[Mairi Rodgers – Preseantair] Bidh prògram sònraichte air BBC ALBA a-nochd mar phàirt de chomharrachadh nan ceud bliadhna bho thòisich an Cogadh Mòr. Tha am prògram a’ leantail Dòmhnall Meek is e a’ lorg tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu bhràthair a sheanmhar, Iain Dòmhnallach, a chaidh a mharbhadh sa chiad chogadh. Bidh an sgeulachd cuideachd ri cluinntinn ann an trì prògramanan air Radio nan Gàidheal air a bheil an t-ainm Iain Againn Fhìn. Le tuilleadh mun sgeulachd a tha seo, seo Alasdair MacIllFhinnein
[Alasdair MacIllFhinnein – Neach-aithris] B’ e saighdear à Eilean Thioridh bho thùs a bh’ ann an Iain Dòmhnallach. Fear a chaidh a mharbhadh aig Blàr Arras san Fhraing anns a’ Chiad Chogadh. Cha robh e ach na dhuine òg nuair a chaidh a mharbhadh le peilear, fhad ‘s a bha e a’ toirt cobhair do shaighdear eile. ‘S e ogha dha bhràthair a th’ ann an Dòmhnall Meek, agus le a bhith a’ leughadh litrichean agus pàipearan aig a bheil ceangal ri Iain, ghabh e ùidh ann an sgeulachd bràthair a sheanmhar. Tha Dòmhnall air tighinn dhan Fhraing, gu àite sònraichte – an làrach far an do thuit Iain Dòmhallach.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil mi ga fhaicinn, ach tha mi ceangal, mar gum biodh, ris a’ bhall mu dheireadh don teaghlach air nach robh mi fhèin eòlach, anns na mionaidean mu dheireadh a bh’ aige dhe bheatha. Is tha sin a’ toirt sìth dom chridhe, dha-rìribh, sìth.
[Alasdair MacIllFhinnein – Neach-aithris] Bha e gu math cumanta aig an àm sin, saighdearan a thiodhlacadh far an do thuit iad. Agus sin dìreach mar a thachair do dh’Iain Dòmhnallach. As dèidh a’ chogaidh, chaidh a thiodhlacadh às ùr, ann an Cladh Coimisean Uaighean Cogaidh a’ Cho-Fhlaitheis, air oir baile Arras. Còrr is ceud bliadhna as dèidh do dh’Iain falbh, tha Dòmhnall air an rathad chun a’ chlaidh gus an uaigh fhaicinn..
[Dòmhnall Meek] An rud a tha sònraichte an sin, ‘s e gu bheil sgrìobhadh shìos aig bonn na cloiche ann an sin, Not forgotten in Caolis, Tiree. Is tha sin fìor. Cha mhòr nach eil ceud bliadhna bhon a dh’fhalbh e, agus seo mise nise nam sheasamh ann an seo. A’ phrìomh smuain an-dràsta, ‘s e cho taingeil is a tha mi gu bheil mi ann. Agus gun do dhùin mi an cearcall.
[Mairi Rodgers – Presenter] There will be a special programme on BBC ALBA this evening to commemorate one hundred years since the start of the Great War. The programme follows Donald Meek who is searching for more information about his great Uncle, John MacDonald, who was killed in the First World War. The story can also be heard in three programmes on Radio nan Gàidheal called Iain Againn Fhìn. With more about this story, here’s Alistair MacLennan.
[Alistair MacLennan – Reporter] John MacDonald was a soldier, originally from the Isle of Tiree. He was killed at the Battle of Arras in France during the First World War. He was only a young man when he was shot, while assisting another soldier. Donald Meek is the grandson of his brother, and by reading letters and papers connected to John, he took an interest in his great Uncle’s story. Donald has come to France, to a special place – the place where John MacDonald fell.
[Donald Meek] It’s not just that I’m seeing the place, but I’m connecting, as it were, with the final member of the family that I didn’t know, in the final minutes of his life. And that gives my heart peace, real, peace.
[Alistair MacLennan – Reporter] At that time it was usual, to bury soldiers where they fell. And that’s exactly what happened to John MacDonald. After the war, he was reinterred in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, on the outskirts of the town of Arras. More than one hundred years after Iain left, Donald is on his way to the cemetery to see his grave.
[Donald Meek] What’s remarkable is the writing at the bottom of the gravestone there, Not forgotten in Caolis Tiree. And that’s true. There’s almost one hundred years since he left, and here I am now standing here. My first thought just now, is how thankful I am to be here. And that I have closed the circle.
