Note: English synopsis follows

Agus chan eil fhios'm ciamar a dh'ionnsaich sinn e, a bhi 'cluinntinn (m')athair is mo mhàthair a' bruidhinn ann an Gàidhlig tha seansa.

And I don't know how we learned it…listening to my father and my mother speaking in Gaelic I guess.

Rugadh Èos MacFhionghuin an Ceap Breatainn. Tha e fhéin is a bhean anist a' fuireach an Siorramachd Antigonis. B' e a' Ghàidhlig a' chiad chànan a chuala e nuair a bha e òg a' fuireach an Inbhirnis, Ceap Breatainn. Tha e bruidhinn beagan mu dheidhinn a' Ghàidhlig agus a mhuinntir. Tha sgeul spòrsail aige cuideachd mu dheidhinn "na deargainn".

CN: An inns sibh dhomh beagan mu dheidhinn sin? 'S ann a bha sin dar a bha sibh beag…

EM: Rugadh mi is chaidh mi togail ann a' Inbhirnis. 'Se baile gual a bh' ann. Mèinne ghual…ach, nuair a dhùin na mèinnean o, bha am baile, bha e glé bhochd. Cha robh obair ann agus chaidh na mèinneadairean, chaidh iad dh' ionnsaidh New Waterford pàirt, chaidh iad dh' ionnsaidh Glace Bay, agus pàirt eile chaidh iad amach dh' ionnsaidh Ontario is àite mar sin…

CN: Agus ciamar a fhuair sibhse a' Ghàidhlig a th' agaibh ann an Inverness?

EM: Uill, bha m' athair is mo mhàthair 'se a' chiad chànan a chual' àsan riamh agus mo sheanmhair, cha urrainn i Beurla a bhruidhinn. Is nuair a bha sinne òg, bha sinn a' bruidhinn ri(the) ann an Gàidhlig. 'Se an Gàidhlig a' chiad chànan a chuala sinne riamh. Agus chan eil fhios 'm ciamar a dh' ionnsaich sinn e, a bhi 'cluinntinn (m')athair is mo mhàthair a' bruidhinn ann an Gàidhlig tha seansa. Sin mar a dh' ionnsaich sinne an Gàidhlig.

CN: Agus có às a bha na parantan agad?

EM: Bha iad…rug(adh) mo mhàthair suas air Cheap Màbu is rug(adh) m' athair ann am Pictou…suas ann am Pictou

CN: An robh Gàidhlig aige?

EM: O bha, bha…bha mo sheanair, chaidh e dh' ionnsaidh suas…rug(adh) esan ann an Ceap Màbu cuideachd, ach chaidh e suas dh' ionnsaidh Pictou airson obair. Agus phòs e nuair a bha e ann am Pictou, is bha, rug(adh) m' athair ann am Pictou.

CN: Agus có bu mhàthair dha? Có an t-seanmhair a bha aige?

EM: Dé an t-ainm…Catrìona Anna Cheannadach 'se an t-ainm a bh' oirre.

CN: An ann am Pictou a bha ise?

EM: Chan e, ach Ceap Breatainn

CN: Ach thachair iad air a' chéile…

EM: Tha…chaidh athair mo sheanmhair suas a Phictou gu obair cuideachd. Is thachair iad air a'chéile.

CN: Agus dh' ionnsaich ur n-athair Gàidhlig ann am Pictou dar a bha e…

EM: Uill, dh' eug mo sheanmhair nuair a bha esan glé òg agus chaidh mo shìn sheanmhair dh' ionnsaidh Pictou is thug i e dhachaidh dh' ionnsaidh Cheap Màbu is bha e air a thogail ann an Ceap Màbu. (An) sin a dh' ionnsaich e an Gàidhlig.

CN: Agus dé an t-ainm a bha oirre?

EM: 'Se MacFhionghuin a bh' ann (a bh' innte)…NicFhionghuin. 'se, 'se

CN: Agus a cuala sibh cuin' a thàinig muinntir MhicFhionghuin anall, na daoine agad?

EM: Tha mi 'deanadh amach gur e 1806…a bheil thu ' tuigsinn sin? Tha mi ' deanadh amach (gur e) siod a' bhliadhna a thàinig iad anall.

CN: Agus có thàinig anall?

EM: Thàining mo shìn sheanair is a' bhean is a' ceithir bràithrean aig mo shìn sheanair. Thàinig iad anall le chéile.

CN: Agus fhuair iad àite?

EM: Uill, bha iad anns an eilean, nuair a thàinig iad anall a' chiad triop agus chan eil fhios 'm dé cho fad' a bha iad a' fuireach anns an eilean, sin thàinig iad anall dh' ionnsaidh Cheap Breatainn. Is fhuair iad àite air…mun cuairt air Cheap Màbu air mullaich Cheap Màbu a' sin ' dol sios dh' ionnsaidh Màbu, allt(adh) MacFhionghuin, bha iad a' fuireach ann a' sin cuideachd.

