蜜芽传媒

Nuair a dh鈥檉h脿g sinn an Naomh Nachlan an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha e san R貌imh. Bha a gh脿irdean deas glaiste ri a chois mar pheanas, 脿s d猫idh gun do ch脿in e Dia. Thilg e an iuchair airson na glaise ann an Uisge D猫, ann an 脿ite ris an canar chun an l脿 an-diugh Poll na h-Iuchrach.

Co-dhi霉, nuair a bha e san R貌imh, cheannaich e iasg bho bhalach air an t-sr脿id. D猫 lorg e am broinn an 猫isg ach iuchair 鈥� an aon t猫 a thilg e don abhainn ann an Alba. 鈥橲 e m矛orbhail a bh鈥� ann. Thug Nachlan taing do Dhia. Bha e dhen bheachd gu robh Dia a鈥� toirt maitheanas dha.

Chuala am P脿p fh猫in mun mh矛orbhail agus chuir e fios gu Nachlan dhol a ch猫ilidh air. Chaidh Nachlan ann agus dh鈥檌nnis e don Ph脿p mun sg矛re agus na daoine aige fh猫in l脿imh ri Uisge D猫 ann an Alba. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do dh鈥檌arr am P脿p air Nachlan fuireach san R貌imh greis agus gun do rinn e easbaig dheth.

Nuair a thill e a dh鈥橝lba, thog Nachlan eaglais anns an Tulaich. Sgaoil e facal an Tighearna na b鈥� fhaide na d矛reach sin, ge-t脿. Thathar ag r脿dh gun do thog e d脿 eaglais eile ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain. Bha t猫 dhiubh sin ann am Mealdruim. Bhathar ag r脿dh gun do sh脿bhail e na daoine an sin bho phl脿igh le bhith a鈥� cuairteachadh na paraiste air a ghl霉inean. Bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cumail a-mach gur ann sa chladh acasan a chaidh a thiodhlacadh 脿s d猫idh a bh脿is.

Ach 鈥檚 ann don Tulaich as l脿idire a tha na ceanglaichean aige. A bharrachd air Poll na h-Iuchrach, tha Sliabh a鈥� Bheannachaidh agus Dail a鈥� Mhallachaidh ann. Tha iad le ch猫ile co-cheangailte ris an naomh, a r猫ir beul-aithris. Ann an c貌ig ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1541), st猫idhich Righ Seumas V f猫ill do Nachlan. Bha sin air a cumail air an ochdamh l脿 dhen Fhaoilleach anns an Tulaich. Nuair a dh鈥檃tharraich am m矛osachan anns an ochdamh linn deug, chaidh a chur air adhart chun an naoidheamh l脿 deug dhen Fhaoilleach.

Thogadh eaglais 霉r air l脿rach seann eaglais an Naoimh Nachlain, ach tha sin na tobhta an-diugh. Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu bheil an eaglais sin ainmeil 鈥� ach chan ann airson gnothaichean creideimh. A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha f矛or dhroch sh矛de ann Did貌mhnaich a bha seo. Bha am ministear dhen bheachd nach biodh coitheanal ann air s脿illeabh na droch sh矛de. Dh鈥檉huirich e sa mhansa.

Ach chaidh gu le貌r de mhuinntir an 脿ite ann. Bha iad a鈥� feitheamh ris a鈥� mhinistear. Ach bha e eagallach fuar anns an eaglais. Bha d脿 dh貌igh ann airson cumail bl脿th, shaoil na daoine 鈥� le bhith a鈥� dannsadh no le bhith a鈥� gabhail dram.

Chaidh bonaid timcheall airson airgead, agus chaidh feadhainn de na gillean s矛os an rathad gu taigh-seinnse. Thug iad uisge-beatha air ais leotha don eaglais. Thug iad f矛dhlear leotha cuideachd. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an do th貌isich feadhainn air dannsadh san eaglais 鈥� gu port 霉r a chaidh a dh猫anamh sa spot leis an fh矛dhlear. Agus am port? Uill, 鈥檚 e fear ainmeil a th鈥� ann air a bheil 鈥淩uidhle an Tulaich鈥� 鈥� the Reel of Tulloch 鈥� agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a th貌isich e.

Faclan na Litreach: m矛orbhail: miracle; maitheanas: forgiveness; am P脿p: the Pope; Mealdruim: Old Meldrum; pl脿igh: plague.

Abairtean na Litreach: 脿s d猫idh gun do ch脿in e Dia: after he criticised God; thilg e an iuchair airson na glaise ann an Uisge D猫: he threw the key for the lock in the River Dee; Poll na h-Iuchrach: the pool of the key; d猫 lorg e am broinn an 猫isg ach iuchair: what did he find within the fish but a key [there is a play on ideas here because iuchair means fish roe, in addition to a key, so it would be natural to find 鈥渋uchair鈥� inside a [female] fish; chuir e fios gu Nachlan dhol a ch猫ilidh air: he sent a message to Nachlan to go and visit him; gun do rinn e easbaig dheth: that he made him a bishop; sgaoil e facal an Tighearna na b鈥� fhaide na d矛reach sin: he spread the word of the Lord further than just that; bhathar ag r脿dh gun do sh脿bhail e na daoine: it was said that he saved the people; a鈥� cuairteachadh na paraiste air a ghl霉inean: circumnambulating the parish on his knees; Sliabh a鈥� Bheannachaidh agus Dail a鈥� Mhallachaidh: the moor of the blessing and the dale of the cursing; st猫idhich Righ Seumas V f猫ill do Nachlan: King James V established a feast-day for Nachlan; nuair a dh鈥檃tharraich am m矛osachan: when the calendar changed; thogadh eaglais 霉r: a new church was built; tha sin na tobhta: that is a ruin; chan ann airson gnothaichean creideimh: not for religious matters: nach biodh coitheanal ann air s脿illeabh na droch sh矛de: that there would be no congregation because of the bad weather; dh鈥檉huirich e sa mhansa: he stayed in the manse; eagallach fuar: terribly cold; le bhith a鈥� dannsadh no le bhith a鈥� gabhail dram: by dancing or by taking a dram; chaidh feadhainn de na gillean gu taigh-seinnse: some of the lads went to an inn; thug iad uisge-beatha air ais leotha: they took whisky back with them; gu port 霉r a chaidh a dh猫anamh sa spot leis an fh矛dhlear: to a new tune that was improvised by the fiddler; 鈥檚 ann mar sin a th貌isich e: that鈥檚 how it started.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: 鈥檚 ann don Tulaich as l脿idire a tha na ceanglaichean aige: his strongest connections are to Tullich. I want you to look at the construction of this Gaelic sentence 鈥� it is entirely different from the English. Literally, we say, 鈥渋t is to Tullich the strongest are his connections鈥�. Note in particular the position of the superlative adjective. Here are two other examples: 鈥檚 ann do dh鈥橝lba a bu mh貌 a bha e d矛leas (it is to Scotland he was most loyal); 鈥檚 ann air a鈥� chroit as trice a lorgar e (it is most often on the croft he will be found)

Try to develop a feel for such constructions as you strive towards fluency 鈥� try to think in Gaelic where possible, and listen carefully to native speakers. A good person to listen to is Seumas D貌mhnallach, one of the presenters of Aithris na Maidne on 蜜芽传媒 Radio nan G脿idheal (103.5-105 FM or on the internet). Why not listen to him this week?

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: bha f矛or dhroch sh矛de ann: the weather was absolutely awful.