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Mus cuir sinn a鈥� bhliadhna fichead is ceithir air fhichead (2024) an d脿rna taobh, tha mi airson tachartas cudromach ann an eachdraidh nan G脿idheal a chomharrachadh. Thachair e o chionn ceud gu leth bliadhna ann an Eilean Bhe脿rnaraigh far costa siar Le貌dhais. Ann am Beurla, bidh daoine a鈥� gabhail 鈥�The Bernera Riot鈥� air.

Ach an e 鈥榓imhreit鈥� a bu ch貌ir dhuinn gabhail air ann an G脿idhlig? Chaidh mi gu cunntas G脿idhlig mun tachartas, a bh鈥� air a sgr矛obhadh le fear a bhuineadh don eilean. B鈥� esan D貌mhnall MacAmhlaigh 鈥� b脿rd agus sgoilear G脿idhlig. Agus 鈥檚 e 鈥楢r-a-mach鈥� a chleachd esan anns a鈥� chunntas aige anns an leabhar 鈥極ighreachd agus Gabhaltas鈥� a chaidh fhoillseachadh ann an naoi ceud deug is ochdad (1980).

Beagan ron 鈥榓r-a-mach鈥�, bha c貌raichean ionaltraidh aig muinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh air t矛r-m貌r Le貌dhais air m貌inteach Beinn a鈥� Chuailein. Aig an 脿m sin, cha robh drochaid ann, ach cha robh sin gu diofar. Bhiodh na h-eileanaich a鈥� falbh 鈥檚 a鈥� tighinn agus bha an c貌raichean air a鈥� mh貌intich air a bhith aca fad linntean.

Ge-t脿, ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1872), chaidh am fearann sin a thoirt bhuapa. Bha cumhachd mar sin aig na h-uachdarain. B鈥� e uachdaran Eilean Le貌dhais an Ridire Seumas MacMhathain. Bha esan air fortan a dh猫anamh le bhith a鈥� malairt opium ann an S矛onaidh. Dh鈥檉h脿g e c霉isean riaghlaidh l脿itheil don t-siamarlan aige, D貌mhnall Rothach. Bha gr脿in aig muinntir Le貌dhais air an Rothach. Fo a sti霉ir-san, chaidh m貌inteach Beinn a鈥� Chuailein a dh猫anamh na fr矛th.

Chaidh talamh m貌intich eile a thoirt do na croitearan faisg air Iarsiadar. Ach bha sin na bu lugha. Agus bha aig na croitearan ri g脿rradh-cr矛che a thogail eadar an talamh aca fh猫in agus fr矛th Sgealasgro. Chan e sin a-mh脿in, ach bha aig na croitearan ri p脿igheadh airson sin! Chan fhaodadh iad beathach sam bith a chur air a鈥� mh貌intich gus an robh a鈥� chr矛och d矛onach. Bha sin dona gu le貌r ach bha na bu mhiosa a鈥� tighinn.

Bha aonta sgr矛obhte ann mun ch霉is. Chaidh innse do na croitearan gum biodh c貌raichean aca don fhearann 霉r fhad 鈥檚 a bhiodh iad gan gi霉lan fh猫in gu d貌igheil agus a鈥� p脿igheadh am m脿l ann an deagh 脿m. Ach, an d猫idh bliadhna gu leth, chaidh innse do na croitearan nach biodh an t-uachdaran a鈥� cumail ris a鈥� bhargan. Cha bhitheadh cead aca an cuid chaorach a chumail air m貌inteach Iarsadair tuilleadh. Gheibheadh na croitearan tuathanas Th脿cleit air an eilean fh猫in. Ach chailleadh iad am fearann m貌intich gu l猫ir aca air t矛r-m貌r Le貌dhais.

