蜜芽传媒

An toigh leibh iomain? Tha mi an d貌chas gun toigh l鈥�, oir tha ceangal l脿idir l脿idir ann eadar sp貌rs nan Gaidheal agus an c脿nan. Eadhon an l脿 an-diugh 鈥檚 i a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd fhathast an sg矛re as m貌 far a bheilear a鈥� cluich iomain. Ach tha e iongantach mar a bha i air a cluich ann am m貌ran 脿iteachan eile ann am Breatainn, agus thall thairis, far an robh G脿idheil a鈥� tighinn cruinn.

Ann an Astr脿ilia is Canada, ann an New York is Cape Town, a bharrachd air Birmingham, Manchester, Lunnainn is m貌ran 脿iteachan eile, bhiodh muinntir na camanachd a鈥� dol air a鈥� ph脿irc len camain. An l脿 eile, th脿inig mi tarsainn air aithris mu gheam a chaidh a chluich ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas, air p脿irc mh貌r aig bonn na beinne ann am Montevideo, pr矛omh bhaile Uruguay. Bha seo ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug.

Thachair e air a鈥� cheathramh l脿 dhen Ghiblean oir b鈥� e sin l脿 f猫ille sa bhaile. Chuir na G脿idheil a bha a鈥� fuireach ann romhpa geama iomain a chumail. Bha droch choltas air an t-s矛de ach tha fhios nach do chuir sin stad air muinntir na camanachd a-riamh. Chaidh na cluicheadairean a-null ann am b脿taichean bhon bhaile gu ruige b脿gh air an taobh thall. Bha sin faisg air a鈥� ph脿irc. Eadar am port agus a鈥� ph脿irc, choisich iad mar ch貌mhlan, agus p矛obaire aig an ceann. 鈥橲 e am fonn a bh鈥� aig a鈥� ph矛obaire 鈥淭he Campbells are Coming鈥�. Bha m貌ran thall mu thr脿th, a鈥� feitheamh riutha.

Mus do th貌isich an cluich, chaidh na sgiobannan a thaghadh. Bhiodh sin a鈥� t貌iseachadh le ainmeachadh sgiobair airson gach taobh. Chanadh fear dhen dithis a tha sin, 鈥淏uaileam ort鈥� agus bhiodh e a鈥� tilgeil a chamain don fhear eile, a ghlacadh e. Chuireadh an dithis an lamhan, t猫 ma seach, suas an caman, agus 鈥檚 e am fear mu dheireadh aig an robh gr猫im fhathast air a鈥� chaman a gheibheadh a鈥� chiad taghadh de chluicheadair. Chanadh e an uairsin, 鈥淟eigeam leat鈥�, agus bhiodh cothrom aig an sgiobair eile a鈥� chiad chluicheadair aigesan a thaghadh.

Chan eil an aithris ag innse cuin鈥� a th貌isich an geama, ach lean e gu ceithir uairean feasgar. Nuair a sguir e, shuidh na cluicheadairean air an fheur agus bha cuirm mh貌r aca. 鈥橲 ann nuair a leughas tu na dh鈥� ith iad a thuigeas tu gur ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas a bha iad. Fhuair iad asado de carvo con cuero 鈥� 鈥檚 e sin mairtfhe貌il r貌sta leis a鈥� bhian oirre. Ach 鈥檚 ann Albannach a bha an deoch 鈥� uisge-beatha.

As d猫idh na d矛nnearach bha an t-脿m ann airson dannsadh. Bha measgachadh ann de dhannsa G脿idhealach agus ruidhleachan. Tha e coltach gur e rud Albannach a bh鈥� ann air fad, ged a bha cuid nach robh nan Albannaich an l脿thair cuideachd. Aig leth-uair an d猫idh seachd, thill na se貌id do na b脿taichean is rinn iad aiseag a-null don bhaile a-rithist. Ach cha robh an gnothach deiseil. Chaidh na G脿idheil airson an suipearach ann an taigh-貌sta far an do ghabh iad deoch-sl脿inte don Teaghlach R矛oghail agus do Cheann-suidhe Poblachd Uruguay.

An uair sin rinn an cathraiche 貌raid a bha a鈥� dol eadar Beurla is G脿idhlig. Agus bha deoch-sl脿inte eile aca 鈥� agus rud gu math iomchaidh 鈥� gu 鈥淭矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach.鈥� 鈥橲 e sin rud nach cluinnear ach gl猫 ainneamh an l脿 an-diugh 鈥� T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach. Bhiodh e math sin a chluinntinn na bu trice. Co-dhi霉, tha mi an d貌chas gu bheil e f矛or is gu bheil gaisgich againn fhathast air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd.

Faclan na seachdaine: An Giblean: April; l脿-f猫ille: holiday; mu thr脿th: already; cuimr: feast; ruidhleachan: reels; ceann-suidhe: president; poblachd: republic; nas trice: more often.

Abairtean na seachdaine: eadhon an l脿 an-diugh: even today; an sg矛re as m貌 far a bheilear a鈥� cluich iomain: the region in which shinty is mostly played; air a鈥� ph脿irc len camain: on the field with their camans (shinty sticks); aig bonn na beinne: at the bottom of the mountain; chuir na G脿idheil romhpa: the Gaels decided; bha droch choltas air an t-s矛de: the weather looked threatening; nach do chuir sinn stad air X a-riamh: that that never stopped X; gu ruige b脿gh air an taobh thall: to a bay on the far side; choisich iad mar ch貌mhlan: they walked as a group; agus p矛obaire aig an ceann: with a piper at their head; chanadh fear dhen dithis: one of the pair would say; 鈥檚 e am fear mu dheireadh aig an robh gr猫im fhathast: it is the last one who still gripped; lean e gu: it continued until; 鈥檚 ann nuair a leughas tu na dh鈥檌th iad: it鈥檚 when you read what they ate; a thuigeas tu gur ann an Ameireagaidh a Deas a bha iad; that you understand they were in South America; cuid nach robh nan Albannaich: some who were not Scots; thill na se貌id: the heroes returned; rinn iad aiseag: they crossed (by ferry); airson an suipearach: for their supper; T矛r nam Beann, 鈥檚 nan Gleann, 鈥檚 nan Gaisgeach: Land of the Mountains, the Glens and the Heroes; bhiodh e math sin a chluinntinn na bu trice: it would be good to hear that more often; gu bheil gaisgich againn fhathast: that we still have heroes.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Buaileam ort: let me hit you (said at the very start of a shinty game). Do you recognise this grammatical construction? It is the first person singular imperative (of buail). This is the equivalent for the first person to 鈥渂uail!鈥� (鈥渉it!鈥�, the second person singular) and 鈥渂uailibh!鈥� (鈥渉it!鈥�, the second person plural). The 鈥揳m or 鈥揺am ending is the giveaway for this. It occurs again in the Litir in 鈥淟eigeam leat鈥� which is what the captain who had the first choice of a player would say to allow the opposing captain to make his first choice. This is also the first person singular imperative (of leig) and means 鈥渓et me permit you鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: ghabh iad deoch-sl脿inte: they had a toast (a drink with a toast).