[Angela NicIlleathain] Chailleadh iad bho chionn còrr agus ceud bliadhna ach tha na dh'fhaodadh a bhith air èirigh dhan triùir fhear-gleidhidh sna h-Eileannan Flannach fhathast na chuspair cnuasachaidh. Tha planaichean ann a-nis an sgeulachd a chumail beò dha na ginealaichean a tha ri thighinn le carragh-cuimhne agus taisbeanadh mòr ann am Breascleit air taobh siar Leòdhais. Tha an aithris-sa aig Eilidh NicLeòid.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] Mu 20 mìle bho oir-thìr Leòdhais tha na h-Eileanan Flannach. Bliadhna as dèidh fosgladh an taigh-sholais chaidh an triùir fhear-gleidhidh à sealladh -Tòmas Marshall, Seumas Ducat agus Dòmhnall MacArtair, a thogadh agus a rugadh ann am Breascleit, baile le dlùth cheangal ris an sgeulachd. Dh’ fhalbh iad à cidhe a’ bhaile agus ‘s ann an seo a bhios an carragh-cuimhne. Thogadh an taigh seo do theaghlaichean nam fear-ghleidhidh agus bidh e mar phàirt chudromach dhen taisbeanadh mòr.
[Coinneach MacIllInnein] ‘S e an ‘taigh mòr’ a th’aig a h-uile duine air an taigh-sa anns a’ bhaile, an ‘taigh mòr.’ Agus tha cuimhne agam fhìn nuair a bhiodh sinn anns an sgoil agus bhiodh am Pole Star a’ tighinn a-steach bhon Òban an seo a h-uile mìos no dà mhìos agus chluinneadh tu i agus chitheadh tu i ‘s bhiodh i oidhche air acair anns an loch ‘s dh’ fhalbhadh an uair sin na keepers a bha a’ dol a-mach airson an ath shioft, bhiodh iad air falbh oirre agus bhiodh an fheadhainn eile a’ tilleadh gu tìr. ‘S bha sin a’ tachairt agus bha ceangal mòr anns a’ bhaile ris a h-uile càil a bha tachairt air na h-eileanan. Agus daoine a bha ag èirigh suas agus iad a’ cluinntinn mu dheidhinn rud a thachair agus bha sin ga chumail beò cuideachd fad na tìde.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] Cho-dhùin an sgrùdadh oifigeil gun do fhalbh a’ mhuir leotha. Ach cha do chuir sin stad air iomadach beachd eile mu na dh’ èirich dhaibh. Air ais air tìr tha ballachan na dachaigh aig Dòmhnall MacArtair fhathast nan seasamh, ‘s bidh sin cuideachd air slighe aithris na sgeulachd.
[Coinneach MacIllInnein] Tha mi den bheachd gu feum sinn rud, nuair a nì sinn e, gu feum an rud a bhith math agus air dhòigh ‘s gun tarraing e daoine a-steach agus gu h-àraidh luchd-turais ‘s gun tig iad a’ choimhead air an taisbeanadh ‘s air a’ charragh-cuimhne ‘s air an taigh mhòr. Agus air an taigh no air an tobhta far an do dh’ fhalbh Dòmhnall MacArtair, tha sin ceangailte ris cuideachd. Agus bheireadh e latha math dha daoine a bhith dol timcheall air sin agus gum falbhadh iad an dèidh a bhith a’ dol tron taisbeanadh ‘s na ceanglaichean a tha sin gum falbhadh iad ag ràdh riutha fhèin, uill bha siud math ach dè fon ghrèin a thachair dha na balaich ud.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] ‘S iomadh ginealach a chaidh am beò-ghlacadh le sgeulachd an triùir a chailleadh ach dh’ fhaodhte gur e an dìomhaireachd mu mar a fhuair iad bàs a tha fàgail gu bheil an sgeulachd aca fhathast beò. Eilidh NicLeòid, BBC An Là, Breascleit.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] They were lost more than 100 years ago but what could have happened to the three lighthouse keepers on the Flannan Isles is still a subject of debate. There are plans now to keep the story alive for the generations to come with a memorial and a big exhibition in Breasclete on the west side of Lewis. Eilidh MacLeod has this report.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] Around 20 miles off the coast of Lewis are the Flannan Isles. A year after the lighthouse was opened the three keepers vanished – Thomas Marshall, James Ducat and Donald MacArthur, who was born and raised in Breasclete, a town with close ties to the story. They departed from the pier in the village and that’s where the memorial will be. This house was built for the families of the keepers and it will be an important part of the big exhibition.
[Kenneth MacLennan] The ‘big house’ is what everyone in the village calls this house, the ‘big house.’ And I remember myself when we would be in school and the Pole Star would come in from Oban every month or second month and you would hear her and see her. She would be anchored overnight in the loch and the keepers would then go out for the next shift, they would go out on her and the others would return to land. That was happening and the village had a strong connection to everything that was happening on the islands. People were growing up hearing about what had happened and this was keeping it alive.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] The official investigation concluded that they were swept out to sea. But that’s not stopped many other theories on what might happened to them. Back on land the walls of Donald MacArthur’s home still stand, that will also be part of the story.
[Kenneth MacLennan] I think, when we do it, it has to be good and done in a way that will draw people in, especially tourists and that they will come to look at the exhibition, the memorial and the big house. And Donald MacArthur’s house or ruins, that’s connected to it too. It will be a good day out for people going round all it all and we hope that after going to the exhibition that they will leave saying to themselves, well, that was good but what on earth happened to those boys.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] Many generations have been captivated by the story of the three who were lost but perhaps the mystery which surrounds their death is the reason their story still lives on. Eilidh MacLeod, BBC An Là, Breasclete.
