05/10/2012

An cuala sibh riamh mu Chè Tormod Dòmhnallach – Keith Norman MacDonald? ’S e Sgitheanach a bh’ ann. Rugadh e ann an Slèite ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead ’s a ceithir (1834). Ged as e dotair a bh’ ann, tha e ainmeil airson a bhith a’ cruinneachadh agus a’ foillseachadh ceòl nan Gàidheal. O chionn ghoirid, chaidh an cruinneachadh aige de phuirt-à-beul a chur an clò às ùr. Bu mhath leam sùil a thoirt air a’ chruinneachadh sin. Ach, an toiseach, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mun fhear-chruinneachaidh fhèin.

            B’ e Cè Tormod an treas mac aig Teàrlach Dòmhnallach às an Òrd ann an Slèite. B’ e a sheanair, taobh a mhàthar, an Caiptean Niall MacLeòid Gheusto. Bha ùidh mhòr aig Niall ann an ceòl nan Gàidheal agus dh’fhoillsich e leabhar pìobaireachd. Agus chuir e canntaireachd air pàipear, canntaireachd a fhuair e bho Iain Dubh MacCruimein, fear dhen fheadhainn mu dheireadh anns an teaghlach Sgitheanach sin a bha nan sàr-phìobairean.

            Cheumnaich Cè Tormod ann an Dùn Èideann ann an ochd ceud deug, caogad ’s a ceithir (1854). Thill e don Eilean Sgitheanach mar dhotair airson dà bhliadhna. An uair sin, chuir e seachad deich bliadhna ann an Loch Abar, a’ Chuimrigh, Sasainn agus Burma. Fhad ’s a bha e ann am Burma, ghabh e ùidh anns an eòlas aca air leigheas traidiseanta. Sgrìobh e leabhran The Practice of Medicine Among the Burmese, Translated from Original Manuscripts. Ach, ged a bha e a’ dèanamh obair mhòr, is obair mhath, airson slàinte a’ phobaill thall an sin a thoirt am feabhas, bha a shlàinte fhèin a’ fulang. Thill e a Bhreatainn ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a naoi (1869).

            Phòs e tè, Eliza Mary Niblett, à Dùn Èideann, agus bha còignear de theaghlach aca – dithis mhac agus triùir nighean. A dh’aindeoin cho trang ’s a bha e le theaghlach agus le obair mar dhotair, sgrìobh e grunn altan saidheansail. ’S e neo-chreidmheach a bh’ ann, agus bha e dhen bheachd gun robh Crìosdachd aig an àm sin a’ cur cus cuideim air fulangas às dèidh a’ bhàis. Sgrìobh e leabhran air an robh On Death and How to Divest It of Its Terrors.

            Mar a chaidh an ùine seachad, ’s e a chànan is a chultar fhèin a bu mhotha a bha a’ gabhail aire. Fhad ’s a bha e a’ fuireach ann am Fìobh, dh’fhoillsich e The Skye Collection of Reels and Strathspeys. Bha e ag iarraidh seann phuirt a ghleidheadh, ach bha e cuideachd ag iarraidh gum biodh daoine gan cluich. Mar sin, ann am fasan an latha, chuir e ceòl piàna ann airson gach port. Tha e coltach gun robh daoine gu math measail air a’ chruinneachadh sin ann an Ceap Breatainn, ged nach urrainn dhomh a ràdh co-dhiù thug e buaidh mhòr air an stoidhle chluich aca.

            Ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890), thill Cè Tormod do dhùthaich a shinnsirean, nuair a ghabh e dreuchd mar oifigear meidigeach ann an Ospadal Gheusto anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bha e an sin airson sia bliadhna. Mus do dh’fhàg e Geusto, dh’fhoillsich e leabhar eile – The Gesto Collection of Highland Music. Agus feumaidh an còrr mu dheidhinn feitheamh chun na h-ath Litreach. 

’S e Sgitheanach a bh’ ann: he was a Skyeman; ged as e dotair a bh’ ann: although he was a doctor; ainmeil airson a bhith a’ cruinneachadh agus a’ foillseachadh: famous for collecting and publishing; chaidh X a chur an clò às ùr: X was republished; chuir e air canntaireachd air pàipear: he put canntaireachd air pàipear; a bha nan sàr-phìobairean: who were fantastic pipers; ghabh e ùidh anns an eòlas aca air leigheas traidiseanta: he became interested in their knowledge of traditional healing practices; airson slàinte a’ phobaill thall an sin a thoirt am feabhas: to improve the health of people over there; bha a shlàinte fhèin a’ fulang: his own health was suffering; bha còignear de theaghlach aca: they had five children; sgrìobh e grunn altan saidheansail: he wrote several scientific articles; gun robh Crìosdachd aig an àm sin a’ cur cus cuideim air fulangas às dèidh a’ bhàis: that Christianity at that time was overemphasizing suffering after death; ’s e a chànan is a chultar fhèin a bu mhotha a bha a’ gabhail aire: it was his own language and culture that mostly occupied his attention; gun robh daoine gu math measail air a’ chruinneachadh sin ann an Ceap Breatainn: that people in Cape Breton really liked his collection; co-dhiù thug e buaidh mhòr air an stoidhle chluich aca: if it had a big impact on their style of playing; thill X do dhùthaich a shinnsirean: X returned to the land of his ancestors; nuair a ghabh e dreuchd mar oifigear meidigeach ann an Ospadal Gheusto: when he took a position as a medical officer in Gesto Hospital; feumaidh an còrr mu dheidhinn feitheamh: the rest about him will have to wait.

bha e cuideachd ag iarraidh gum biodh daoine gan cluich: he also wanted people to play them [that people would be playing them]. The gan here is derived from aig (ag) + an, the third person plural possessive adjective. Here are some other examples: tha i gan tuigsinn “she understands them”, literally “she is at their understanding”; bha sibh gan leantainn “you were following them”, bidh mi gan leughadh “I will be reading them”. Note that gan is replaced by gam in front of a labial consonant, b, f, m, p eg tha sinn gam moladh “we are commending them”.

a sheanair, taobh a mhàthar: his grandfather on his mother’s side.