[Mairi Rodgers – Preseantair] Bidh prògram sònraichte air BBC ALBA a-nochd mar phàirt de chomharrachadh nan ceud bliadhna bho thòisich an Cogadh Mòr. Tha am prògram a’ leantail Dòmhnall Meek is e a’ lorg tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu bhràthair a sheanmhar, Iain Dòmhnallach, a chaidh a mharbhadh sa chiad chogadh. Bidh an sgeulachd cuideachd ri cluinntinn ann an trì prògramanan air Radio nan Gàidheal air a bheil an t-ainm Iain Againn Fhìn. Le tuilleadh mun sgeulachd a tha seo, seo Alasdair MacIllFhinnein
[Alasdair MacIllFhinnein – Neach-aithris] B’ e saighdear à Eilean Thioridh bho thùs a bh’ ann an Iain Dòmhnallach. Fear a chaidh a mharbhadh aig Blàr Arras san Fhraing anns a’ Chiad Chogadh. Cha robh e ach na dhuine òg nuair a chaidh a mharbhadh le peilear, fhad ‘s a bha e a’ toirt cobhair do shaighdear eile. ‘S e ogha dha bhràthair a th’ ann an Dòmhnall Meek, agus le a bhith a’ leughadh litrichean agus pàipearan aig a bheil ceangal ri Iain, ghabh e ùidh ann an sgeulachd bràthair a sheanmhar. Tha Dòmhnall air tighinn dhan Fhraing, gu àite sònraichte – an làrach far an do thuit Iain Dòmhallach.
[Dòmhnall Meek] Chan e a-mhàin gu bheil mi ga fhaicinn, ach tha mi ceangal, mar gum biodh, ris a’ bhall mu dheireadh don teaghlach air nach robh mi fhèin eòlach, anns na mionaidean mu dheireadh a bh’ aige dhe bheatha. Is tha sin a’ toirt sìth dom chridhe, dha-rìribh, sìth.
[Alasdair MacIllFhinnein – Neach-aithris] Bha e gu math cumanta aig an àm sin, saighdearan a thiodhlacadh far an do thuit iad. Agus sin dìreach mar a thachair do dh’Iain Dòmhnallach. As dèidh a’ chogaidh, chaidh a thiodhlacadh às ùr, ann an Cladh Coimisean Uaighean Cogaidh a’ Cho-Fhlaitheis, air oir baile Arras. Còrr is ceud bliadhna as dèidh do dh’Iain falbh, tha Dòmhnall air an rathad chun a’ chlaidh gus an uaigh fhaicinn..
[Dòmhnall Meek] An rud a tha sònraichte an sin, ‘s e gu bheil sgrìobhadh shìos aig bonn na cloiche ann an sin, Not forgotten in Caolis, Tiree. Is tha sin fìor. Cha mhòr nach eil ceud bliadhna bhon a dh’fhalbh e, agus seo mise nise nam sheasamh ann an seo. A’ phrìomh smuain an-dràsta, ‘s e cho taingeil is a tha mi gu bheil mi ann. Agus gun do dhùin mi an cearcall.
[Mairi Rodgers – Presenter] There will be a special programme on BBC ALBA this evening to commemorate one hundred years since the start of the Great War. The programme follows Donald Meek who is searching for more information about his great Uncle, John MacDonald, who was killed in the First World War. The story can also be heard in three programmes on Radio nan Gàidheal called Iain Againn Fhìn. With more about this story, here’s Alistair MacLennan.
[Alistair MacLennan – Reporter] John MacDonald was a soldier, originally from the Isle of Tiree. He was killed at the Battle of Arras in France during the First World War. He was only a young man when he was shot, while assisting another soldier. Donald Meek is the grandson of his brother, and by reading letters and papers connected to John, he took an interest in his great Uncle’s story. Donald has come to France, to a special place – the place where John MacDonald fell.
[Donald Meek] It’s not just that I’m seeing the place, but I’m connecting, as it were, with the final member of the family that I didn’t know, in the final minutes of his life. And that gives my heart peace, real, peace.
[Alistair MacLennan – Reporter] At that time it was usual, to bury soldiers where they fell. And that’s exactly what happened to John MacDonald. After the war, he was reinterred in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, on the outskirts of the town of Arras. More than one hundred years after Iain left, Donald is on his way to the cemetery to see his grave.
[Donald Meek] What’s remarkable is the writing at the bottom of the gravestone there, Not forgotten in Caolis Tiree. And that’s true. There’s almost one hundred years since he left, and here I am now standing here. My first thought just now, is how thankful I am to be here. And that I have closed the circle.