Y turrys noal

Daag mee y colaashtey moghrey jea ec lieh oor lurg hoght as hooar mee markiaght dys Armadale lesh carrey ben jeh ny studeyryn ‘sy vrastyl. Er yn assaig ren mee cooish yl-çhengagh lesh fer ass yn Rank va janoo y coorse ‘sy Flodigarry, ‘sy Ghaelg Albinagh, ‘sy Rangish, ‘sy Ghermaanish as ‘sy Shapaanish. Loayr mee lesh olloo y cholaashtey ‘sy Ghaelg Albinagh chammah, agh cha row fys aym dy row eh ny olloo ec y traa shen. Chionnee mee bee er son yn turrys ‘sy Mallaig, as loayr mee lesh yn olloo er y stashoon as er y traen. Daag eh y traen ‘sy Glenfinnan, as hoie fer elley sheese ‘sy aashag hoal. Loayr mee lesh, ren mee saveen, as yeeagh mee magh ass yn uinnag – va reayrtys yindyssagh ry akin.

Raink mee dys Silverdale, my valley dooghys, ec leih oor lurg shiaght as veeit mee rish my voir. Ta mee tannaghtyn ayns shoh cubbyl da laa roish ta mee goll er ash dys Bangor.

I left the college yesterday morning at half eight and got a lift to Armadale with a friend of one of the students in the class. On the ferry I had a multilingual chat with a French bloke who did the course in Flodigarry, in Scottish Gaelic, French, German and Japanese. I also spoke to a professor from the college in Scottish Gaelic, though didn’t know he was a professor at the time. I bought some food for the journey in Mallaig, and talked with the professor on the station and on the train. He got off at Glenfinnan, and another bloke sat in the seat opposite me. I talked to him, dozed, and looked out of the window – there were wonderful views to be seen.

I arrived in Silverdale, my home village, at half seven and met my mum. I am staying here a couple of days before returning to Bangor.

Roag, Port Rìgh agus Flòdaigearraidh

An-dè an dèidh lòn chaidh sinn air sgrìob timcheall an eilean. An toiseach chaidh sinn gu Roag agus chunnaic sinn seann-chroit teaghlaich Màiri Anna. An uair sin chaidh sinn gu Port Rìgh gus dinnear a ith ann taigh-òsta, agus gu Flòdaigearraidh. Bha seòrsa de chèilidih ann ann am Flòdaigearraidh, agus sheinn sinn òrain agus fuinn le chèile agus ‘nan aonar. Air an t-slighe air ais dhan cholaiste sheinn sinn mòran òrain air a’ bhus.

Yesterday after class we went on a little trip around the island. At first we went to Roag and saw the Mary Ann’s family’s former croft. Then we went to a hotel in Portree for dinner, and to Flodigarry. There was a sort of cèilidh in Flodigarry, and we sang some songs and played some tunes together and individually. On the way back to the college we sang many songs on the bus.

Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Dh’fhàg mi an Gearasdan aig meadhan-latha an-diugh, agus chaidh mi air an trèan gu Mallaig. Tha latha soillear grianach ann agus bha na seallaidhean math dha-rìribh. Chaidh mi air an aiseag bho Malliag gu Armadal, agus ansin choisich mi gu Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, mar chan eil busan ann DiDòmhnaich.

Tha mi ann Sabhal Mòr Ostaig an-dràsta chun cursa Òrain Ghàidhlig is Traidiseanan le Màiri Anna NicUalraig a dhèanamh.

D’fhág mé an Gearasdan ag meán lae inniu agus chuaigh mé go Mallaig ar an traein. Tá lá geal grianmhar ann agus bhí na na radharcanna go hiontach. Chuaigh ​​mé an mbád farantóireachta ó Mallaig go Armadale, agus shiúil mé go Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, mar níl aon bhusanna ar an Domhnach.

Tá mé ag Sabhal Mòr Ostaig chun cúrsa Òrain Ghàidhlig is Traidiseanan le Màiri Anna NicUalraig a dhéanamh.

