蜜芽传媒

Anns na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh de chaogadan an naoidheamh linn deug c脿ite an robh na coitheanalan G脿idhlig a bu mhotha air an t-saoghal? Tha mi a鈥� ciallachadh coitheanalan eaglaise. Ann an Ste貌rnabhagh, 鈥檚 d貌cha? No Port R矛gh? No Inbhir Nis? Uill, tha e cinnteach gu robh coitheanalan m貌ra anns na h-脿iteachan sin. Ach tha amharas agam nach robh gin aca na bu mhotha na coitheanal Inbhir 脵ige.

Seadh 鈥� Inbhir 脵ige. Ged a bha G脿idhlig ga bruidhinn ann an taobh an iar is ceann a deas Ghallaibh, b鈥� i a鈥� Bheurla Ghallda c脿innt muinntir Inbhir 脵ige. Ach bha gnothaichean c脿nain a鈥� bhaile ag atharrachadh ann an seusan an iasgaich. Nuair a bha an t-iasgach a鈥� dol, bha na h-uibhir de Gh脿idheil a鈥� dol ann, gu h-脿raidh bhon Eilean Sgitheanach is na h-Eileanan Siar.

Bhiodh suas ri ceithir m矛le duine a鈥� tighinn cruinn c貌mhla ann am p脿irc ann an Inbhir 脵ige air an t-S脿baid airson seirbheis Gh脿idhlig. Bhiodh suas ri tri霉ir mhinistearan a鈥� frithealadh a鈥� choitheanail oir bha e ro mh貌r airson aon duine.

Bha gn矛omhachas an iasgaich air leth m貌r ann an Alba aig an 脿m sin. Agus bha Inbhir 脵ige am measg nam bailtean a bu chudromaiche san d霉thaich airson iasgach 鈥� gu h-脿raidh iasgach an sgadain. Bha na h-iasgairean 脿 iomadh 脿ite. Bhiodh bonaidean G脿idhealach air na h-iasgairean G脿idhealach agus bhiodh sin gan comharrachadh mar eadar-dhealaichte bho ch脿ch.

Bhiodh geansaidhean orra uile, ach bha diofar beag ann eadar na geansaidhean 脿 diofar sg矛rean. Bha d脿 she貌rsa de gheansaidh aig gach iasgair 鈥� fear obrach agus fear airson gnothaichean s貌isealta, a鈥� gabhail a-steach frithealadh na h-eaglaise. Bha diofar eadar an d脿 she貌rsa. Cha robh putanan air an fheadhainn a bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh airson iasgach. Bhiodh putanan cunnartach. Dh鈥檉haodadh iad a bhith air an glacadh sna l矛n. Bha na cinn-mhuinichill air na geansaidhean sin fada teann 鈥� airson bl脿ths a chumail a-staigh. Bha na geansaichean fada air an c霉laibh cuideachd 鈥� airson dubhagan nan iasgairean a chumail bl脿th.

Ach bha na geansaidhean airson gnothaichean s貌isealta na bu spaideile. Bha putanan orra a leigeadh leis an duine an geansaidh a thoirt dheth gun a bhith a鈥� s矛neadh a鈥� bhann-mhuineil. Bha na putanan air na guailnean.

Bhiodh suas ri ceithir putanan air gach gualann aig geansaidhean iasgairean bhon chosta an ear. Bha e comasach do dhaoine d猫anamh a-mach d猫 am port dham buineadh iasgair, le bhith a鈥� coimhead air na putanan air a gheansaidh. Mar eisimpleir, bhiodh ceithir putanan air gualann chl矛 iasgairean 脿 Inbhir 脵ige, agus an t-aon astar eatarra. Bhiodh d矛reach aon phutan, no dh脿 no thr矛, air geansaidhean iasgairean a bhuineadh do chuid de phuirt eile.

Bha na putanan uaireannan na chuideachadh nuair a bhathar a鈥� feuchainn ri iasgair a chaidh a bh脿thadh aithneachadh.

Bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig gu math l脿idir ann an Inbhir 脵ige ann am m矛osan an t-samhraidh. Tha mi cinnteach gu robh cuid de mhuinntir a鈥� bhaile ann nach robh ro chofhurtail mun t-suidheachadh. Bho 脿m gu 脿m, bhiodh droch-r霉n a鈥� tighinn am follais eadar an d脿 shluagh.

B鈥� e an tachartas a bu mhiosa dhiubh sin an aimhreit air an robh, agus air a bheil, 鈥淪abaid Mh貌r Inbhir 脵ige鈥�. Thachair sin ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a naoi (1859), agus innsidh mi dhuibh mu a deidhinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: coitheanalan: congregations; geansaidh: gansey, jumper; putan: button; cunnartach: dangerous; cinn-mhuinichill: cuffs; gualann,guailnean: shoulder,shoulders; .

Abairtean na Litreach: na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh de chaogadan an naoidheamh linn deug: the late 1850s; na bu mhotha na coitheanal Inbhir 脵ige: bigger than the Wick congregation; ged a bha G脿idhlig ga bruidhinn ann an taobh an iar is ceann a deas Ghallaibh: although Gaelic was spoken in western and southern Caithness; na h-uibhir de Gh脿idheil: a large number of Gaels; bhiodh suas ri tri霉ir mhinistearan a鈥� frithealadh a鈥� choitheanail: up to three ministers would serve the congregation; bha diofar beag ann eadar na geansaidhean 脿 diofar sg矛rean: there was a little difference [ie were little differences] between the ganseys from different areas; gnothaichean s貌isealta, a鈥� gabhail a-steach frithealadh na h-eaglaise: social affairs, including attending church; dh鈥檉haodadh iad a bhith air an glacadh sna l矛n: they could be caught in the nets; fada air an c霉laibh cuideachd: long on their backs as well; airson dubhagan nan iasgairean a chumail bl脿th: to keep the fishermen鈥檚 kidneys warm; na bu spaideile: smarter in appearance; a leigeadh leis an duine an geansaidh a thoirt dheth: which would let the man take the gansey off; gun a bhith a鈥� s矛neadh a鈥� bhann-mhuineil: without stretching the neckline/collar; d猫anamh a-mach d猫 am port dham buineadh iasgair: to make out what port a fisherman belonged to; agus an t-aon astar eatarra: evenly spaced; nuair a bhathar a鈥� feuchainn ri iasgair a chaidh a bh脿thadh aithneachadh: when an attempt was being made to identify a drowned fisherman; bhiodh droch-r霉n a鈥� tighinn am follais: bad blood would surface.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bhiodh sin gan comharrachadh mar eadar-dhealaichte bho ch脿ch: that would mark them out as different from the others.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Bha gn矛omhachas an iasgaich air leth m貌r: the fishing industry was exceptionally big. Air leth can act as both an adjective and adverb. In the Litir it is operating as an adjective modifier much as 鈥渦abhasach鈥� might. Here are some other uses: bha iad air an cur air leth (they were set aside); bric air leth bho bhradain (trout as distinct from salmon); 鈥檚 e oidhche air leth a bh鈥� ann (it was a unique/fantastic night); bha 霉idh air leth aice ann am matamataig (she was particularly interested in mathematics); duine air leth can mean both an 鈥渋ndividual鈥� or an 鈥渆xceptional person/man鈥� 鈥� the context will tell you what is meant.