Chengey ny Mayrey [Mother Tongue]
https://youtu.be/a0FUQb2wVtIDate(s): 1983
Transcript: (Scroll down for English Translation)
BRIAN STOWELL:
Çhengey ny Mayrey, çhengey Gaelgagh ny Manninee neayr’s traa Jan Ben Jan, yn çhengey Gaelgagh ain yn laa t’ayn jiu. Choud’s ta fys ain, haink yn çhengey Gaelgagh, ny Goidelagh, stiagh ayns Mannin mysh jerrey yn chiarroo eash lurg baase Yeesey Chreest, dy licklee veih Coondae yn Doon ayns Twoaie Nherin, yn ayrn sniessey jeh’n çheer shen da Mannin.
Ec y traa shen va Shenn Yernish Feer Henn, ny çhengey Goidelagh va eer ny shinney na shen, goll er loayrt ayns Nherin. As ayns ny heashyn goll geiyrt er shen, myr va’n çhengey Goidelagh er ny skeaylley trooid cooid vooar ny Halbey, chammah’s Ellan Vannin, haink ee trooid ny caghlaaghyn ta ny schoillaryn gra Shenn Yernish as Yernish Meanagh rish, dys haink ee dy ve myr Yernish, ny Gaeilge, ayns Nherin yn laa t’ayn jiu, as Albinish, ny Gàidhlig, ayns Nalbin, as Gaelg ayns Mannin.
Ta ny schoillaryn credjal y laa jiu dy row paart dy reddyn sy Ghaelg ta rheynney ee veih Yernish as Albinish er ny chroo, dy licklee, sy threeoo eash jeig, ny ny s’leaie, as foddee dy vodmayd loayrt er çhengey Gaelgagh er-lheh ayns Mannin va hannah an-chasley rish Yernish as Albinish ec y traa shen, ga nagh row yn pheesh s’leaie dy Ghaelg ta er-mayrn er ny screeu sheese roish toshiaght yn çhiaghtoo eash jeig.
As ga dy row ram çhengaghyn, chammah’s y Ghaelg, goll er loayrt ayns Mannin fud ny Mean Eashyn veih traa dy hraa, myr sampleyr Bretnish, Loghlynnish, Shenn Vaarle, foddee, as Baarle Meanagh, as eer Ladjin ec ny maynee, she’n Ghaelg çhengey ny mayrey ny Manninee, dy jeeragh sheese dys yn eash shoh.
Agh veih mean y nuyoo eash jeig, haink Baarle stiagh dy mooar ayns Mannin, as mysh traa y Nah Chaggey Mooar, cha row agh mysh feed dy leih as Gaelg myr çhengey ny mayrey oc er-mayrn, baghey ayns ymmodee boaylyn yn Ellan.
Er y chooid sloo neayr’s toshiaght yn hoghtoo eash jeig, ta schoillaryn er n’ghoaill sym vooar er y Ghaelg. Mysh y vlein shiaght keead jeig as three, ren yn schoillar Bretnagh Edward Lhuyd, ny’n jantagh echey, çhymsaghey erskyn thousane dy focklyn Gaelgagh dy licklee, ta shin credjal, veih un dooinney ny lomarcan ayns Mannin.
Agh cha row agh kiare feed as queig-jeig jeu clouit syn Archaeologia Britannica echey ayns shiaght cheead jeig as shiaght. Cha nee agh gys y vlein nuy cheead jeig three feed as shey-jeig ny shiaght-jeig dy row cooid elley ny focklyn shoh feddynit ayns laue-screeunyn Mysevin ayns Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, Lioar-hasht Ashoonagh Vretyn, ayns Aberystwyth, as currit ayns clou er y gherrid liorish Dafydd Ifans as Robard y Comish.
