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Tha Naomh Ceasag ainmeil ann an dualchas nan Tròisichean agus Loch Laomainn. Rugadh e ann an Èirinn, agus tha sgeulachdan ann mu dheidhinn air gach taobh de Shruth na Maoile. Tha iad le chèile ceangailte ri uisge agus bàthadh.

Ann an Èirinn, nuair a bha Ceasag òg – bha sin anns an t-siathamh linn – bha cuirm mhòr aig athair ann an Caiseal, ann an ceann a deas na h-Èireann. Bhuineadh e do dhream rìoghail. Bha Ceasag, mar sin, na phrionnsa. Thàinig prionnsachan eile airson na cuirme.

Dh’fhàg na balaich am baile agus chaidh iad gu loch. Bha iad leotha fhèin – cha robh gin de na h-inbhich cuide riutha. Bha a h-uile duine de na balaich, ach Ceasag, air am bàthadh. Ruith Ceasag dhachaigh agus dh’inns e do athair na bh’ air tachairt.

Bha athraichean nan gillean a chaidh a bhàthadh dhen bheachd gun robh rudeigin amharasach mun chùis. Bha iad dhen bheachd gun do dh’adhbharaich Ceasag am bàs. Mhaoidh iad air athair Cheasaig gun loisgeadh iad an caisteal aige gu làr mus fhalbhadh iad dhachaigh. Ge-tà, rinn Ceasag ùrnaigh fad na h-oidhche. Anns a’ mhadainn, bha na gillean uile beò a-rithist. Sin an sgeul, co-dhiù, a rèir teacsa Albannach on t-siathamh linn deug.

Cha do dh’fhuirich Ceasag ann an Èirinn. Thàinig e a dh’Alba agus, a rèir beul-aithris, bha e a’ fuireach air Innis Taigh a’ Mhanaich air Loch Laomainn. Tha an t-eilean sin faisg air Lus.

Tha Ceasag aithnichte cuideachd fada gu tuath air Loch Laomainn – ann an Inbhir Nis agus san Eilean Dubh. Tha bailtean air gach taobh dhen chaolas ainmichte air Ceasag – no Kessock ann am Beurla. Tha iad faisg air an drochaid mhòr ainmeil. Bha uaireigin bàt’-aiseig ann agus bha e air rathad taistealach eadar an ceann a deas agus Baile Dhubhthaich ann an Siorrachd Rois.

Thathar ag ràdh gun robh Ceasag air a dhol an rathad sin. Bha e a-nise na bhodach. Bha e a’ dol gu tuath ann am bàta a bha làn daoine. Dìreach mus do ràinig iad an cladach anns an Eilean Dubh, dh’èirich a’ ghaoth gu h-obann mar sgàl. 

Chaidh am bàta a chur fodha. Chaidh a h-uile duine air bòrd a bhàthadh. A h-uile duine ach Ceasag. Rinn Ceasag ùrnaigh, agus thill an deò a-rithist do na daoine bàthte. Air sgàth na mìorbhaile, chaidh an t-àite ainmeachadh ‘Aiseag Cheasaig’ no ‘Kessock Ferry’, ainm a tha beò fhathast an-diugh.

Tha caochladh shoithichean air daoine aiseag a-null ’s a-null eadar Port Cheasaig agus Aiseag Cheasaig – no mar a chanas a’ chuid mhòr an-diugh Ceasag a Deas agus Ceasag a Tuath. Bha seirbheis aiseig ann cho fada air ais ris a’ chòigeamh linn deug.

Ged nach eil anns an astar eadar an dà chidhe ach mìle is dà cheud meatair, chan eil sin a’ ciallachadh nach robh cunnart an cois an turais-mhara sin aig amannan. Anns a’ Mhàrt, ochd ceud deug, naochad ’s a ceithir (1894) chuir stoirm am bàt’-aiseig fodha. Dh’fheuch maoir-chladaich ri cobhair a dhèanamh air na daoine. Chaill sianar am beatha anns an tubaist. Is mòr am beud nach robh Naomh Ceasag ann airson an sàbhaladh.

Faclan na Litreach: air am bàthadh: drowned; Caiseal: Cashel; amharasach: suspicious; ùrnaigh: prayer; bàt’-aiseig: ferryboat; rathad taistealach: pilgrimage road; Baile Dhubhthaich: Tain; mìorbhail: miracle; maoir-chladaich: coastguards.

Abairtean na Litreach: Tha Naomh Ceasag ainmeil ann an dualchas nan Tròisichean agus Loch Laomainn: Saint Kessock is famous in the heritage of the Trossachs and Loch Lomond; tha iad le chèile ceangailte ri uisge agus bàthadh: they are both connected to water and drowning; bha sin anns an t-siathamh linn: that was in the sixth century; bhuineadh e do dhream rìoghail: he belonged to a royal people; cha robh gin de na h-inbhich cuide riutha: none of the adults were with them; dh’inns e do athair na bh’ air tachairt: he told his father what had happened; gun do dh’adhbharaich Ceasag am bàs: that Kessock caused their death; mhaoidh iad air athair Cheasaig gun loisgeadh iad an caisteal aige gu làr: they threatened Kessock’s father that they would burn his castle to the ground; aithnichte cuideachd fada gu tuath air: also known a long way north of; bha e a-nise na bhodach: he was now an old man; dh’èirich a’ ghaoth gu h-obann mar sgàl: the wind suddenly arose as a blast; thill an deò a-rithist do na daoine bàthte: life returned once more to the drowned people; tha caochladh shoithichean air daoine aiseag a-null ’s a-null: various vessels have ferried people over and back; nach robh cunnart an cois an turais-mhara: that there was no danger in connection with the maritime journey; is mòr am beud: great is the pity.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: ann an ceann a deas na h-Èireann: in the south of Ireland. To refer to a southern part or portion of a place or country, we usually use ceann a deas. ʼS ann à ceann a deas Shasainn a tha i ‘she is from the south of England’; tha Dùn Phris ann an ceann a deas na h-Alba ‘Dumfries is in the south of Scotland’. Similarly the northern portion of a place is an ceann a tuath. Tha na geamhraidhean ann an ceann a tuath na Suaine gu math fada ‘the winters in the north of Sweden are exceptionally long’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: air gach taobh de Shruth na Maoile: on both sides of the Strait of Moyle. Sruth na Maoile is the North Channel of the Irish Sea, between the landmasses of Ireland and Scotland. This phrase is often used to describe commonalities on both sides of the strait.