Thug sinn sùil air Taisbeanadh a h-Ìmpireachd ann am Baile Ùistein ann an 1938 bho chionn ghoirid. Cha b’ e sin a’ chiad taisbeanadh mòr ann an Glaschu, ge-tà, ach an ceathramh fear, às dèidh taisbeanaidhean a chaidh a chumail ann am Pàirce Kelvingrove ann an 1888, 1901 agus 1911.
Bha fios agam gun robh na taisbeanaidhean air a bhith ann ach cha robh fhios agam idir gun robh trèanaichean aca. Fhuair mi a-mach bho chion ghoirid ge-tà, gun robh trèana bheag shònraichte aig taisbeanadh 1901 agus gun robh trèana air leth fhèin neònach aig taisbeanadh 1911.
Seo an rathad-iarainn ann an 1901. ‘S e the American Minature Railway an t-ainm a bh’ air agus bha e sònraichte a chionn ’s gur e a’ chìad mheanbh rathad-iarainn poblach ann am Breatainn a bh’ ann.
“The American Miniature Railway” – Taisbeanadh Eadar-nàiseanta Ghlaschu 1901
Bha an loidhne 160 troigh a dh’fhaide agus bha gèidse de 15″ aice. Chaidh an loco agus an trèana a thogail leis a’ chompanaidh Cagney Brothers ann an New York agus sin as adhbhar gu bheil coltas Ameireaganach air an loco. Bhiodh Cagney Bros a’ dèanamh rathaidean-iarainn beaga a bha car coltach ri “train sets” a bhiodh fèiltean spòrs no pàircean a cheannach mar kit. Bha iad furasta a chur sìos agus a thoirt air falbh.
Làrach na loidhne (a’ cuairteachadh toglaichean na Rùis). Chithear am mapa air fad aig: https://maps.nls.uk/view/103656955Seo dealbh eile den trèana – seall cho òg sa tha an dràibhear!
Ged nach robh rathad-iarainn àbhaisteach aig Taisbeanadh 1911 ann an Kelvingrove, bha rathad-iarainn gu math neo-àbhaisteach aca: Hamilton’s Aerial Railway. ‘S e seòrsa càr càbaill a bha seo a bha a’ ruith air rèilichean àrd os cionn na h-Aibhne Ceilbhinn.
Tha coltas caran zombiach air na boireanaich ri aghaidh an deilbh!Chithear an rathad-iarainn aerial faisg air an Oilthigh
‘S e rud inntinneach mu thaisbeanadh 1911 gun deach a chur air dòigh gus airgead a thogail cus cathair Eachdraidh is Litreachas na h-Alba a stèidheachadh ann an Oilthigh Ghlaschu. Rinn mi ceum ann an Eachdraidh na h-Alba (agus sòiseolas) san Oilthigh mu 85 bliadhna às dèidh an taisbeanaidh agus mar sin, tha mi gum math taingeil gun deach a chumail!
Nuair a bhios an glasadh-sìos deiseil, feumaidh mi a dhol dhan Phàirc airson beagan rannsachaidh a dhèanamh, feuch a bheir rud sam bith air fhàgail a tha a’ sealltainn gun robh na loidhnichean inntineach sin ann uair!
Abair latha inntinneach a bh’ ann air an “Taigh-tasgaidh Digiteach” (Digital Museum) air 21/02/21 – Latha Eadar-nàiseanta nan Cànan Màthaireil. A’ tòiseachadh ann am Bangladesh – far an do rugadh an iomairt airson cànain ar màthairean a chomharrachadh air làtha sònraichte air an son – bha 4 seiseanan eadar-dhealaichte air an cumail fhad ’s a bha a’ ghrian a’ gluasad chun an Iar, le Gàidhlig air a comharrachadh ann an Seisean 3 cuide ri Jamaican.