Agh y chied recortys sheeanagh va rieau jeant jeh’n Ghaelg, choud’s ta fys ain, v’eh er ny yannoo er jeih rollianyn kereagh liorish yn Dr. Rudolph Trebitsch ass lieh yn Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften ayns Vienna ayns Mee Luanistyn nuy cheead jeig as nuy. Va kiare dy loayreyderyn er nyn recortyssey liorishyn, ta shen dy ghra, Illiam y Caine ass Kiondroghad, Illiam y Coleyr ass Skylley Chreest ny Hayrey, Thomaase Mooar ass Brookfield, Purt Çhiarn, as Juan Nelson ass Rhumsaa.
Agh va’n chied recortys mooar jeant er rollianyn kereagh ec yn Olloo Carl Marstrander toshiaght yn vlein nuy cheead jeig tree-jeig as feed, as Harry Kelly veih Creneash yn loayreyder mooar echey orroo. Va Harry baghey sy thie shoh, as v’eh ny eirinagh as ny eeasteyr, myr va n lught co-emshyragh echey. V’eh ruggit sy vlein hoght cheead jeig daa-yeig as daaed, as hooar eh baase kiare feed bleeaney as tree ny lurg shen. Ta un ghooinney ayn va feer ainjyssagh rish Harry Kelly, as dynsee eh yn Ghaelg echey veih. Shoh Markys Braide.
MARK BRAIDE:
Ren mee meeiteil rish Harry son y chied cheayrt sy vlein nuy cheead jeig jeih as feed. Va mish feed blein d’eash ec y traa, as va mee kiarail dy ynsaghey Gaelg. Hie mee dys Balley Chashtal. Va my charrey Bob Harrison gobbragh son pabyr naight ayns shen, as va shin kiarail goll gys Creneash, son va mee shickyr dy row peiagh ennagh ayns shen taggloo Gaelg, agh tra hooar shin gys Creneash, va shin taggloo rish ben, as dooyrt ee rhym’s, cha row Gaelg eck ny ec y yishig echey, agh va shenn ghooinney ayns y balley beg va flaaoil. As dooyrt ee, cha nel eh ymmyd erbee goll dy chur shilley er son cha nel eh laccal dy ve boirit rish joarreeyn.
Cha row shen niaghtyn mie, agh hie shin sheese y traid as cheayl shin coraaghyn ayns tholtan ec bun yn ughtagh leeideil gys Cronk ny Harrey.
Va three deiney ayns shen as va Harry Kelly yn fer shinney, dooinney mysh kiare feed blein d’eash, as faasaag lheeah echey, as v’eh jeeaghyn gollrish dooinney Manninagh dou. Shenn Vanninagh. As v’ad giarrey kirree ayns shen.
V’ad creckit, t’ou toiggal, lurg caghlaa dy eirey. As va enn ec Bob Harrison er nane jeh ny deiney shoh, as vrie eh jeh row peiagh erbee ayns Creneash nish dy taggloo Gaelg. As yeeagh yn dooinney shoh er e chumraagyn, as chrie ad nyn ging, as dooyrt ad dooinyn, “Cha nel peiagh erbee bio nish dy taggloo Gaelg ayns shoh.”
As lurg tammylt hie shin ersooyl mollit, as haink shin gys thie ayns Creneash enmyssit Cummal Beg, as va fer ayns y garey coamrit myr butçhoor, as ren shin stappal dy taggloo rish, as va coraa Sostynagh echey, as dinsh mish rish y dooinney shoh cre’n fa va shin ayns Creneash, as dooyrt eh dy row eh lhaih yn Vible Manninagh dy-chooilley laa.
HARRY KELLY:
Ayr ain t’ayns niau, Casherick dy row dty ennym,
Dy jig dty reeriaght, Dty aigney dy row jeant er y thalloo myr t’eh ayns niau.
Cur dooin nyn arran jiu as dagh laa,
Leih dooin nyn loghtyn Myr ta shinyn leih dauesyn ta jannoo loghtyn nyn ’oi.
