蜜芽传媒

Anns an Litir an t-seachdain sa chaidh, dh鈥檃inmich mi Ramsay D貌mhnallach, no Seumas Ramsay D貌mhnallach, airson ainm sl脿n a thoirt dha. Bha e na Phr矛omhaire ann an tr矛 riaghaltasan eadar-dhealaichte 鈥� an riaghaltas L脿barach ann an naoi ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a tr矛 gu fichead 鈥檚 a ceithir (1923-4) agus am fear L脿barach sia bliadhna as d猫idh sin, agus cuideachd anns an riaghaltas n脿iseanta eadar naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon agus trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1931-5).

Tha a鈥� chuid as m貌 de na leabhraichean eachdraidh ag innse dhuinn gu robh e na mhac d矛olain aig M脿iri Ramsay a bha ag obair ann am muinntireas ann an Inbhir Losaidh, agus gur e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air aig 脿m a bhreith 鈥� Seumas D貌mhnallach Ramsay, ged a chaidh sin atharrachadh mus deach e don sgoil. Tha iad cuideachd ag innse dhuinn gum b鈥� e athair fear Iain D貌mhnallach, a bhuineadh don Eilean Dubh, agus a bha ag obair mar sgalag. Tuigidh sibh nach ann beartach a bha Ramsay nuair a bha e 貌g.

Co-dhi霉, 鈥檚 e sin a tha na leabhraichean a鈥� cumail a-mach. Ach th脿inig e am follais o chionn ghoirid gu bheil beachd eile ann mun ch霉is, fada gu siar air an Eilean Dubh, am measg nan Gaidheal ann an ceann a deas an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Tha feadhainn ann a sin dhen bheachd gun do rugadh Iain D貌mhnallach, athair Ramsay, ann an T貌cabhaig, baile beag biodach ann an Sl猫ite ann am f矛or cheann a deas an eilein. Cha robh e na sgalaig, tha iad ag r脿dh, ach na chlachair le sinnsireachd a chaidh air ais gu Sgrios Ghlinn Chomhainn aig deireadh an t-seachdamh linn deug.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean ann a theich 脿s Gleann Comhainn as d猫idh an sgriosa. B鈥� iad D貌mhnall, a chaidh a dh鈥檉huireach anns a鈥� Ghearasdan, Iain a chaidh a dh鈥橴ibhist agus P貌l a fhuair 脿ite-fuirich anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha Iain D貌mhnallach, athair Ramsay, am measg sliochd Ph貌il. Agus chaill e lethbhr脿thair, mac eile aig Iain D貌mhnallach, a chaidh a bh脿thadh ann an allt anns an Eilean Sgitheanach, agus e na ph脿iste.

Co-dhi霉 tha an eachdraidh f矛or gus nach eil, tha e coltach nach do dh鈥檃idich Ramsay D貌mhnallach a-riamh gu poblach gu robh ceangal sam bith aige don Eilean Sgitheanach. 鈥橲 d貌cha nach robh fios aige. Tha e coltach gu robh athair agus a mh脿thair ag iarraidh p貌sadh, ach nach d鈥檉huair iad cead bho sheanmhair, m脿thair a mh脿thar.

鈥橲 ann tro iomadh car a chaidh beatha poilitigeach Ramsay. Bha e mar ph脿irt dhen Ph脿rtaidh L脿barach nuair a chaidh a chur air chois agus as d猫idh c貌ig bliadhna, lean e air Keir Hardie mar cheannard. B鈥� fheudar dha a dhreuchd a leigeil dheth, ge-t脿, aig toiseach a鈥� Chogaidh Mh貌ir, oir bha e dhen bheachd nach robh c貌ir aig Breatainn a bhith an s脿s anns a鈥� chogadh. Chaidh ochd bliadhna seachad mus d鈥檉huair e air ais mar cheannard, agus chaidh bliadhna eile seachad mus d鈥檉huair e gu Sr脿id Downing.

