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21/04/2014
Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.
Last on
Mon 21 Apr 2014
19:00
³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio nan Gà idheal
Clip
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An Litir Bheag 467
Duration: 03:41
An Litir Bheag 467
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Urramach Dòmhnall MacCaluim. Sheas e an guaillibh nan croitearan aig à m strì an fhearainn. Nuair a ghluais e gu Bhatairnis anns an Eilean Sgitheanach dh’fhàs e iomraiteach.
Bha an coitheanal aige air an t-Sà baid gu math beag. Bha esan ann an Eaglais na h-Alba. Bha a’ mhòr-chuid de mhuinntir na sgìre anns an Eaglais Shaoir.
Tron t-seachdain, ge-tà , bha mòran a’ tighinn a dh’èisteachd ris. Bha e a’ toirt òraidean air olc na h-uachdranachd. Anns a’ Chèitean ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a ceithir (1884), bhruidhinn e air beulaibh coinneamh mhòr de chroitearan aig Beul Atha nan Trì Allt. Bha Mà iri Mhòr nan Òran an là thair. Mhol i MacCaluim na bà rdachd.
Bhruidhinn Dòmhnall gu mòr mu obair Dhè. ’S e sealladh Crìosdail a bha aige air ceist an fhearainn. Cha robh luchd-stiùiridh na h-Eaglaise toilichte leis, ge-tà . Chronaich a’ Chlèir gu dubh e. Thuirt iad gun robh e a’ brosnachadh chroitearan gu fòirneart. Ach lean MacCaluim air. Thà inig na poilis don mhansa aige. Chuir am ministear seachad deireadh-sheachdain ann an cealla-poilis ann am Port Rìgh.
Lìbhrig Dòmhnall Meek pà ipear inntinneach aig co-labhairt ann an Leòdhas o chionn bliadhna gu leth. Rinn e coimeas eadar suidheachadh MhicCaluim agus ‘diadhachd na saorsa’. B’ e sin an iomairt a dh’èirich ann an Ameireagaidh Laidinneach anns na seachdadan dhen linn a dh’fhalbh.
Bha sagartan Caitligeach a’ dìon an t-sluaigh a bha a’ fulang bochdainn. Bha iad a’ cleachdadh nan sgriobtaran airson ‘dearbhadh’ gun robh iad a’ dèanamh toil Dhè. Ach chà in à rd-urrachan na h-Eaglaise gu dubh iad. Am measg nan à rd-urrachan sin, bha an Cà rdanal Iosaph Ratzinger. Dh’èirich esan gu bhith na Phà p. Tha Meek ag rà dh gun do dhèilig Clèir an Eilein Sgitheanaich de dh’Eaglais na h-Alba ri Dòmhnall MacCaluim ann an dòigh choltach.
Ghluais MacCaluim gu coitheanal ùr ann an Tiriodh. Cha robh e ann fada ach chuir muinntir an eilein carragh-cuimhne an-à irde dha. Bha iad duilich gun robh e a’ falbh. Agus bha e a’ falbh gu à ite eile far an robh connspaid mhòr timcheall ceist an fhearainn. Bidh eachdraidh-beatha a’ ghaisgich seo a’ leantainn an-ath-sheachdain.
Bha an coitheanal aige air an t-Sà baid gu math beag. Bha esan ann an Eaglais na h-Alba. Bha a’ mhòr-chuid de mhuinntir na sgìre anns an Eaglais Shaoir.
Tron t-seachdain, ge-tà , bha mòran a’ tighinn a dh’èisteachd ris. Bha e a’ toirt òraidean air olc na h-uachdranachd. Anns a’ Chèitean ochd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a ceithir (1884), bhruidhinn e air beulaibh coinneamh mhòr de chroitearan aig Beul Atha nan Trì Allt. Bha Mà iri Mhòr nan Òran an là thair. Mhol i MacCaluim na bà rdachd.
Bhruidhinn Dòmhnall gu mòr mu obair Dhè. ’S e sealladh Crìosdail a bha aige air ceist an fhearainn. Cha robh luchd-stiùiridh na h-Eaglaise toilichte leis, ge-tà . Chronaich a’ Chlèir gu dubh e. Thuirt iad gun robh e a’ brosnachadh chroitearan gu fòirneart. Ach lean MacCaluim air. Thà inig na poilis don mhansa aige. Chuir am ministear seachad deireadh-sheachdain ann an cealla-poilis ann am Port Rìgh.