Ny leeid shin dys miolagh agh livrey shin voish olk,
Son lhiat’s yn reeriaght as y phooar as y gloyr,
Son dy bragh as dy bragh, Amen.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Yn sourey sy vlein nuy keead jeig nuy as feed yn chied cheayrt va’n Olloo Marstrander ayns Mannin. As yn keayrt shen haink eh dys Mannin trooid Lunnin as Lerpoyl mysh mean Mee Mean Souree. Hooar eh yn dooiney v’eh shirrey ayns Thomaase y Christeen va baghey ec y traa shen ayns Rhumsaa, ayns Straid Collag, as veih Mnr. Christeen hooar eh ram skeealyn as raaghyn creeney ooilley scruit sheese echey syn aght-screeuee echeysyn hene.
Ta’n stoo ren Marstrander çhymsaghey veih ny loayreyderyn dooghyssagh lhieeney seose erskyn daa housane dy lieh dy ghuillagyn ta reaghit ry-cheilley ayns kiare ym-lioaryn mooarey. V’ad shoh, chammah’s yn wheiggoo ym-lioar ta goaill stiagh jallooyn ny loayreyderyn, screeunyn preevaaidjagh, yn lioar-laa, as reddyn elley, currit da’n Thie-Tashtee ayns Doolish ass lieh yn Reiltys Loghlynnagh ayns Mee Jerrey Souree nuy keead jeig nane-jeig as daeed.
Ga dy ren Marstrander çhymsaghey dy liooar stoo veih red gollrish feed dy leih, she Thomaase y Christeen yn insheyder mooar va echey. V’eh ruggit as troggit ayns balley Slieau Lewaigue ayns Skylley Maghal, as haink eh dys Rhumsaa tra v’eh er n’aase seose. V’eh baghey ayns Fo-lieu, Skyllagh Maghal, rish tammylt.
Ta’n aa-oe echey Jamys y Cowle ass Rhumsaa loayrt yn çhengey dy flaaoil, goaill toshiaght dy ynsaghey ee erskyn jeih bleeaney er dy henney.
JAMES COWLE:
Shoh yn Fo-lieu, kerroo thallooin t’ayns Skylley Maghal er-gerrey da Rhumsaa raad va lught-thie my vayrey jannoo croiteyrys erskyn shey feed blein as kiare er-dy-henney. Ny sanmey, ren ad garraghey magh ass yn thie shoh nagh vel agh tholtanagh nish, as hie ad stiagh ayns balley Rhumsaa raad v’ad cummal ayns Straid ny Collag rish ymmodee bleeantyn. She ayns shen dy daink Carl Marstrander ny whail rish my henn haner, Thomas y Christeen yn caartyr.
Yn ven stoamey yial cooyl y wyllin bwoaillee va lesh Lewaigue. Va scaan ry-akin sheese cooyl y wyllin kiongoyrt rish y wheeyl ushtey va geiyrt y wyllin. V’ee ny ben stoamey, as v’ee ry-akin veih’n bayr dy-chooilley oie va’n eayst ec y vullagh. V’ee coamrit ayns eaddagh gial sheese gys ny cassyn, as va ny cassyn eck soilshean ayns braagyn stoamey. As va’n sleih boirit mychione yn scaan shoh. Agh va ny mraane aegey gra dy re ben v’ayn va mollit ec Lewaigue, as v’ee çheet gys y voayl shen dy voirey eh. As va ram deiney goll gys droghad Lewaigue neesht. V’ad nyn shassoo liorish y cleigh as v’ad jeeaghyn braew giare son yn ven. Agh oie dy row va my yishig ec Balley Joarey. V’eh jannoo caayr son Lewaigue, va ersooyl boayl ennagh, agh va my yishig çheet thie mysh jeih er y chlag, as va oie aalin ayn, as hie eh gys y cleigh dy yeeaghyn row yn ven yial ry-akin. As v’ee ayns shen kiart dy liooar, as v’eh jeeaghyn urree tammylt beg, as hie ee ersooyl ass y shilley echey, as v’eh goaill yindys cre haink urree, v’ee ersooyl cha tappee. As ren eh jeeaghyn seose gys yn eayst, as va bodjal mooar doo haink harrish yn eayst – v’ee follit. As ren eh freayl arrey son tammylt beg sodjey gys va’n bodjal ersooyl veih’n eayst, as eisht v’eh goaill yindys cre va jannoo er y chaslys dy ve çheet gys shen, as v’eh soilshit da dy re co-chaslys veih’n eayst va jannoo er.
