[Iain MacIlleathain - Preseantair] Nise, bidh an làimh-sgrìobhainn as sine is as cudromaiche ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba ri leughadh saor ‘s an-asgaidh a-nis air-loidhne. ‘S ann an Oilthigh Chambridge a tha Leabhar Dhèir air a chumail. Bho na manaich aig an robh e ann an Dèir ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain air Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh ann san darna Linn deug. Tha Cambridge a-nis air a chur air-loidhne ann an cruth didseatach, còmhla ri seann sgrìobhaidhean creideimh eile. An aithris-sa aig Dòmhnall Moireasdan.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Sin e, Abaid Dhèir ann an ceann a tuath Siorrachd Obar Dheathain, seo na tha a dh’èis anns an sgìre an-diugh dhen òrdugh mhanaich a bha seo. Thàinig iad an toiseach anns an t-siathamh Linn fo stiùir fear de dh’easbaigean Choilm Chille fhèin, Drostan. Agus ‘s ann aig na lean iad an seo a bha Leabhar Dhèir.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an abaid a bha seo a stèidhicheadh anns a’ bhliadhna dhà-dheug ‘s a naoi-deug, ach cha b’ ann an seo idir a bha a’ chiad mhanachainn a bha anns an sgìre, bha i sin shìos an rathad beagan ged a ghabh an tè-sa thairis bhuaipe, agus ‘s ann shìos an sin a bha Leabhar Dhèir a tha cho cudromach ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba agus, gu h-àraidh, ann an eachdraidh nan Gàidheal.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] ‘S e an soisgeul ann an Laideann a th’anns a’ chuid-mhòr dhen leabhar, on an deicheamh Linn, ach bha na manaich a bha seo ann an Dèir air Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh aig bonn is air iomaill nan duilleagan anns an dàrna Linn deug, a’ Ghàidhlig Albannach as sine a th’againne sgrìobhte an-diugh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Fhuair Oilthigh Chambridge sealbh air leabhar Dhèir anns an ochdamh Linn deug. Tha iad a-nis air a chur air-loidhne anns an leabharlann dhidseatach aca saor ‘s an-asgaidh. Chì duine sam bith Gàidhlig Albannach nan dàrna Linn deug ann an làmh nam Manach fhèin ag innse mu thabhartasan fearainn is eachdraidh eile
[An t-Oll Roibeard O Maolalaigh] Nuair a nochdas an làmh-sgrìobhainn phrìseil a tha seo air-loidhne, bidh an goireas fìor, fìor mhath dha sgoilearan agus dha na Gàidheil air feadh Alba is air feadh an t-saoghail mhòir, gum faic iad an goireas a tha seo oir ron seo bha againne ri dhol a Cambridge dhan leabharlann is dh’fheumadh tu cead sònraichte fhaighinn son sùil a thoirt air an làmh-sgrìobhainn a tha sin. Ach a-nis tha e fosgailte, no bidh e fosgailte dhan t-saoghal mhòr agus ‘s e rud math a tha sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Seo an dearbh seòrsa sgìre ann an Galldachd Siorrachd Obar Dheathain a chanadh gu leòr, gun eòlas a cuid eachdraidh, nach robh gnothaich aice ri Gàidhlig. ‘S dòcha gun cuir Leabhar Dhèir a’ dol air-loidhne duine no dithis ceart. Dòmhnall Moireasdan, BBC An Là, Dèir.
[Iain MacLean - Presenter] Now, the oldest and most important writing in Scottish Gaelic can be read for free online. It is in the University of Cambridge that the Book of Deer is kept. The monks who wrote it were in Deer in Aberdeenshire and wrote Gaelic in the Twelfth-Century. Cambridge has now put a digital edition online, with other ecumenical writings. This report is with Donald Morrison.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] That’s it, Deer Abbey, in the north part of Aberdeenshire, this is what remains in the area of the order of monks that were here. They came at the start of the Sixth Century under instruction of one of St Columba’s own bishops, Drostan. And from that, the Book of Deer came.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] The Abbey here was erected in 1219, but this was not the first monastery in the area, that was a wee bit down the road, but this one superseded in, and it was down there that the Book of Deer was, which is so important in the history of Scotland, especially the history of the Gaels.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] It is the gospel in Latin that makes up much of the book, from the Tenth-Century, but the monks that were here in Deer wrote Gaelic at the bottom and the margins of the pages in the Twelfth-Century, the oldest written Scottish Gaelic we have today.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] The University of Cambridge took possession of the book of Deer in the Eighteenth-Century. They have now put it online in their digital library for free. Anyone can see Scottish Gaelic from the Twelfth-Century from the monks’ own hands explaining about land matters and other history.
[Professor Roibeard O Maolalaigh] When this writing goes online, the resource will be really, really good for scholars and Gaels all over the world, that they will see this resource, because before this we had to go to Cambridge and get special permission to the library to see this script. But now it is open, or it will be open to the world and it’s a good thing.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] This is just the sort of area in Aberdeenshire where plenty would say, without knowledge of history, that there was no business with Gaelic. Maybe the Book of Deer going online will put one or two of them right. Donald Morrison, BBC An Là, Deer.