Lìbhrig Dòmhnall Meek pà ipear inntinneach aig co-labhairt ann an Leòdhas o chionn bliadhna gu leth. Rinn e coimeas eadar suidheachadh MhicCaluim agus ‘diadhachd na saorsa’. B’ e sin an iomairt a dh’èirich ann an Ameireagaidh Laidinneach anns na seachdadan dhen linn a dh’fhalbh.
Bha sagartan Caitligeach a’ dìon an t-sluaigh a bha a’ fulang bochdainn. Bha iad a’ cleachdadh nan sgriobtaran airson ‘dearbhadh’ gun robh iad a’ dèanamh toil Dhè. Ach chà in à rd-urrachan na h-Eaglaise gu dubh iad. Am measg nan à rd-urrachan sin, bha an Cà rdanal Iosaph Ratzinger. Dh’èirich esan gu bhith na Phà p. Tha Meek ag rà dh gun do dhèilig Clèir an Eilein Sgitheanaich de dh’Eaglais na h-Alba ri Dòmhnall MacCaluim ann an dòigh choltach.
Ghluais MacCaluim gu coitheanal ùr ann an Tiriodh. Cha robh e ann fada ach chuir muinntir an eilein carragh-cuimhne an-à irde dha. Bha iad duilich gun robh e a’ falbh. Agus bha e a’ falbh gu à ite eile far an robh connspaid mhòr timcheall ceist an fhearainn. Bidh eachdraidh-beatha a’ ghaisgich seo a’ leantainn an-ath-sheachdain.
The Little Letter 467
I was telling you about the Rev. Donald MacCallum. He stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the crofters at the time of the land struggle. When he moved to Vaternish on the Isle of Skye he became renowned.
His congregation on the Sabbath was very small. He was in the Church of Scotland. Most of the area’s people were in the Free Church.
Through the week, however, many people were coming to listen to him. He was giving lectures on the evil[s] of landlordism. In May 1884, he spoke in front of a large meeting of crofters at the Fairy Bridge. Mà iri Mhòr nan Òran was present. She praised MacCallum in her poetry.
Donald spoke a lot about God’s work. He had a Christian viewpoint on the issue of the land. The governors of the Church were not happy with him, however. The Presbytery severely censured him. They said he was inciting crofters to violence. But MacCallum continued. The police came to his manse. The minister spent a weekend in a police cell in Portree.
Donald Meek delivered an interesting paper at a conference in Lewis a year a half ago. He compared MacCallum’s situation to ‘liberation theology’. That was the campaign that arose in Latin America in the [the seventies of the last century [1970s].
Catholic priests were defending the people who were suffering from poverty. They were using the scriptures to ‘prove’ that they were doing God’s will. But the Church’s hierarchy severely criticized them. Among those leaders was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He rose to become the Pope. Meek says that the Skye Presbytery of the Church of Scotland dealt with Donald MacCallum in a similar manner.
MacCallum moved to a new congregation in Tiree. He wasn’t there long but the islanders erected a monument to him. They were sorry he was leaving. And he was going to another place where there was a great controversy about the land question. This hero’s life story will continue next week.
His congregation on the Sabbath was very small. He was in the Church of Scotland. Most of the area’s people were in the Free Church.
Through the week, however, many people were coming to listen to him. He was giving lectures on the evil[s] of landlordism. In May 1884, he spoke in front of a large meeting of crofters at the Fairy Bridge. Mà iri Mhòr nan Òran was present. She praised MacCallum in her poetry.
Donald spoke a lot about God’s work. He had a Christian viewpoint on the issue of the land. The governors of the Church were not happy with him, however. The Presbytery severely censured him. They said he was inciting crofters to violence. But MacCallum continued. The police came to his manse. The minister spent a weekend in a police cell in Portree.
Donald Meek delivered an interesting paper at a conference in Lewis a year a half ago. He compared MacCallum’s situation to ‘liberation theology’. That was the campaign that arose in Latin America in the [the seventies of the last century [1970s].
Catholic priests were defending the people who were suffering from poverty. They were using the scriptures to ‘prove’ that they were doing God’s will. But the Church’s hierarchy severely criticized them. Among those leaders was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He rose to become the Pope. Meek says that the Skye Presbytery of the Church of Scotland dealt with Donald MacCallum in a similar manner.
MacCallum moved to a new congregation in Tiree. He wasn’t there long but the islanders erected a monument to him. They were sorry he was leaving. And he was going to another place where there was a great controversy about the land question. This hero’s life story will continue next week.
Broadcast
- Mon 21 Apr 2014 19:00³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio nan Gà idheal
All the letters
Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.
Podcast: An Litir Bheag
The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners
An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic
An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)
Podcast
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An Litir Bheag
Litirichean do luchd-ionnsachaidh ura. Letters in Gaelic for beginners.