As v’eh smooinaghtyn er shen, as hie eh gys Lewaigue hene. Cha row Lewaigue hene boirit my-e-chione edyr. Ren my ayr as Lewaigue taggloo mychione echey, as ren ad goaill toshaight dy ghoaill arrey, as ren ad feddyn magh dy re co-chaslys veih mullagh nane jeh ny biljyn va ceau yn scadoo shoh sheese gys yn voayl raad va’n ven yial ny hoie. As ghow ad fo-raad, as ren ad giarrey ny biljyn, as lurg shen cha row eh rieau ry-akin arragh.
Ta shinyn nyn shassoo ayns Straid ny Collag ayns balley Rhumsaa, as myr ta fys eu cha nel monney thieyn faagit nish ayns shoh, agh ta’n fer shoh, slane er-nyn-gooyl, lesh my henn shaner Thomas y Christeen, as ta shoh yn garey raad ta shinyn nyn shassoo nish. As va Carl Marstrander ayns shoh mysh y vlein nuy keead jeig hoght as feed.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Tra v’eh ayns Mannin ayns nuy cheead jeig nuy as feed, ren Marstrander screeu lioar-laa mysh yn turrys mooar echey mygeayrt yn Ellan. Myr dooyrt shin, prowal dy feddyn yn loayreyder share oyr y turrys echey. Ren eh goaill toshiaght veih Doolish, markiaght er daa-wheeyl myr v’eh goll. Kewague yn chied voayl raad stapp eh ayn, as ayns shen, chammah’s ny buill elley ren eh stappal ayn, yinnagh eh briaght jeh dooinney ny ben row peiagh erbee ayn yinnagh loayrt Gaelg.
Ny keayrtyn v’eh inshit da dy row Gaelg ec yn dooinney shoh ny ec yn dooinney shen, ny ec mummig ny jishig yn dooinney v’eh briaght jeh. As my hooar Marstrander peiagh as Gaelg echey, yinnagh eh cur feyshtyn er mysh yn fockle shoh ny yn fockle shen, ny geearree er eh dy chur Gaelg er y raa shoh ny yn raa shen.
Er yn aght shoh fud yn turrys echey v’eh abyl tayrn co-chaslys cruinn jeh stayd yn Ghaelg sy slane ellan. As ec y traa shen, ta shen dy ghra, nuy-jeig nuy as feed, haink eh er sleih as ram Gaelg oc, ny paart dy Ghaelg oc, ayns boaylyn gollrish Balley Hallagh, Purt le Moirrey, Purt Çhiarn, Creneash, Bradda, Ronague, Purt ny Hinshey, Skylley Maayl, Jurby, Sulby, Glion Vooar Hulby, Rhumsaa, Skylley Maghal, as Lonan.
Ayns blein e hurrys mooar ren Marstrander cur ooilley yn arrey echey er çhymsaghey stoo veih Twoaie Vannin. As rere e lioar-laa, dooyrt eh dy darragh eh reesht son dy hymsaghey Gaelg veih Jiass yn Ellan. V’eh toiggal, myr schoillaryn elley haink ny-yei, dy row dy liooar an-chaslyssyn ayn eddyr Gaelg y Twoaie as Gaelg y Jiass.
As myr shen dy daink eh reesht dys Mannin yn vlein er-giyn, ayns nuy cheead jeig jeih as feed, as er y Jiass hooar eh stoo veih sleih gollrish Joseph Woodworth ass Purt Çhiarn, Edward Kennah ass Ronague, as Harry Kelly ass Creneash, myr ta shin er n’imraa hannah. Agh er-lheh yn vlein shen, hymsee eh stoo veih Thomaase y Taggart va baghey sy thie-schoill shoh ayns Grenaby.
