheal a thogail ann an sia ceud bliadhna ri teachd.鈥�

Faclan na Litreach: Giogha: Gigha; Ulbha: Ulva; na h-Eileanan Treisnis: the Treshnish Islands; Colasa: Colonsay; D貌mhnall MacIlleDhuibh: Donald Black; earrann: passage; Ros Mhaircnidh: Rosemarkie.

Abairtean na Litreach: cha chreid mi gu robh mi riamh: I don鈥檛 think I was ever; co-dhi霉 air eileanan beaga: at least on small islands; tha Lios M貌r a鈥� stobadh a-mach bhon ch貌rr: Lismore stands out from the rest; mion-e貌lach air eachdraidh: exceedingly knowledgeable about [the] history; thathar a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e Cruithneach 脿 脠irinn a bh鈥� ann: it is thought he was a Pict from Ireland; 鈥檚 e Lios torrach a tha an seo: this is a fertile garden; anam-charaid: soul friend; Manachainn Bheanachair: the monastery of Bangor; aig an aon 脿m ri Briannan am Maraiche: at the same time as Brendan the Navigator; d脿 Abstalach dheug: twelve apostles; bha craobhan fe脿rn a鈥� cinntinn: alder trees were growing; ri taobh a鈥� cheart uillt: beside the same burn; cuimhneachan maireannach: a lasting reminder; a鈥� sgaoileadh an t-Soisgeil: spreading the gospel; gu ruig an t-Eilean Dubh: to the Black Isle; dl霉th air far a bheil baile Eilginn: close to where the town of Elgin is; sgr矛obhadh le dealbhan dathach: writing with coloured pictures (illuminated manuscripts); she貌l e cho fada tuath ri Innis T矛le: he sailed as far north as Iceland; gun robh e air a thiodhlacadh ann an 脌ird Chlach: that he was buried in Ardclach; ceithir air fhichead de ghillean l脿idir Liosach: 24 strong young Lismore men; ghi霉lain iad a dhuslach: they carried his remains; far an deachaidh 脌rd-eaglais Earra-Gh脿idheal a thogail: where the cathedral of Argyll was built; ann an sia ceud bliadhna ri teachd: 600 years in the future.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: air feadh na h-Alba: throughout Scotland. Would you have been inclined here to say air feadh Alba? Don鈥檛 worry 鈥� both are acceptable. We call Scotland Alba (without an article) but we often introduce the article into the genitive form ie na h-Alba. And a noun following the compound preposition air feadh would be in the genitive. But you will also hear Alba (without the article) as the genitive eg muinntir Alba (the people of Scotland), rather than muinntir na h-Alba. Both are acceptable.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: 鈥橲 e s脿r Gh脿idheal a th鈥� ann: it is difficult to translate this into idiomatic English. Dwelly tells us that 鈥渟脿r is an augmentative prefix, expressing a great degree of any quality [eg] s脿r ghaisgeach a complete hero鈥�. One might say 鈥渁 first-class Gael鈥� for s脿r Gh脿idheal. Note that s脿r lenites the following consonant.