[Iain MacIlleathain - Preseantair] Nise, bidh an làimh-sgrìobhainn as sine is as cudromaiche ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba ri leughadh saor ‘s an-asgaidh a-nis air-loidhne. ‘S ann an Oilthigh Chambridge a tha Leabhar Dhèir air a chumail. Bho na manaich aig an robh e ann an Dèir ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain air Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh ann san darna Linn deug. Tha Cambridge a-nis air a chur air-loidhne ann an cruth didseatach, còmhla ri seann sgrìobhaidhean creideimh eile. An aithris-sa aig Dòmhnall Moireasdan.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Sin e, Abaid Dhèir ann an ceann a tuath Siorrachd Obar Dheathain, seo na tha a dh’èis anns an sgìre an-diugh dhen òrdugh mhanaich a bha seo. Thàinig iad an toiseach anns an t-siathamh Linn fo stiùir fear de dh’easbaigean Choilm Chille fhèin, Drostan. Agus ‘s ann aig na lean iad an seo a bha Leabhar Dhèir.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an abaid a bha seo a stèidhicheadh anns a’ bhliadhna dhà-dheug ‘s a naoi-deug, ach cha b’ ann an seo idir a bha a’ chiad mhanachainn a bha anns an sgìre, bha i sin shìos an rathad beagan ged a ghabh an tè-sa thairis bhuaipe, agus ‘s ann shìos an sin a bha Leabhar Dhèir a tha cho cudromach ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba agus, gu h-àraidh, ann an eachdraidh nan Gàidheal.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] ‘S e an soisgeul ann an Laideann a th’anns a’ chuid-mhòr dhen leabhar, on an deicheamh Linn, ach bha na manaich a bha seo ann an Dèir air Gàidhlig a sgrìobhadh aig bonn is air iomaill nan duilleagan anns an dàrna Linn deug, a’ Ghàidhlig Albannach as sine a th’againne sgrìobhte an-diugh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Fhuair Oilthigh Chambridge sealbh air leabhar Dhèir anns an ochdamh Linn deug. Tha iad a-nis air a chur air-loidhne anns an leabharlann dhidseatach aca saor ‘s an-asgaidh. Chì duine sam bith Gàidhlig Albannach nan dàrna Linn deug ann an làmh nam Manach fhèin ag innse mu thabhartasan fearainn is eachdraidh eile
[An t-Oll Roibeard O Maolalaigh] Nuair a nochdas an làmh-sgrìobhainn phrìseil a tha seo air-loidhne, bidh an goireas fìor, fìor mhath dha sgoilearan agus dha na Gàidheil air feadh Alba is air feadh an t-saoghail mhòir, gum faic iad an goireas a tha seo oir ron seo bha againne ri dhol a Cambridge dhan leabharlann is dh’fheumadh tu cead sònraichte fhaighinn son sùil a thoirt air an làmh-sgrìobhainn a tha sin. Ach a-nis tha e fosgailte, no bidh e fosgailte dhan t-saoghal mhòr agus ‘s e rud math a tha sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Neach-aithris] Seo an dearbh seòrsa sgìre ann an Galldachd Siorrachd Obar Dheathain a chanadh gu leòr, gun eòlas a cuid eachdraidh, nach robh gnothaich aice ri Gàidhlig. ‘S dòcha gun cuir Leabhar Dhèir a’ dol air-loidhne duine no dithis ceart. Dòmhnall Moireasdan, BBC An Là, Dèir.
[Iain MacLean - Presenter] Now, the oldest and most important writing in Scottish Gaelic can be read for free online. It is in the University of Cambridge that the Book of Deer is kept. The monks who wrote it were in Deer in Aberdeenshire and wrote Gaelic in the Twelfth-Century. Cambridge has now put a digital edition online, with other ecumenical writings. This report is with Donald Morrison.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] That’s it, Deer Abbey, in the north part of Aberdeenshire, this is what remains in the area of the order of monks that were here. They came at the start of the Sixth Century under instruction of one of St Columba’s own bishops, Drostan. And from that, the Book of Deer came.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] The Abbey here was erected in 1219, but this was not the first monastery in the area, that was a wee bit down the road, but this one superseded in, and it was down there that the Book of Deer was, which is so important in the history of Scotland, especially the history of the Gaels.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] It is the gospel in Latin that makes up much of the book, from the Tenth-Century, but the monks that were here in Deer wrote Gaelic at the bottom and the margins of the pages in the Twelfth-Century, the oldest written Scottish Gaelic we have today.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] The University of Cambridge took possession of the book of Deer in the Eighteenth-Century. They have now put it online in their digital library for free. Anyone can see Scottish Gaelic from the Twelfth-Century from the monks’ own hands explaining about land matters and other history.
[Professor Roibeard O Maolalaigh] When this writing goes online, the resource will be really, really good for scholars and Gaels all over the world, that they will see this resource, because before this we had to go to Cambridge and get special permission to the library to see this script. But now it is open, or it will be open to the world and it’s a good thing.
[Donald Morrison – Reporter] This is just the sort of area in Aberdeenshire where plenty would say, without knowledge of history, that there was no business with Gaelic. Maybe the Book of Deer going online will put one or two of them right. Donald Morrison, BBC An Là, Deer.