Jamaican?!? Seadh, agus le deagh adhbhar. Bha na bha aig an neach-teagasg cànain Audrey West ri ràdh mu dheidhinn dì-meas agus dà-chànanas fìor inntinneach, a’ leantail air òraid ghoirid leis an àrd-ollamh Conchúr Ó Giollagáin air Staing na Gàidhlig, agus còmhradh eadar Gordon Wells agus Jibunnessa Abdullah air Guthan nan Eilean. An uair sin bha òran Gàidhlig ann le Meg Hyland – ‘Air Tir an Raoir, air Muir a Nochd’ – a chòrd ris a h-uile duine, air a leantail le beagan deasbad, mus tàinig an tachartas gu crìoch le Yvonne Blake a’ toirt dhuinn “Colonization in Reverse” leis a’ bhàrd ainmeil Louise Bennett Coverley.
Chaidh an seisean air fad a chlàradh air Zoom, agus ‘s urrainnear fhaicinn saor an asgaidh (an dèidh clàradh) tron cheangal seo: https://tinyurl.com/HebrideanCaribbean.
Running order:
Introductions
00.00.00
Conchúr Ó Giollagáin
00.12.50
Gordon Wells
00.31.50
Audrey West
00.50.45
Meg Hyland
01.09.50
Discussion
01.23.20
Yvonne Blake
01.35.35
Conclusions
01.39.45
Thathas an dòchas gun tèid ceanglaichean a bharrachd a thogail eadar “muinntir nan Eilean” agus an cànain air an dà thaobh dhen Chuain sna h-amannan ri teachd!
Each week we publish the text of our Gaelic Word of the Week podcast here with added facts, figures and photos for Gaelic learners who want to learn a little about the language and about the Scottish Parliament – Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. This week we are looking at Railways. Earlier this week saw a debate in … Leugh an corr de Gaelic Word of the Week – Railway – Rathad-iarainn
Tron ghlasadh-sìos, bidh mi a’ dol air cuairt cha mhòr gach latha gu Pàirc Bhaile Ùistein (Bellahouston Park) ann an Glaschu a Deas, gu math faisg air an taigh agam.
Tha a’ Phàirc ainmeil airson Taisbeanadh na h-Ìmpireachd a chaidh a chumail sa phàirc air ais ann an 1938. Ged a bha Taisbeanadh na h-Ìmpireachd uabhasach mòr is cudromach, is gann gu bheil rud sam bith air fhàgail dheth sa phàirc san latha an-diugh. Tha am Palace of Arts fhathast ann mar ionad spòrs, ach chaidh a h-uile rud eile a leagail, a’ gabhail a-steach fiù ’s tùr suaicheanta an Taisbeanaidh.
Nuair a bha mi a’ coimhead air seann chairtean-puist de Ghlaschu air ebay bho chionn goirid, chunnaic mi tè de Thaisbeanadh na h-Ìmpaireachd. Ann an oisean na cairte, mhothaich mi rud inntinneach – gun robh trèana bheag ann!
Ged a tha mi air a bhith a’ fuireach an seo fad 15 bliadhna is air a bhith fìor eòlach air a’ phàirc fad cha mhòr 30 bliadhna, cha robh sian a dh’fhios agam gun robh rathad-iarainn beag ann uair!
Bhon uair sin, tha mi air a bhith a’ dèanamh rannsachadh nach beag air an taisbeanadh. Cha robh e furasta faighinn a-mach mun rathad-iarainn – gu sònraichte leis gu bheil na leabharlannan uile dùinte an-dràsta – ach às dèidh tòrr mòr rannsachaidh, lorg mi fiosrachaidh air làrach-lìn sgoinneil Minor Railways aig Peter Scott agus chuir e thugam cuideachd artagal a sgrìobh e mu rathad-iarainn an taisbeanaidh. Chaidh agam air lethbhreac de phrògram agus de leabhran eile mun taisbeanadh fhaighinn air ebay cuideachd.
