GF266i04 AN SAGART AGUS MUINNTIR AN EILEIN FHADA



Beulaiche: Eòs mac Iain Thormaid 'ac Iain | Joe MacIntyre
Tar-Sgrìobhadh: Oighrig NicFhraing | Effie Rankin



'S ann thall anns an t-Seann Dùthaich a thachair seo a nis, agus cinnteach air na h-eileanan Gàidhealach gura h-ann a bh' ann. Agus bha sagairt eagallach gann anns an àm agus bha parraist aig an t-sagart a bh' ann a sheo agus bha caolas eatorra—bha 'n dàrna taobh na parraist aige 's cross a' chaolais, bha 'n taobh eil'  aige. Agus bha triùir bhràithrean ann—'s ann aca bha 'n t-aiseag a' dol cross; chan fhaigheadh tu… a' ruith an aiseig a' dol cross eadar an dà thaobh. An oidhche bha seo, thàinig cuireadh chun an t-sagairt – treis mhath a dh'oidhch' ann—gun robh duin' air fàs gu math tinn air an taobh thall agus bha sagart a dhìth air. Uill, rinn an sagart—fhuair e e fhèin deiseil agus dh'fhalbh e 's thadhail e aig an taigh a bh' ann a sheo—an fheadhainn a bha ruith an aiseig—bha triùir bhràithrean ann –daoine foghainneach 's chan e 'n aon chreideamh a bh' aca, tha mi cinnteach. Dh'innis an sagart an ceann-adhbhair a bh' aige 'son tadhal 's gun robh toil aige 'ad ga chur cross air an aiseag chun an taobh eile—gun robh duine bàsachadh air an taobh thall. O, bha 'd toilichte gu leòr. Fhuair 'ad fhèin deiseil 's dh'fhalbh 'ad. Bha 'd a' ràmhach cross an uisge 's amuigh am meadhoin a' chaolais a bh' ann, stad 'ad am bàta, an triùir ghillean, agus o, thuirt 'ad ris an t-sagart ann a shin, nach robh e dol na b' fhaide na seo gus an deanadh e miorailt—gun robh e ri chantail gun rachadh aig…acasan air miorailt a dheanamh, aig na sagairt. Uill, thuirt an sagart nach b'urrainn dhà-san miorailt a dheanamh ro mhath an seo—nam biodh 'ad math gu leòr gus a thoirt cross air talamh tioram air an taobh thall. Ach cha robh 'ad buileach deònach –bha toil ac'  e dh'fhiachainn air a' mhiorailt a dheanamh muigh ann a shin ach, a, uill, mura deanadh e mhiorailt, tha mi cinnteach gun robh 'ad a' dol a chur as dhà—gura h-e bha nam beachd. Agus nuair a ràinig 'ad thall, fhuair an sagart a h-uile sian—stail 's an t-òlaiche, an ùrnaigh, a' chonair Mhoire 's thòisich e air leughadh, chaidh e leughadh air a' chladach.  Agus thug e treis mhath air leughadh agus chuir e mheòir na bheul 's rinn e fead. Lean e roimhe air ùrnaigh treis eile 's thug e treis mhath ag ùrnaigh 's rinn e 'n darna fead—na gillean mòra bha seo a' coimhead air. Thug e ùin' eil' ag ùrnaigh an uair sin 's rinn e 'n trìtheamh fead agus thàinig an gnothach a bha seo air am beulaibh air a' chladach. Thuirt an sagart ris, "A nis, a'chiad fhead a rinn mis', cà 'n robh thu?" "Bha mi dìreach aig doras ifhreann." "Uill, an darna fead, cà 'n robh thu?" "Bha mi air an rathad a' tighinn. An trìtheamh fead, bha mi seo."



Chruinnich an sagart suas a h-uile sian a bh' aige 's chuir e sa chase a bh' aig e agus thuirt e ris na gillean, "Sin ur n-athair; tha e agaibh ann a shin a grunnd ifhreann 's cuiribh a nist air falbh e." Choisich an sagart air falbh 's dh'fhàg e na gillean ann a shin 's bha 'n gnothach eagallach a bha sin a cur roimhe chèile air a' chladach. Cha robh ministear 's cha robh duine bha mun cuairt sa sgìre a rachadh a choimhead air –cha tigeadh duine 's cha tigeadh ministear. Uill, far an deach an sagart, fhuair e fàilteachd na h-oidhche ann a shin far an robh 'n duine bochd, cha bhiodh e tilleadh gu madainn.



Agus mun tàinig an là, b'fheudar dha na gillean sin a dhol a dh'iarraidh an t-sagairt agus bòirnich ris gus e tighinn air ais gus am beathach a bh 'air a' chladach a chuir air falbh. Uill, thuirt an sagart riutha gun tigeadh; agus rinn e sin. Chuir e falbh e agus bha e ri chantail, na daoine sin uile a bha mu chuairt ann a shin, gun do thionndaidh 'ad a-staigh leis an t-sagart. Sin mar a chuala mise naidheachd.



Translation:



THE PRIEST AND THE LONG ISLAND FOLK



Now, it was over in the Old Country that this happened, no doubt in the Gaelic (Western) Isles. There were very few priests at that time and this priest had a parish which was divided by a strait—he had one half of the parish and across the strait, he had the other part. And there were three brothers—they had the ferry across –you could not get—they ran the ferry from one side to the other. And this night, a call came to the priest—quite late at night—that a man had become very ill on the other side and was in need of a priest. Well, the priest got—he got himself ready and he went and called at this house, the ones who ran the ferry—the three brothers, powerful men; and they were not of his religion, I am sure. The priest explained his reason for calling, that he wanted them to  ferry him over to the other side—that a man was dying on the far side. Oh, they were quite willing; they got themselves ready and took off. They were rowing across the water and out in the middle of that strait, they stopped the boat –those three lads—and said to the priest right there, oh, that he was going no further than this until he would perform a miracle; that it was said that they—the priests— could perform miracles. Well, the priest replied that he could not very well perform a miracle right there, (but) if they would be good enough to take him across to dry land on the other side. But they were none too willing—they wanted to have him perform the miracle out there. But the priest got his way, however, and they took him across and well, if he did not perform a miracle, I am sure they were going to do away with him—that that is what they intended. When they got to the other side, the priest took everything, the stole, the oil container, the prayer book and the Rosary and he began to read –he started to read on the beach. And he was reading for quite some time and he put his finger in his mouth and whistled. He continued praying for another while, and, after a considerable time in prayer, he gave the second whistle, with these big lads watching him. Then he prayed some more and whistled for the third time and this apparition came before them on the shore. The priest addressed it, "Now, the first time I whistled, where were you?" "I was just at hell's door." "Well, the second whistle, where were you?" "I was on my way here. And the third whistle, I was here."



The priest gathered up everything he had and put it into his case and he said to the lads, "There you have your father-you have him right there from the depths of hell, and now, you get rid of him." The priest walked away and left the lads there while that dreadful apparition was creating an uproar on the beach. There was no minister or man around in the area who would go to view it—no man or minister would come. Well, where the priest went, he got the night's hospitality there where the sick man was, and he would not return till morning.



And before daybreak, those lads had to go for the priest and beseech him to return in order to get rid of the beast on the beach. Well, the priest agreed to come. And that he did, he banished it, and it was said, that all these people who lived in that area—that they converted with the priest. That is how I heard the story.