’S e fear de na dùbhlain mu cholbh den t-seòrsa seo gum bheil an sgrìobhaiche a’ clàradh beachd làithean mun tèid an iris ga clò-bhualadh. ’S e imcheist a tha sin co-dhiù is còir an cuspair fhàgail chun am bi e seachad fiù ’s ged a bhiodh e eachdraidheil an uairsin, neo am biodh e na b’ fheàrr a sheachnadh uile gu lèir! Sin mar a tha cùisean dhòmhsa an t-seachdain seo a thaobh thachartasan a th’ air clàr nan làithean eadar àm sgrìobhaidh agus Diardaoin, ach tha mi air co-dhùnadh togail ro-làimhe air dà thachartas.
Saoilidh mi gum bi latha duilich, eachdraidheil, ach “rìoghail” cuideachd ann an sgìre Àth Tharracail Diluain (seo chaidh) nuair a thèid beannachd dheireannach a ghabhail le fear de shàr cheatharnaich na sgìre, “Rìgh nan Cèilidhean”, Fergie Dòmhnallach MBE. Duine iomadh-ghnàthach a bha seo! Gu proifeiseanta na eòlaiche leigheas-chnàmh, ach thar a bheatha dhearbh e cuideachd sgilean mar lùth-chleasaiche, cuspairiche gunna-froise, stalcaireachd fhiadh, aoigheachd, poidseadh, agus mar sheanchaidh sgìreil! Cha bheag an luaidh sin air aon neach sam bith, ach gun teagamh ’s e is motha a thug aithne air Fergie gu mìltean feadh na dùthcha seo, agus thall thairis, na chuir e ri ceòl-dannsa dùthchail Gàidhealach thar mu sheachdad bliadhna! Bha e na urram dhomh fhìn eòlas a chur air Fergie faisg air seasgad bliadhna air ais, agus lean an càirdeas bhon uairsin, is ma cheadaicheas slàinte is cothrom tha mi ’n dòchas a bhith an làthair aig an tiodhlacadh aige ann am Mìogharraidh. Anns an teachdaireachd thiamhaidh a sgaoil an teaghlach le naidheachd a bhàis thuirt iad gun do “shiubhail” e gu sìobhalta ag èisteachd ris an seòrsa ciùil air an robh e cho measail. Gu cinnteach seasaidh an dìleab ciùil sin mar chruinneachadh dualchais luachmhor ann an tasglann ealain na Gàidhealtachd agus na Gàidhlig, agus mar chuimhneachan leantainneach air “an rìgh”! Saoilidh mi cuideachd gum bi sgeulachdan ma dheidhinn Fergie gan aithris le spòrs agus meas fad iomadh bliadhna romhainn, agus bidh mòran dhiubh sin fìor cuideachd!
Tha gliocas seanfhacail ag innse “ge cruaidh sgarachdainn, cha robh dithis gun dealachadh”. Ged a dh’fhaodadh sin theagamh a bhith fior, ’s neònach gun robh brìgh nam briathran nan cofhurtachd sam bith dha Pàdraig Harvey agus Lorna Slater nuair a chuir Humza Yousaf crìoch cho aithghearr air Aonta Thaigh-Bhòid madainn Dhihaoine seo chaidh. Ged nach robh dùil ri seo mar a thachair e, tha mì-thoileachas air a bhith feadh mhòran sa Phartaidh Nàiseanta bho chionn greise mun bhuaidh a bha còrdadh leis na h-Uainich a’ toirt air Riaghaltas na h-Alba, agus iad den bheachd gun robh earball nan Nàiseantach fo bhròig dà Mhinistear Uaineach! Aig an aon àm bha brunndail am measg nan Uaineach cuideachd is cuid ag iarraidh crìoch air an aonta. Ghluais Yousaf an toiseach, ach nuair a chaill e mòr-chuid sa Phàrlamaid ghabh na dùbhlanaich cothrom dà mholadh mì-earbsa a chlàradh an aghaidh a’ Phrìomh Mhinistear, agus an Riaghaltas, aige. Dè bhios air tachairt mun àm a bhios sibh a’ leughadh seo?
While writing in advance of the event, I expect there will be a large gathering at Mingarry on Monday (last) to bid a sad farewell to internationally acclaimed musician and celebrity Fergie MacDonald, MBE, “the ceilidh king”!
Truly a man of many parts and skills, but it is undoubtedly Fergie’s extraordinary musical output over near 70 years which will be his most lasting legacy, as a treasured Highland and Gaelic music archive, and as a memorial to a warm, generous, and humorous Gael who was fiercely proud of his language and culture.
Without doubt, amusing stories of Fergie’s escapades will be told for many years to come, and many of them will be true!
“Though separation be hard, two never met but had to part”. Though the proverb might be true I suspect Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater had little regard for such philosophy following the abrupt ending of the Bute House Agreement by Humza Yousaf last Friday morning.
Despite his later assertion that he didn’t intend hurt to the Greens I feel their disappointment and outrage was understandable.
There has been growing unhappiness within SNP circles about the Green impact on government policies, and a feeling of “the tail wagging the dog”! Equally some Green supporters have apparently expressed dissatisfaction with progress and indicated a wish to end the agreement.
Yousaf acted first! However, as he sacrificed his majority Opposition leaders hit him with two motions of “no confidence” – one against him as First Minister, another against his government.
By the time you read this on Thursday, the story will have moved ahead.
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