Mar phàirt den taisbeanadh, bha fèill spòrs air a ruith le Butlins ann an oisean ear-dheas na Pàirce ri taobh Mosspark Boulevard. Bha an rathad-iarainn mar phàirt de seo. Choimisean Billy Butlin dà loco airson na loidhne – dà loco dìosail le coltas locothothan smùid orra. Bha iad stèidhichte air na locothan Royal Princess class aig an LMS. Chuir Butlin ainmean nigheannan an Rìgh orra: Princess Elizabeth agus Princess Margaret Rose. Feumaidh gur e sàr forlock tugger a bh’ ann am Butlin!
Cha toil leam ainmean nan locothan is mar sin, cuiridh mi “John Maclean” agus “James Maxton” orra bho seo a-mach!
Artaigil mu thogail locothan an taisbeanaidh bhon Daily Record
Bha an loidhne 820 slat a dh’fhaide uile gu lèir le lùb aig gach ceann. Dh’fhosgail i air 03.05.38 agus dhùin i air 29/10/38 agus tron àm sin, chaidh leth mhillean duine air an rathad-iarainn bheag seo. Chosg turas air an trèana 6d.
Mapa de rathad-iarainn Bhaile Hùistein, 1938 (NB- ’s e rollercoaster a bh’ anns an “scenic railway”)
Seo làrach an fhèill spòrs/an rathaid-iarainn san latha an-diugh:
Às dèidh an taisbeanaidh, chaidh an trac agus na locothan “James Maxton” agus “John Maclean” gu diofar champaichean làithean-saora aig Butlins – bha grunn rathaidean-iarainn beaga ann an Clacton, Pwllheli, Minehead is eile. Agus thàinig fear de na locothan air ais a dh’Alba eadar 1956 agus 1963 air rathad-iarainn Butlins Inbhir Air. Gheibhear eachdraidh nan rathaidean-iarainn Butlins an seo.
Às dèidh iomadh bliadhna anns na campaichean saor-làithean, chaidh an dà loco a ghlèidheadh anns an Midland Railway Centre ann an Siorrachd Derby.
Fear de na locothan ann an Inbhir Air ann an livery Red Clydeside!
Nis, bhiodh e ceàrr an t-artagal seo a chrìochnachadh gun a bhith a’ toirt iomradh air a’ chòrr den taisbeanadh.
B’ e adhbhar an taisbeanaidh Ìmpaireachd Bhreatainn a bhrosnachadh. Mar chuideigin a tha an aghaidh ìmpireileas de gach seòrsa, rinn mi beagan rannsachaidh feuch an robh daoine a’ cur an aghaidh an taisbeanaidh air adhbharan poilitigeach aig an àm agus lorg mi am post bloga inntinneach seo mun chuspair:
Bha taobh Gàidhealach aig an taisbeanadh cuideachd. Am measg nan nithean as mòr-chòrdte san taisbeanadh, bha baile beag Gàidhealach air an robh “An Clachan” anns an robh lochan, taighean-dubha, Oifis Puist a bha a’ reic leabhraichean Gàidhlig am measg rudan eile, agus taigh-òsta. Bha an Clachan air culaibh Palace of Arts.
Seo an dealbh bhon phògram – loma làn stereotypes!
“With it’s white-walled cottages, its burn flowing under the old bridge, and at night the plaintive songs of the Islanders, An Clachan has brought to Bellahouston the mystic romance and glamour of remote Scotland”
An dòchas gu bheil sibh uile a’ faireachdainn romansachd agus glàmar rùnach Gàidhealtachd iomallach na h-Alba a chàirdean!
Ceart gu leòr bha tòrr stereotypes ann de gach seòrsa….
Colourfully-garbed Continentals? Whoa – racist much??Agus an e dìreach mise a th’ ann no a bheil an ealain seo car coltach ri rudan a chitheadh tu, ahem, sa Ghearmailt aig an àm sin??!