Ec y traa shen va faasaag vooar liauyr er as bane gollrish ostyll, myr dooyrt Marstrander, agh v eh feer vouyr. Ta’n Olloo Marstrander ginsh dooin sy lioar-laa mychione un cheayrt tra hie eh lesh shilley er as v’ad gyllagh cho mooar da y cheilley rish kiare ooryn dy hraa dy row eh braew shickyr dy geayl dy-chooilley pheiagh sy skeerey ad.
Un pheiagh ayn as cooinaghtyn mie ecksh er Thomaase y Taggyrt, shoh Mona inney Ghoolish.
MONA DOUGLAS:
Yn traa va mee tannaghtyn ayns Balley Sallagh, hie mish as my voddey dagh oie seose gys Grenaby as y Kerrookeil, as dy mennick va shin goll dy lhiabbee ayns y Whallag lesh Kathy Quayle as e vummig, fo Barrool. Va Tom Taggart dy kinjagh goll mygeayrt e hie syn astyr as foddee cloie yn fiddyl, myr v’eh dy kinjagh gyllagh ee.
Keayrt ny ghaa va mee briaght jeh dy cloie arraneyn as foddee ginsh dou mysh rinkaghyn, as v’eh mie dy ginsh dou red erbee foddee eh. As my voddym çhaglym beggan paitçhyn veih ny thieyn mygeayrt, v’eh hoilshaghey magh ny kesmadyn as cloie yn car er-nyn-hon dy ghaunsey. Myrgeddin, veh dy kinjagh cloie ny hymnyn ayns y Kerrookeil, as keayrtyn va smooinaghtyn foddee ny carryn ghaunsey shen ro reagh. As nane laa dooyrt eh rhym, “Ta mee credjal cha row rieau yn fiddyl jannoo peccah erbee, agh cha laik lhieu car gastey kiart dy liooar.”
Er yn chied Jedoonee ayns Luanistyn va ny phobble ayns shenn traa dy kinjagh goll er mullagh Varrool dy cummal shirveish,as un vlein va Tom goll seose lesh y fiddyl dy cloie er-hon yn shirveish shen. V’eh soie sheese er clagh, maynrey as ayns y cheeill, as y faasaag er sheidey ayns y gheay, as ooilley shinyn goaill arrane. Tra erbee chooin mee Tom Taggart ta mee smooinaghtyn er y laa shen.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Yn trass laa as feed jeh Mee Jerrey Souree nuy keead jeig shiaght as daeed, ren Eamon de Valéra, ec y traa shen Taoiseagh Nherin, cur shilley oikoil er yn ellan. V’eh inshit da nagh row monney sleih bio as Gaelg oc, as er shen, heb De Valéra dy chur cooney erbee daue dy recortyssey yn çhengey, my v’ad laccal y lhied “Son shickyrys”, haink yn freggyrt.
As myr shen, y nah laa as feed jeh Mee Averil yn vlein geiyrt er shen, hiauill yn Dr. Caoimhín Ó Danachair er-son yn Coimisiún dys Mannin sy lhong B&I S.S. Longford. Rere yn Dr. Ó Danachair, haink ad stiagh sy pheeir shoh dy moghey sy vadran yn laa shen, as va Mnr. Basil Megaw, stiureyder Thie-Tashtee Vannin, fuirraghtyn ersyn ayns shoh myr haink eh stiagh marish yn van as ny greienyn-recortys ayn. Va’n van shoh cummit ayns bolg y vaatey – baatey-ollee v’ayn – er y turrys veih Divlyn, as tra va’n van shoh troggit ass bolg y vaatey, va’n mullagh echey lhome-lane dy check ollee.