Chuala mi naidheachd mu Ramsay D貌mhnallach o chionn ghoirid ann an Srath Sp猫. Bha e fh猫in agus a bhean air a bhith a鈥� coiseachd nam beann l脿 a bha seo agus chaidh iad gu doras taigh-貌sta. Bha e na Phr矛omhaire aig an 脿m. Bha iad a鈥� coimhead rudeigin robach as d猫idh l脿 anns a鈥� mhonadh, agus thuirt bean an taighe ri Ramsay, gun fhios aice c貌 bh鈥� ann, nach fhaodadh e tighinn a-steach, oir bha an t-脿ite d矛reach airson 鈥渢offs鈥�!鈥� Tha fhios gu robh e air f脿ilte na bu chridheile na sin fhaighinn am measg nan croitearan ann an T貌cabhaig!

Faclan na seachdaine: pr矛omhaire: Prime Minister; leabhraichean eachdraidh: history books; beartach: wealthy; T貌cabhaig: Tokavaig; Sgrios Ghlinn Chomhainn: The Glencoe massacre; an Gearasdan: Fort William; lethbhrathair: half-brother; robach: slovenly.

Abairtean na seachdaine: a bha ag obair ann am muinntireas ann an Inbhir Losaidh: who was in domestic service in Lossiemouth; a bhuineadh don Eilean Dubh: who belonged to the Black Isle; th脿inig e am follais o chionn ghoirid: it became apparent recently; ann an ceann a deas an Eilein Sgitheanaich: in the south of Skye; baile beag b矛odach ann an Sl猫ite: a tiny wee village in Sleat; cha robh e na sgalaig, ach na chlachair: he was not an agricultural labourer, but a stonemason (sgalag is a feminine noun although it represents a masculine person); a chaidh a bh脿thadh ann an allt: who was drowned in a burn; ach nach d鈥檉huair iad cead bho sheanmhair, m脿thair a mh脿thar: but that they did not get permission from his grandmother, the mother of his mother; 鈥檚 ann tro iomadh car a chaidh beatha poilitigeach Ramsay: Ramsay鈥檚 political life took many a turn; gun fhios aice c貌 bh鈥� ann: without knowing who he was.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Seumas Ramsay D貌mhnallach, airson ainm sl脿n a thoirt dha: James Ramsay MacDonald, to give him his full name. Learners often ask me whether to translate the surname MacDonald as D貌mhnallach or MacDh貌mhnaill. It is difficult to give an answer to that if Gaelic has died out within the family tree and I would say that the choice is up to the person himself, because both occur within the Gaelic world. Remember, however, that if you are female you will be (for example) M脿iri Dh貌mhnallach, not M脿iri D貌mhnallach, as the surname will be lenited. If you prefer MacDh貌mhnaill, remember that the feminine form is NicDh貌mhnaill. 鈥楾he MacDonalds鈥� (as in a family) would be na D貌mhnallaich or Clann ic鈥� Dh貌mhnaill but 鈥楥lan Donald鈥� (ie all the MacDonalds) is Clann D貌mhnaill (the 鈥楧鈥� is not lenited following the 鈥榥鈥�). Note also that not all those for whom their English surname is MacDonald go by the same in Gaelic. The MacDonalds of Glencoe, which suffered in the 1692 massacre, were MacIains (Clann 鈥檌c Iain). And MacIain also appears as a Gaelic equivalent for Johnson and Johnstone.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: bha e dhen bheachd nach robh c貌ir aig Breatainn a bhith an s脿s anns a鈥� chogadh: he was of the opinion that Britain should not have been involved in the war. Make sure you do not get confused by the difference between dhen bheachd and am beachd. The first means 鈥榦f the opinion鈥�; the latter means 鈥榦f the intention鈥� eg bha mi am beachd rudeigin a dh猫anamh (I intended to do something).