858: The Giant's Cave (2) 858: Uamh an Fhuamhaire (2)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The little letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Uamh an Fhuamhaire (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uamh an Fhuamhaire no Church Cave ann an Eilean Rònaigh. Tha Rònaigh na eilean garbh, creagach. Ron naoidheamh linn deug, cha robh sluagh mòr riamh a’ fuireach ann.
Mar sin, cuin a bha feum aig an t-sluagh air eaglais? Uill, bha anns an dàrna leth dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Cheannaich marsantach Albannach, Seòras Rèanaidh, Ratharsair agus Rònaigh ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a trì (1843). Bha Rèanaidh a’ cumail thràillean anns a’ Charibbean. Rinn e fortan. Fhuair e airgead-dìolaidh bhon riaghaltas nuair a chuir iad casg air tràilleachd anns an Ìmpireachd. Agus ʼs ann às dèidh sin a cheannaich e Ratharsair agus Rònaigh.
Tha droch chliù aig Rèanaidh. Dh’fhuadaich e suas ri ceud teaghlach à ceithir bailtean deug ann an Ratharsair. Anns an dàn aige, Sgreapadal, tha am bàrd ainmeil Somhairle MacGill-Eain ag ràdh:
Rèanaidh, a thog an tuath o cheithir bailtean deug ann an Eilean nam Fear Mòra, Ratharsair Mhòr nan Leòdach...
Am measg nam bailtean a chaidh fhuadachadh, bha Sgreapadal air taobh an ear an eilein. Chaidh feadhainn de mhuinntir Sgreapadail gu ruige Rònaigh airson a bhith beò an sin cho math ʼs a b' urrainn dhaibh. Dh’èirich an sluagh ann an Rònaigh gu naoi fichead aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Anns an dàn Sgreapadal, tha am bàrd ag ainmeachadh na h-uamha mar a leanas ...
Uamha ʼn Fhuamhaire ʼn Rònaigh
agus a sreathan beaga chlach,
suidheachain fhear is bhan is cloinne
ag èisteachd ri Maighstir Ruairi
ag innse nach eil an seo baile mhaireas,
Rèanaidh ann no Rèanaidh às.
B’ e Maighstir Ruairi An t-Urr. Ruairidh MacLeòid, ogha aig seann uachdaran Ratharsair. B’ esan a’ chiad mhinistear aig an Eaglais Shaoir anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bhiodh e gu tric a’ searmonachadh ann an Rònaigh ann an Uamh an Fhuamhaire.
Thogadh eaglais far an robh na daoine a’ fuireach ann an Rònaigh aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Ach lean baistidhean airson ùine mhòr anns an uaimh. Chan eil seirbheisean gan cumail innte an-diugh. Ach tha fhios gum bi cuid de luchd-tadhail a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh innte bho àm gu àm.
The Giant's Cave (2)
I was telling you about Uamh an Fhuamhaire or Church Cave on the Isle of Rona. Rona is a rough, rocky island. Before the nineteenth century, there was never big population living there.
Thus, when did the people need a church? Well, it was in the second half of the nineteenth century. A Scottish merchant, George Rainy, bought Raasay and Rona in 1843. Rainy was a slave owner in the Caribbean. He made a fortune. He got compensation money from the government when they banned slavery in the Empire. And it was after that that he bought Raasay and Rona.
Rainy has a bad reputation. He cleared up to a hundred families from fourteen townships in Raasay. In his poem, Screapadal, the famous poet, Sorley Maclean says:
Rainy, who cleared fourteen townships in the Island of the Big Men, Great Raasay of the MacLeods...
Among the townships that were cleared was Screapadal on the east side of the island. Some of the Screapadal folk went to Rona to live there as best they might. The population of Rona rose to 180 at the end of the 19th century. In the poem Screapadal, the poet names the cave as follows:
The giant’s cave in Rona
and its small rows of stones,
seats of men and women and children
listening to Maighstir Ruairi
telling that here is no abiding city
Rainy or no Rainy.
Maighstir Ruairi was the Rev. Roddy MacLeod, a grandson of the old landlord of Raasay. He was the first Free Church minister on Skye. He would often preach on Rona in the giant’s cave.
A church was built where the people were living on Rona at the start of the twentieth century. But baptims continued for a long time in the cave. No services are held there today. But I’m sure that some visitors pray there from time to time.
Uamh an Fhuamhaire (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uamh an Fhuamhaire no Church Cave ann an Eilean Rònaigh. Tha Rònaigh na eilean garbh, creagach. Ron naoidheamh linn deug, cha robh sluagh mòr riamh a’ fuireach ann.
Mar sin, cuin a bha feum aig an t-sluagh air eaglais? Uill, bha anns an dàrna leth dhen naoidheamh linn deug. Cheannaich marsantach Albannach, Seòras Rèanaidh, Ratharsair agus Rònaigh ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a trì (1843). Bha Rèanaidh a’ cumail thràillean anns a’ Charibbean. Rinn e fortan. Fhuair e airgead-dìolaidh bhon riaghaltas nuair a chuir iad casg air tràilleachd anns an Ìmpireachd. Agus ʼs ann às dèidh sin a cheannaich e Ratharsair agus Rònaigh.
Tha droch chliù aig Rèanaidh. Dh’fhuadaich e suas ri ceud teaghlach à ceithir bailtean deug ann an Ratharsair. Anns an dàn aige, Sgreapadal, tha am bàrd ainmeil Somhairle MacGill-Eain ag ràdh:
Rèanaidh, a thog an tuath o cheithir bailtean deug ann an Eilean nam Fear Mòra, Ratharsair Mhòr nan Leòdach...
Am measg nam bailtean a chaidh fhuadachadh, bha Sgreapadal air taobh an ear an eilein. Chaidh feadhainn de mhuinntir Sgreapadail gu ruige Rònaigh airson a bhith beò an sin cho math ʼs a b' urrainn dhaibh. Dh’èirich an sluagh ann an Rònaigh gu naoi fichead aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Anns an dàn Sgreapadal, tha am bàrd ag ainmeachadh na h-uamha mar a leanas ...
Uamha ʼn Fhuamhaire ʼn Rònaigh
agus a sreathan beaga chlach,
suidheachain fhear is bhan is cloinne
ag èisteachd ri Maighstir Ruairi
ag innse nach eil an seo baile mhaireas,
Rèanaidh ann no Rèanaidh às.
B’ e Maighstir Ruairi An t-Urr. Ruairidh MacLeòid, ogha aig seann uachdaran Ratharsair. B’ esan a’ chiad mhinistear aig an Eaglais Shaoir anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bhiodh e gu tric a’ searmonachadh ann an Rònaigh ann an Uamh an Fhuamhaire.
Thogadh eaglais far an robh na daoine a’ fuireach ann an Rònaigh aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Ach lean baistidhean airson ùine mhòr anns an uaimh. Chan eil seirbheisean gan cumail innte an-diugh. Ach tha fhios gum bi cuid de luchd-tadhail a’ dèanamh ùrnaigh innte bho àm gu àm.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1162
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn