麻豆社

Tha ceist agam dhuibh aig toiseach na Litreach an t-seachdain seo. An ath-bhliadhna 鈥� ann an d脿 mh矛le 鈥檚 a naoi (2009) 鈥� bithear a鈥� comharrachadh droch thachartas ann an eachdraidh nan G脿idheal ann an Alba. Tachartas a thug buille chruaidh dha-r矛ribh air na G脿idheil mar shluagh.

A bheil fios agaibh d猫 bh鈥� ann? Thachair e o chionn ceithir cheud bliadhna 鈥� an ath-bhliadhna 鈥� ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609). 鈥橲 d貌cha nach robh e cho cruaidh air na G脿idheil ann an taobh sear is meadhan na G脿idhealtachd ach bha e cruaidh orra air an taobh an iar. Rinn e cinnteach gur ann air an rathad s矛os a bhiodh a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann an Alba, eadhon air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd, bho sin a-mach. Dh鈥檉haodar a r脿dh gu bheil sinn fhathast a鈥� fulang a bhuaidh.

Innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 bh鈥� ann. As t-samhradh sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609), chaidh Reachdas Eilean 脤 a chur an s脿s. Ann am Beurla thathar e貌lach air mar The Statutes of Iona. An ath-bhliadhna bu ch貌ir do na G脿idheil a bhith a鈥� foillseachadh d猫 d矛reach a bh鈥� ann an Reachdas 脤 oir lean faisg air ceithir cheud bliadhna de leth-bhreith leis an st脿it an aghaidh ar c脿nain, ar cultair 鈥檚 ar dearbh-aithneachaidh.

Bha Seumas VI air an r矛gh-chathair aig an 脿m. Bho fhuair e cr霉n Shasainn, a bharrachd air cr霉n na h-Alba, ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1603), th貌isich e air a bhith cruaidh air na G脿idheil. Bha an dubh-ghr脿in aige air muinntir na G脿idhlig anns an fharsaingeachd, ach gu seachd 脿raidh air na h-eileanaich. Ann an sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609), ghluais e gus fineachan an taobh an iar a chur fo a smachd.

Chaidh na cinn-chinnidh mar a leanas a chur an gr猫im le foill. 脌 脤le bha Aonghas D貌mhnallach. 脌 Muile bha Eachann MacIlleathain 脿s an Dubh-脿ird agus a bhr脿ithrean Lachlann is Ailean, agus Lachlann MacIlleathain an Locha Bhuidhe. 脌s an Eilean Sgitheanach bha D貌mhnall Gorm D貌mhnallach 脿 Sl猫ite agus Ruairidh MacFhionghain 脿s an t-Srath. 脌 Uibhist bha D貌mhnall D貌mhnallach Chlann Raghnaill. A bharrachd air sin bha Ruairidh MacLe貌id 脿s Na Hearadh, Gilleasbaig MacGuaire 脿 Ulbha agus D貌mhnall Mac-a-Ph矛 脿 Colbhasa.

Chaidh na cinn-chinnidh sin a thoirt gu d脿il, no co-labhairt, ann am Muile. Chaidh cuireadh a thoirt dhaibh dhol air b貌rd soitheach anns am biodh Easbaig nan Eilean, Anndra Knox, a鈥� searmonachadh. Chaidh iad ann, gu neoichiontach, agus chaidh an cur an gr猫im. Dh鈥檃ontaich iad dhol gu d脿il eile ann an 脤.

Choinnich iad ann an 脤 anns an Iuchar sia ceud deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1609). Bha dusan earrann anns an reachdas. Seo feadhainn dhiubh:

1. Dh鈥檉heumadh na cinn-chinnidh an taic a thoirt don Eaglais Phr貌stanaich agus am ministearan a ph脿igheadh.

2. Bhiodh spidealan no taighean-貌sta air an st猫idheachadh far am faigheadh daoine 脿ite-fuirich.

3. Cha robh cead aig na cinn-chinnidh m貌ran uaislean a chumail san dachaigh aca tuilleadh.

4. Chan fhaodadh eileanach tuilleadh a bhith a鈥� ceannach f矛on bho thall thairis, ged a bhiodh cead aca uisge-beatha a dh猫anamh dhaibh fh猫in.

5. Cha robh cead aig duine gunna a chleachdadh eadhon airson losgadh air f猫idh,

maighich no e貌in.

Ach bha d脿 earrainn eile ann an Reachdas 脤 a bha na bu mhiosa na gin dhiubh sin oir sh脿th iad sgian ann an cridhe nan G脿idheal air taobh an iar na h-Alba. Bheir sinn s霉il orra sin anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Reachdas Eilean 脤: The Statutes of Iona; r矛gh-chathair: throne; d脿il: meeting, convention (the Irish Parliament is the D谩il); gu neoichiontach: innocently; earrann: section.

Abairtean na Litreach: an ath-bhliadhna: next year; bithear a鈥� comharrachadh droch thachartas: a bad occurrence will be marked; a thug buille chruaidh dha-r矛ribh air X: which delivered a terrible blow to X; mar shluagh: as a people; bha e cruaidh orra air an taobh an iar: it was hard on them in the west; gur ann air an rathad s矛os a bhiodh X: that X would be going downhill [鈥渙n the road down鈥漖; fhathast a鈥� fulang a bhuaidh: still suffering [from] its influence; bha an dubh-ghr脿in aige air muinntir na G脿idhlig anns an fharsaingeachd: he absolutely hated the Gaelic people in general; gus fineachan an taobh an iar a chur fo a smachd: to put the clans of the west under his control; chaidh na cinn-chinnidh mar a leanas a chur an gr猫im le foill: the following clan chiefs were arrested by treachery; dhol air b貌rd soitheach anns am biodh Easbaig nan Eilean a鈥� searmonachadh: to go on board a vessel in which the Bishop of the Isles would be preaching; bhiodh spidealan no taighean-貌sta air an st猫idheachadh: wayside accommodation or inns would be established; cha robh cead aig X m貌ran uaislean a chumail san dachaigh aca tuilleadh: X were no longer permitted to keep many gentlemen in their home; chan fhaodadh eileanach tuilleadh a bhith a鈥� ceannach f矛on bho thall thairis: islanders could no longer buy wine from overseas; gunna a chleachdadh eadhon airson losgadh air f猫idh, maighich no e貌in:to use a gun, even to shoot deer, hares or birds; sh脿th iad sgian ann an cridhe nan G脿idheal: it thrust a knife into the heart[s] of the Gaels.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ceithir cheud bliadhna de leth-bhreith leis an st脿it an aghaidh ar c脿nain, ar cultair 鈥檚 ar dearbh-aithneachaidh: four hundred years of discrimination by the state against our language, our culture and our identity. Leth-bhreith literally means 鈥渉alf judgement鈥� ie 鈥減artiality鈥� 鈥� supporting only one side of a particular argument. It has also come therefore to mean 鈥渄iscrimination鈥� in more general terms. Leth is used in an enormous number of compounds, most commonly meaning 鈥渉alf鈥� but also 鈥渙ne of a pair鈥� eg leth-sh霉ileach (one-eyed), leth-chasach (one-legged). For a good list of leth- compounds, see either Dwelly鈥檚 or Mark鈥檚 dictionaries.