Agus mur a robh sin dona gu leòr, bha Pàillean Afraga a Deas agus Pàillean Rhodesia a Deas ann cuideachd…. No Pàillean Shealan Nuaidh a bha ag ràdh nach tàinig sìobilteachd dhan dùthaich ach bho chionn 100 bliadhna! Agus chan eil rùm gu leòr fiù ’s airson tòiseachadh air a’ mhisogony uile!!
Rinn mi eachdraidh na h-Alba (agus sòiseòlas) san oilthigh sna 1990an agus choimhead sinn air Taisbeanadh na h-Ìmpireachd mar phàirt de chùrsa fìor mhath a rinn mi air an robh “Scottish Government and the British State” mu Alba san 20mh linn – a’ coimhead air diofar thaobhan de dh’fhèin-aithne agus poileataigs na h-Alba agus bha e fìor math coimhead tro prògraman an taisbeanadh air an adhbhar seo. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil na leugh mi a’ dearbhadh na h-abairt Beurla “’s e dùthaich eadar-dhealaichte a th’ anns an àm a dh’fhalbh” leis a h-uile rud a tha air atharrachadh.
Ach ged a thuiteas Ìmpireachdan (mar as còir!), mairidh trèanaichean beaga gu bràth!
Alasdair
Mapa den taisbeanadh. Tha an rathad-iarainn aig 97 agus tha An Clachan aig àireamh 9.
Eàrr-ràdh: Às dèidh dhomh am post seo a chrìochnachadh, bha mi air mo chuairt làitheil anns a’ phàirc nuair a lorg mi an graffiti ùr seo an aghaidh colonachd ri taobh carragh-chuimhne turas an Rìgh is na Banrigh dhan taisbeanadh.
“The colonial regime owes its legitimacy to force and at no time does it ever endeavour to to cover up this nature of things”
Continuing with the influence Gaelic has had on the way English was and still is spoken on the Seaboard, in sentence structure and turns of phrase, this time I wanted to look at one wee Gaelic word, air (pronounced “err”), meaning “on”, which crops up everywhere.
In English this is mainly used to say where or when something is – on the table, on a winter’s day, etc, but although used that way too, in Gaelic it covers a much wider range. One area is parts of the body: rather than saying someone has a face, head, hair etc, these things are “on you”. This shows up directly translated into English, especially if emphatic, in expressions like:
Look at the face that’s on him! That’s awful long legs on her! What a nose is on him! Och, it’s no a bad head that’s on you! (Meaning I’d shown some sense!)
This might be transferred to related items:
Have you seen the clothes on her? She has an awful boos on her! (pout, sulky expression)
Air is also used in Gaelic for external influences on us, things that are landed on us by fate, as it were. Often unpleasant or at least unasked for, like strong emotions, or illnesses, that group also includes our names, as we didn’t choose them ourselves. In Gaelic all these things are “on you”. The Gaelic for “What’s your name?” is Dè an t-ainm a th’ ort? What’s the name that’s on you? (= landed on you by your parents). Tha gaol agam ort, I love you = I have love on you (whether you want it or not). So we also see this use of air = on:
That’s an awful cough that was on her. What’s the hurry on you? That’ll put the worry on him! Oh, the rage that was on him!
A related use is when you shift the blame for something bad to fate, or your wee brother:
He went and broke it on me! The fire went out on me. The train left on me! These are all direct translations from Gaelic uses of air.
There’s one other important use of air in Gaelic, where it means not “on” but “after”, along with verbs. This is used where English uses the perfect tense, i.e. you “have done” something. In Gaelic you are “after doing” it.
Will you have a cup of tea? No, I’m just after having my dinner.
I was just after coming in the door when the post came.
I’m just after feeding the hens.
He was no long after coming out of the Navy when he got a job in Tain.