I left Fort William at midday today and went to Mallaig by train. It’s a bright, sunny day and the views were wonderful. I got the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale, and walked to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, as there are no buses on Sunday.

I’m at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to do a course in Gaelic Songs and Traditions with Mary Ann Kennedy.

An Gearasdan

Dh’éirigh mi pailt ro mhoch madainn an-diugh agus bha mi air an trèan aig sia uairean. Ràinig mi dhan Ghearasdan ochd uairean nas fhaide, agus tha mi a’ fuireach ann Leabaidh is Lìte fasig air meadhan a’ bhaile anochd. Dh’ith mi isbeanan agus sliseagan bho bhùth sliseagan airson mo dhinnear. Cha robh i ro dhaor, agus cha robh i ro bhlasta idir.

Chuala mi iomadh cànain an-diugh, leithid a’ Bheurla, a’ Fhraingis, a’ Ghearmailits, an Eadailtis, a’ Mhandairinis agus cànain eile chan aithnich mi aca, ach cha robh Gàidhlig sam bith ri chluintinn. Bha Gàidhlig aig sealbhadair an taigh-òsta nuair a bha e òg, ach chan eil móran aige fhathast.

An-dràsta tha mi a’ sgrìobh an bloga seo agus a’ coimhead air BhBC Alba. Bha tionndadh film Wallace & Gromit Na Briogais Cearr (The Wrong Trousers) ann agus tha e gu math éibhinn.

D’éírigh mé i fhad ró-luath maidin inniu, agus bhí mé ar an traein ag 06:00. Tháinig mé go dtí an Gearasadan ocht n-uaire níos déanaí, agus tá mé ag fanacht i lóistín leaba agus bricfeasta in aice le lár an bhaile anocht. D’íth mé ispíní agus sceallóga ó siopa sceallóga le dhinnéar. Ní raibh sé ró-chostasach, agus ní raibh sé ró-bhlasta ach oiread.

Chuala mé go leor teangacha inniu, lena n-áirítear an Bhéarla, an Fhraincis, an Ghearmáinis, an Iodáilis agus an Mhandairínis, ach ní raibh Gaeilge na hAlban le éisteacht ar chor ar bith. Bhí Gaeilge na hAlban ag dílseánach an L⁊B nuair a bhí sé óg, ach níl móran aige anois.

Tá mé ag scríobh an bhlag seo faoi láthair agus ag amharc ar BBC Alba. Tá leagan Gaeilge na hAlban an scannán Wallace & Gromit An Bríste Mícheart ann, agus tá sé an-greannmhar.

I got up at way-too-early o’clock this morning and was on the train at 6am. I arrived in Fort William eight hours later, and I’m stay in a B&B close to the town centre tonight. I had sausage and chips from a chip shop for dinner. It wasn’t too expensive, and it wasn’t too tasty either.

I’ve heard quite a few languages today, including Englsh, French, German, Italian and Mandarin, but there wasn’t any Gaelic at all to be heard at all. The proprietor of the B&B spoke Gaelic when he was young, but he doesn’t speak it much now.

I’m currently writing this blog and watching BBC Alba. There’s a Gaelic version of the Wallace & Gromit film The Wrong Trousers, which is very funny.

Albain

Bhí an ceolchoirm go maith aréir. Bhí buachaill amháin darb ainm Arwel Lloyd ag ceol as Breatnais agus ag seinm ar an ghiotár. Sheinn sé agus cheol sé go maith, ach bhí na hamhráin uilig an-chosúil le cheile domsa. Ní raibh a lán daoine ann, agus ba teaghlaigh agus cairde an amhránaí iad an chuid is mó de na lucht éisteachta. Inniu tá siad ag tosú ar thuras rothair timpeall an Bhreatain Bheag chun airgid a bhailiú le haghaidh Taighde ar Ailse.

Inniu d’obair mé ar maidin, mar is gnách, agus sa tráthnóna chuir mé seomra in áirithe in óstán sa Ghearasdan, agus cheannaigh mé ticéad traenach go Malaig – tá mé ag dul go dtí an t-Eilean Sgitheanach ag deireadh an mhí seo chugainn, agus ar an mbealach beidh mé ag fanacht oíche amháin sa Ghearasdan, mar ní féidir liom an turas ar fad a dhéanamh i gceann lá amháin.