Cha do ghabh na croitearan ri sin. Dh鈥檌arr iad air an t-siamarlan an litir a shealltainn dhaibh a bha a鈥� dearbhadh gun d鈥檉huair iad c貌raichean air Iarsadar bliadhna gu leth roimhe. Ach 鈥� obh obh 鈥� cha robh sgeul air an litir ann an oifis an t-siamarlain. Mar a sgr矛obh D貌mhnall MacAmhlaigh, a鈥� cleachdadh chromagan turrach, 鈥榖ha i air a dhol 鈥渁ir chall鈥濃��. Seadh.

Seo mar a mh矛nicheas D貌mhnall mar a thachair an uair sin. 鈥楥huir an siamarlan ... earraid, Cailean MacGillFhinnein, agus Seumas MacRath, am maor-fearainn, le p脿ipearan b脿irlingidh chun an 56 croitearan a bha am Be脿rnaraigh gan cur a-mach 脿s an taighean is 脿s an croitean agus 脿s an c貌raichean m貌intich an ath latha Bhealltainn.鈥� Innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chuir na se貌id Bhe脿rnarach an aghaidh sin an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Eilean Bhe脿rnaraigh: (Great) Bernera; aimhreit: riot; D貌mhnall MacAmhlaigh : Donald MacAulay; ar-a-mach (also aramach): rebellion; m貌inteach: hill, moor, rough grazings, peatland; na bu lugha: smaller; aonta sgr矛obhte: written agreement; tuathanas Th脿cleit: Haclete farm; cromagan turrach: inverted commas; air chall: lost: seadh: aye, right [said sceptically]; earraid: sheriff officer; Cailean MacGillFhinnein: Colin MacLennan; Seumas MacRath: James MacRae; maor-fearainn: land agent; p脿ipearan b脿irlingidh: eviction notices.

Abairtean na Litreach: Mus cuir sinn X an d脿rna taobh: before we put X aside; fear a bhuineadh don eilean: a man who聽 belonged to the island; bha c貌raichean ionaltraidh aig muinntir Bhe脿rnaraigh air t矛r-m貌r Le貌dhais: the Bernera people had grazing rights on the Lewis mainland; bha an c貌raichean air a bhith aca fad linntean: they had had their rights for generations/centuries; chaidh am fearann sin a thoirt bhuapa: that land was taken from them; b鈥� e uachdaran Eilean Le貌dhais an Ridire Seumas MacMhathain: the landlord of the Isle of Lewis was Sir James Matheson; le bhith a鈥� malairt opium ann an S矛onaidh: by trading opium in China; dh鈥檉h脿g e c霉isean riaghlaidh l脿itheil don t-siamarlan aige, D貌mhnall Rothach; he left the daily management to his factor, Donald Munro; fo a sti霉ir-san, chaidh X a dh猫anamh na fr矛th: X was made into a deer forest; bha aig na croitearan ri g脿rradh-cr矛che a thogail: the crofters had to build a boundary wall; bha aig X ri p脿igheadh: X had to pay; chan fhaodadh iad beathach sam bith a chur air a鈥� mh貌intich gus an robh a鈥� chr矛och d矛onach: they couldn鈥檛 put any animal on the hill until the boundary was secure; gum biodh c貌raichean aca don fhearann 霉r fhad 鈥檚 a bhiodh gan gi霉lan fh猫in gu d貌igheil: that they would have rights to the new land as long as they carried themselves properly; p脿igheadh am m脿l ann an deagh 脿m: paying their rent(s) in good time; nach biodh an t-uachdaran a鈥� cumail ris a鈥� bhargan: that the landlord wouldn鈥檛 keep [his side of] the bargain; gan cur a-mach 脿s an taighean: to evict them from their houses; an ath latha Bhealltainn: next Beltane Day.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Cha bhitheadh cead aca an cuid chaorach a chumail air m貌inteach Iarsiadair tuilleadh: they would no longer have permission to keep their sheep on the Iarsiadar rough grazings. I have here used the emphatic form bhitheadh rather than the normal conditional form of the verb 鈥榯o be鈥� which would be bhiodh. Note the pronunciation which matches the spelling.聽

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: ach bha na bu mhiosa a鈥� tighinn: but worse was to come [was coming].