LM: An sgeul mu dheidhinn na deargainn?

EM: Na deargainn…uill bha, chan eil cuimhne agam dé 'n t-ainm a th' air, ach tha mi ' deanadh amach gur e Teàrlach MacAonghais fear a bh' ann is bha e 'g obair suas aig an Gut. Bha e ' bordaradh comhla ri té a bha sin agus bha i eagalach laghach, bha i math gu còcaireachd agus bha i glan ach bha i ' cumail bordairean. Ach, an aon rud a bha ceàrr, a' rùm bu mhath Teàrlach a' fuireach ann, bha e làn do deargainn. Agus (a) h-uile oidhche cha bhiodh e ach a' tachas is a' sgrìobadh e fhéin gus a bhi a' mhadainn a' tighinn. Is, là bha sin, o bha e ' fàs sgìth leis a' sgrìobadh is a' tachas agus thuirt e ris fhéin gur e ' dol a sguir an obair is bha e ' dol dhachaidh. Siod a' rud a rinn e.

Is nuair a bha e ' fàgail an obair, thuirt a' fear mór, thuirt e "Anist Teàrlach, ùine sam bith a bhiodh obair a dhìth ort, tha obair ann a' seo air do shon". Uill, dh' fhàg Teàrlach is chaidh e dhachaidh. Is bha e aig an taigh mìos no dhà is bha an t-airgead a' ruitheadh amach is thuirt e ris fhéin gu robh e ' dol suas dh' ionnsaidh an Gut ' coimhead 'son an obair a bha aige fhaighinn.

Is chaidh e dh' ionnsaidh a' fear mór, thuirt a' fear mór, thuirt e, "tha d' obair ann a' seo Teàrlach."

A' là a bha ud, bha e sios anns a' bhaile is có choinnich e ach an cailleach seo, uill thuirt an cailleach "Dhia, Teàrlach, thàinig thu air ais!"

"Uill, thàinig", thuirt Teàrlach, "bha an t-airgead a' ruith amach agus bha feum a bhi air obair".

"Uill tha sin math" thuirt an cailleach, "tha thu ' dol a' fuireach (a dh' fhuireach) comhla riumas.

"O chan eil", thuirt Teàrleach, "chan eil mi ' dol a' fuireach (a dh' fhuireach) air an triop seo comhla riutas idir".

"Uill Carson?" An robh am biadh a' còrdadh riut?"

"O bha" thuirt e, "bha am biadh math is bha an taigh glan, ach…"

"Uill", thuirt an cailleach, "an e na deargainn a bha ' cur ort?"

"Uill, 'se" thuirt esan, "is ceart gu leòr, 'se na deargainn a bha ' cur orm".

"Uill", thuirt an cailleach, "cha bhi cùram oir(bh) iad". "Chuir mise às ris a h-uile dearg(ann) a bha anns an taigh, ach, dh'fhaoite gu bheil aon té air fhàgail, ach chan eil mi cinnteach".

Uill, nuair a chuala Teàrlach sin, thuirt e ris fhéin, "Uill, tha i glan, is am biadh math, tha na deargainn rèidh", is thuirt e ris fhéin, "tha mi ' dol air ais". Siod a' rud a rinn e. Chaidh e comhla ris an cailleach agus chaidh e dh' ionnsaidh a' rùm as deogh(aidh) a' sùipeir . Dhia, air an oidhche, cha robh na deargainn riamh cho dona 's a bha iad. Is cha robh e ach a' sgrìobadh is a' tachas e fhéin fad' na h-ùine. Sin mu cheithir uairean, thuirt e ris fhéin gu robh e ' dol a (dh')fhalbh. Fhuair e an t-aodach is a' pòc' a bh' aig' is bha e ' dol sios staidhre is bha e ' feuchainn a bhi cho sàmhach is a b' urrainn dha. Is nuair a fhuair e sios aig bun an staidhre, có bha as a dheoghaidh, ach an cailleach.

Thuirt i, "Teàrlach, càit' an ainm a Dhia a bheil thu ' dol anns an àm seo?"

Uill, thuirt Teàrlach, "a bheil cuimhne agad air an dearg(ann) nach do chuir thu às ris?"

"Uill tha" thuirt an cailleach. "Thuirt mi riut, "dh' fhaoite gu robh aon té air fhàgail, ach chan eil mi cinnteach".

"Uill", thuirt Teàrlach, "dh' eug an diabhal ud a' raoir is thàining a h-uile dearg(ann) eadar seo is Ifhrinn dh' ionnsaidh an aire is bha mise nam measg!"