The concert was good last night. One lad called Arwel Lloyd sang in Welsh and played the guitar. He played and sang well, but all the songs sounded very similar to me. There weren’t many people there, and the most of the audience were the singer’s family and friends. Today they are starting a cycling tour around Wales to raise money for Cancer Research.

Today I worked in the morning, as usual, and in the afternoon I booked a room in a bed & breakfast in Fort William, and bought a ticket to Mallaig – I am going to the Isle of Skye at the end of next month and will stay in Fort William for a night because it’s not possible to do the whole journey in a day.

Sing for Water North

Tomorrow the Bangor Community Choir is going to Manchester where we’ll be singing with lots of other choirs from northern England and north Wales to raise money for WaterAid. The songs we’re singing have a watery theme and are all in English, apart from one in Croatian and one in Zulu. Hopefully it will be a bright, sunny day. This event is called Sing for Water North and is part of the Manchester Day celebrations.

We’ll be singing outside the town hall in Albert Square at about 1.45pm. So if you happen to be in Manchester tomorrow afternoon, please come along.

Up Helly Aa

Up Helly Aa, Shetland

This week I will mainly be in Shetland for the Lerwick Up Helly Aa fire festival, which starts tomorrow. I haven’t seen any Vikings yet, but there’ll be plenty around tomorrow night.

I have heard quite a few people speaking with Shetland accents, which sounds to me a bit like Scots with some Scandinavian prosody. I haven’t heard anybody speaking broad Shetlandic yet, apart from recordings in the museum, but am listening out for it.

Yn Chruinnaght

Tomorrow I’m off to the Isle of Man for Yn Chruinnaght (‘the gathering’) – a celebration of Manx and Celtic music and culture featuring performers and participants from the Isle of Man, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brittany. I’m really looking forward to it as it’s a great opportunity to see old friends and make new ones, and to hear, speak and/or sing in quite a few different languages – last year at Yn Chruinnaght I heard all six modern Celtic languages being spoken and sung, and spoke in four of them, and also in French and English.

I’ll be in the Isle of Man for a week, then I’m off to Gleann Cholm Cille in Donegal in Ireland for a summer school in Irish language and culture.

Yn Chruinnaght

At the moment I’m in the Isle of Man for Yn Chruinnaght (‘the gathering’), the Manx National and Inter-Celtic Festival. Yesterday I heard some Scottish Gaelic and odd bits of Manx at a fantastic concert featuring Capercaille and a bunch of local musicians (David Kilgallon and Some Thoroughly Nice Folk), and expect to hear all the other Celtic languages while I’m here as performers and visitors from all the Celtic lands are here for the festival.

The word cruinnaght means ‘assembly, function, gathering, event’ and is used in such expressions as:

– cruinnaght skeerey – parish gathering
– Cruinnaght Vanninagh Ashoonagh – Manx National Assembly
– cruinnaght-vooar – mass meeting

In case you’re wondering, cruinnaght acquires an extra h after yn (the) because it’s feminine and the initial letters of feminine nouns usually mutate after the definite article, in the singular at least. This is a peculiarity shared by all the Celtic languages.

The verb form of cruinnaght is cruinnaghey, which means ‘to gather, huddle, troop, enclose, beseige, raise, round, head, screw up, sum up, focus’.

Source: Online Manx Dictionary

Gleann Cholm Cille

I’m off to Gleann Cholm Cille in Dongal in the northwest of Ireland later today. I’m going there for the Scoill Shamhraidh i dTeanga agus Cultúr (Language & Culture Summer School) at Oideas Gael, a week of speaking and singing in Irish, seeing old friends and making new ones, listening to and playing music, and enjoying the wonderful scenery of Columba’s magical glen. The craic will be mighty and I’m really looking forward to it.

While I’m there I’ll probably have limited access to the web and email, so posts on this blog might become somewhat sporadic.