[Angela NicIlleathain] Chailleadh iad bho chionn còrr agus ceud bliadhna ach tha na dh'fhaodadh a bhith air èirigh dhan triùir fhear-gleidhidh sna h-Eileannan Flannach fhathast na chuspair cnuasachaidh. Tha planaichean ann a-nis an sgeulachd a chumail beò dha na ginealaichean a tha ri thighinn le carragh-cuimhne agus taisbeanadh mòr ann am Breascleit air taobh siar Leòdhais. Tha an aithris-sa aig Eilidh NicLeòid.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] Mu 20 mìle bho oir-thìr Leòdhais tha na h-Eileanan Flannach. Bliadhna as dèidh fosgladh an taigh-sholais chaidh an triùir fhear-gleidhidh à sealladh -Tòmas Marshall, Seumas Ducat agus Dòmhnall MacArtair, a thogadh agus a rugadh ann am Breascleit, baile le dlùth cheangal ris an sgeulachd. Dh’ fhalbh iad à cidhe a’ bhaile agus ‘s ann an seo a bhios an carragh-cuimhne. Thogadh an taigh seo do theaghlaichean nam fear-ghleidhidh agus bidh e mar phàirt chudromach dhen taisbeanadh mòr.
[Coinneach MacIllInnein] ‘S e an ‘taigh mòr’ a th’aig a h-uile duine air an taigh-sa anns a’ bhaile, an ‘taigh mòr.’ Agus tha cuimhne agam fhìn nuair a bhiodh sinn anns an sgoil agus bhiodh am Pole Star a’ tighinn a-steach bhon Òban an seo a h-uile mìos no dà mhìos agus chluinneadh tu i agus chitheadh tu i ‘s bhiodh i oidhche air acair anns an loch ‘s dh’ fhalbhadh an uair sin na keepers a bha a’ dol a-mach airson an ath shioft, bhiodh iad air falbh oirre agus bhiodh an fheadhainn eile a’ tilleadh gu tìr. ‘S bha sin a’ tachairt agus bha ceangal mòr anns a’ bhaile ris a h-uile càil a bha tachairt air na h-eileanan. Agus daoine a bha ag èirigh suas agus iad a’ cluinntinn mu dheidhinn rud a thachair agus bha sin ga chumail beò cuideachd fad na tìde.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] Cho-dhùin an sgrùdadh oifigeil gun do fhalbh a’ mhuir leotha. Ach cha do chuir sin stad air iomadach beachd eile mu na dh’ èirich dhaibh. Air ais air tìr tha ballachan na dachaigh aig Dòmhnall MacArtair fhathast nan seasamh, ‘s bidh sin cuideachd air slighe aithris na sgeulachd.
[Coinneach MacIllInnein] Tha mi den bheachd gu feum sinn rud, nuair a nì sinn e, gu feum an rud a bhith math agus air dhòigh ‘s gun tarraing e daoine a-steach agus gu h-àraidh luchd-turais ‘s gun tig iad a’ choimhead air an taisbeanadh ‘s air a’ charragh-cuimhne ‘s air an taigh mhòr. Agus air an taigh no air an tobhta far an do dh’ fhalbh Dòmhnall MacArtair, tha sin ceangailte ris cuideachd. Agus bheireadh e latha math dha daoine a bhith dol timcheall air sin agus gum falbhadh iad an dèidh a bhith a’ dol tron taisbeanadh ‘s na ceanglaichean a tha sin gum falbhadh iad ag ràdh riutha fhèin, uill bha siud math ach dè fon ghrèin a thachair dha na balaich ud.
[Eilidh NicLeòid – Neach-aithris] ‘S iomadh ginealach a chaidh am beò-ghlacadh le sgeulachd an triùir a chailleadh ach dh’ fhaodhte gur e an dìomhaireachd mu mar a fhuair iad bàs a tha fàgail gu bheil an sgeulachd aca fhathast beò. Eilidh NicLeòid, BBC An Là, Breascleit.
[Angela MacLean – Presenter] They were lost more than 100 years ago but what could have happened to the three lighthouse keepers on the Flannan Isles is still a subject of debate. There are plans now to keep the story alive for the generations to come with a memorial and a big exhibition in Breasclete on the west side of Lewis. Eilidh MacLeod has this report.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] Around 20 miles off the coast of Lewis are the Flannan Isles. A year after the lighthouse was opened the three keepers vanished – Thomas Marshall, James Ducat and Donald MacArthur, who was born and raised in Breasclete, a town with close ties to the story. They departed from the pier in the village and that’s where the memorial will be. This house was built for the families of the keepers and it will be an important part of the big exhibition.
[Kenneth MacLennan] The ‘big house’ is what everyone in the village calls this house, the ‘big house.’ And I remember myself when we would be in school and the Pole Star would come in from Oban every month or second month and you would hear her and see her. She would be anchored overnight in the loch and the keepers would then go out for the next shift, they would go out on her and the others would return to land. That was happening and the village had a strong connection to everything that was happening on the islands. People were growing up hearing about what had happened and this was keeping it alive.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] The official investigation concluded that they were swept out to sea. But that’s not stopped many other theories on what might happened to them. Back on land the walls of Donald MacArthur’s home still stand, that will also be part of the story.
[Kenneth MacLennan] I think, when we do it, it has to be good and done in a way that will draw people in, especially tourists and that they will come to look at the exhibition, the memorial and the big house. And Donald MacArthur’s house or ruins, that’s connected to it too. It will be a good day out for people going round all it all and we hope that after going to the exhibition that they will leave saying to themselves, well, that was good but what on earth happened to those boys.
[Eilidh MacLeod – Reporter] Many generations have been captivated by the story of the three who were lost but perhaps the mystery which surrounds their death is the reason their story still lives on. Eilidh MacLeod, BBC An Là, Breasclete.