Pàirt de na h-eachdraidhean is na naidheachdan a dh' ìnns' Èos MacFhionghuin à rathad Dùn Mór, Siorramachd Antigonis. Air a recòrdadh le Coinneach Nilsen, 21, Am Faoilteach, 2001 an Siorramachd Antigonis is air a sgrìobhadh is air a eadar-theangachadh le Lodaidh MacFhionghuin.

English Synopsis

Joe MacKinnon was born in Cape Breton. He and his wife Pauline now live in Antigonish County. Gaelic was the first language he heard when he was young living in Inverness. In this piece, he is speaking a bit about Gaelic and his people. He also has a funny story about "the fleas".

KN: Will you tell me a bit about that? That's where you were when you were little…

JM: I was born and raised in Inverness. It was a coal mining town. Coal mining, but…when the mines closed, oh, the town, the town was very poor. There was no work and some of the miners went to Glace Bay, some went to New Waterford, and some others, they went to Ontario, places like that.

KN: And how did you get the Gaelic you have in Inverness?

JM: Well, my father and my mother, Gaelic was the first language they ever heard and my grandmother…she couldn't speak English. And when we were young, we were speaking to her in Gaelic. Gaelic was the first language we ever heard. And I don't know how we learned it…listening to my father and my mother speaking in Gaelic I guess. That's how we learned Gaelic.

KN: And where were your parents from?

JM: My mother was born up on Cape Mabou and my father was born in Pictou…up in Pictou.

KN: Did he have Gaelic?

JM: Yes, yes, my grandfather, he went up to...he was born on Cape Mabou also, but, he went up to Pictou for work. And he married when he was in Pictou. So, my father was born in Pictou.

KN: And who was his mother? Who was your grandmother?

JM: What was her name…Catrìona Anna Cheannadach was her name.

KN: Was she from Pictou?

JM: No, Cape Breton.

KN: But, they met each other…

JM: My grandmother went up to Pictou to work also. And they met each other there.

KN: And your father learned Gaelic in Pictou when he was…

JM: Well, my grandmother (paternal) died when he was very young and my great grandmother went to Pictou and she took him home to Cape Mabou and he was raised on Cape Mabou. He learned Gaelic there.

CN: And what was her name?

JM: She was a MacKinnon.

KN: And did you hear when your people came over?

JM: I am estimating it was 1806…do you understand? I estimate that was the year that they came over.

KN: And who came over?

JM: My great grandfather, his wife, and my great grandfather's four brothers came. They came over together.

KN: And they found a place?

JM: Well, they were on the Island (PEI) when they first came over. I don't know how long they were living on the Island. Then they came to Cape Breton. And they found a place…around Cape Mabou, the top of Cape Mabou. Then going towards Mabou, MacKinnon's Brook. They were living there as well.

LM: …the story about "the fleas"?

JM: The fleas…well, I don't remember what his name was, but I guess it was Charles MacInnis. And he was working at the Canso Strait. He was boarding with this woman and she was awfully nice. She was good to cook, and she kept a clean house. She kept boarders. But, the only thing wrong was the room where Charles was staying, it was full of fleas. And every night, all he would be doing is itching and scratching himself until morning came.

This day, he was getting tired of the scratching and itching, so he said to himself that he was going to quit his work and was going home. That's just what he did. When he was leaving work, the boss said, "Now Charles, any time that you are need of work, your work is here for you". Well, Charles left and he went home. And he was home for a month or two and money was running and he said to himself that he was going to the Strait to look for the work that he had. He went to his boss and the boss said "your work is here Charles".

That day, he was down in the town and who did he meet but this old woman (the one with whom he was boarding).

The old woman said, "God, Charles, you came back!". "Well, yes", Charles said, "money was running out and I needed work". "Well that's good", the old woman said, "you're going to stay with me again", "oh, no", Charles said, "I'm not going to stay with you at all!". "Well why not?" "You liked the food?" "Oh, yes" he said, "the food was good, and the house was clean…but…" "Well", the old woman said, "were the fleas driving you out?" "Well, yes", he said, "you're right…it was the fleas that were driving me out". "Well", the old woman said, "don't you worry about them". "I exterminated every flea that was in the house". "It's possible there may be one left, but I can't be sure".

Well, when Charles heard this, he said to himself, "I'm going back". That's just what he did. He went with the old woman. And after supper he went up to his room. By nightfall, God, but the fleas were never so bad. All he was doing was scratching and itching himself all the time. He said to himself that this time he was going for sure. He got his clothes and his bag. He was going down the stairs, trying to be as quiet as he could.

But, when he got to the bottom of the stairs, who was behind him, but the old woman. She said, "Charles, where in the name of God are you going at this hour?"

"Well", Charles said, "do you remember the flea that you didn't exterminate?"

"Well, yes", the old woman said. "I said to you, it's possible that there is one flea left, but I can't be sure".

"Well", Charles said, "that devil died last night, and every flea from here to hell came to the wake, and I was in the middle of them".