So if you find yourself, or hear someone else, using expressions with “on” and “after” that don’t sound quite English, you know where they come from now. And I’d be delighted if you made a note of any other examples for me.
Each week we publish the text of our Gaelic Word of the Week podcast here with added facts, figures and photos for Gaelic learners who want to learn a little about the language and about the Scottish Parliament – Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. This week we are looking at International Mother Language Day. The 21st of February is … Leugh an corr de Gaelic Word of the Week – International Mother Language Day
Tha an Còmhdhail Alba air phlana ùr airson còmhdhail fhoillseachadh a bhios a’ suidheachadh nam prìomhachasan airson an ath fhichead bliadhna.
Am measg rudan eile, tha iad ag ràdh gum beachdaich iad air a’ phlana airson slighe-trama ùr airson Glaschu, a’ ceangal meadhan a’ bhaile ri Port-adhair Ghlaschu is Pàislig taobh Baile a’ Ghobhainn, Rionnag a’ Bhàis*, Braehead agus Rinn Friù.
Tha mi air mapa Gàidhlig a dhèanamh den t-slighe a thathar a’ moladh. Bhiodh an t-slighe seo fìor mhath – tha e a’ ceangal meadhan Ghlaschu ris a’ phort-adhair, a’ cur còmhdhail phoblach nas fheàrr air dòigh do stiùidio a’ BhBC is STV agus le ceangal trama ann ris a’ bhaile as motha an Alba aig nach eil stèisean: Rinn Friù. Tha e cuideachd a’ cuideachd le ath-bheothachadh eaconomach is sòisealta Bhaile a’ Ghobhainn agus a’ cur còmhdhail phoblach rèile air dòigh gu mòr-ionad bhùitean Braehead agus dhan Ospatal.
Bha cothrom agam bruidhinn ri Eoin P. Ó Murchú agus sinne a’ cabadaich mun nobhail agus mun eadar-theangachadh a rinn e. Chuir Eoin na ceistean orm sa Ghàidhlig aigesan, agus dh’fhreagair mise sa Ghàidhlig agamsa. Bha tòrr spors agam a’ bruidhinn ris: dithis bhodach a’ cur an t-saoghail ceart, ach saoil, an tuig duine beò na thuirt sinn!
Bidh an Dr Anne Frater, Colaiste a’ Chaisteil, Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, a’ tadhal oirnn oidhche Dhiardaoin sa tighinn, 7.30f, air a’ cheann gu h-àrd. Tha sinn an dòchas ar faicinn an sin!
Àm:
7.30f, Diardaoin 28ᵐʰ dhan Ghearran
Àite:
Coinneamh tro mheadhan Zoom. Facal-faire: cuiridh sinn ris e ron choinneamh
Cànan:
Gàidhlig
Dr Anne Frater will be our guest speaker this month. She will be speaking in Gaelic on the topic outlined above, Thursday 18th at 7.30pm. We hope you can make it along and we look forward to seeing you there!
When:
7.30pm, Thursday 28th February
Where:
Via Zoom meeting. Password: will be posted before the meeting
Island Voices come under the spotlight in this Digital Museum event on International Mother Language Day, Sunday 21st of February. We’re up in the third session of four in total that track westwards across the globe through numerous timezones under Jibunnessa Abdullah’s careful guiding hand. All session timings and links are available through the tweet below.
We’re on at 3.30pm Hebridean time in the Gaelic and Jamaican session, but you could usefully spend the whole of Sunday listening in to the various speakers from Bangladesh to the Americas!
Jibunnessa makes generous mention of Island Voices’ “innovative and energetic approach to improving language engagement and multilingual connections across the globe” on the registration page for this session. In a programme packed with interesting speakers there won’t be time to show any of our films in the session itself, but in the spirit the day celebrates we’ve selected a few below from across the years with a particularly international flavour that you might care to preview, as a reminder of (or introduction to) some of the things we do, and perhaps as a warm-up for the event itself. See you then!