Eisht ren ad gimman dy debejagh trooid ny straidjyn coon ayns Doolish dys haink ad gys y Thie-Tashtee ayns Doolish. Ayns shen ren as glenney eh. Ayns ny laghyn geiyrt er shen, ren yn Coimisiún çhymsaghey er claareyn kereagh erskyn kiare ooryn dy Ghaelg veih Ned Maddrell as Bnr. Eleanor Karran ass Creneash, Tommy Leece ass Kerrookeil, Malew, Bnr. Sage Kinvig ass Ronague, as woish y Twoaie veih Bnr. Annie inney Kreale as Juan Tom Kaighin ass Balley Garrett, Skylley Vreeshey, as Harry Boddagh as Juan y Kring (Y Gaaue Doo) ass Balley ny Loghey.
Va’n Gaaue ny insheyder smoo da’n Choimisiún myr v’eh ny sanmey da’n Thie-Tashtee as yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, as v’eh abyl cur ram stoo gollrish skeealyn as cliaghtaghyn yn çhenn sleih daue. Çhymsaghey Gaelg marish Caoimhín Ó Danachair va Markys Braide. Er-hoh eh reesht.
MARK BRAIDE:
Haink Kevin Danaher woish Bealoideas gys yn Ellan, as va gleashtan echey as greie recortys. Hie Illiam Radcliffe as mish marish Kevin gys y Churragh, as va recortys jeant voish yn Gaaue as Harry Boddagh. Va Kevin Danaher dooinney mie, Gaelg echey, as va ny Manninee soiagh mooar jeh, as cha row eh joarree ayns yn enish. As va recortyssyn mie jeant ain y laa shen.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Shen yindyssagh, ghooinney.
Walter y Chleree ass Rhumsaa. V’eh ainjyssagh dy mooar rish yn Ghaaue, as haggil eh stoo dy liooar veih er-lheh son Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh
Well, Walter, cre’n aght ren oo meeiteil rishyn Gaaue hoshiaght?
WALTER CLARKE:
Yn chied laa haink mee my whail rish, va mee my guilley aeg ec yn traa shen, as cheayl mee yn radio, va sleih voish Sostyn jannoo red ennagh er y radio, as va eshyn yn dooinney shenn sy skeerey, Balley Lah. As v’eh loayrt tammylt ayns Gaelg, fockle ny jees, er yn radio shen, as va fys ain eisht.
Hie mee marish Illiam y Radlagh laa ennagh, as hug shin shilley er, as v’eh ayns trim mie, ayns trim yindyssagh. Cha row eh cha shenn eisht, v’eh red gollrish kiare feed as queig-jeig. As cha row eh doal – va shilley mie echey. V’eh dooinney yindyssagh. Va’n Gaelg taaley ass e veeal, ghooinney.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Cre’n sorçh dy ghooinney v’eh, dy firrinagh? Dooinney daaney?
WALTER CLARKE:
Daaney, as gennal, as lane dy chenjalys. Dy kinjagh myr shen. Nish as reesht tra va shin goll lesh shilley er, v’eh ayns y lhiabbee, as eisht v’eh geddyn seose, as v’eh goaill bit dy bee, as va shin fuirraghtyn er-e-son, as eisht loayrt ayns Gaelg.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Feer vie, ghooinney.
WALTER CLARKE:
V’eh yindyssagh. Cha row Gaelg erbee ec y neen echey. E neen as e vac. V’eh baghey marish e neen as e vac, agh cha row fockle dy Ghaelg ocsyn.
BRIAN STOWELL:
She, cheayl mee shen.
WALTER CLARKE:
Cha row ad laccal yn Gaelg.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Shen yn aght, ghooinney.
WALTER CLARKE:
Er y laue yesh. Cha row eh myr shoh ayns ny shenn laghyn, V’eh thie beg, t’ou toiggal. Va daa hie ayns shoh, as va’n Gaaue baghey ayns y fer er y laue kiuttagh shen. Eshyn as e ven, as e neen, my leshtal, as yn mac. Shimmey keayrt ta mee er çheet ass yn thie shoh ayns ny shenn laghyn. Cha row eh myr shoh eisht, agh v’eh shenn thie, as va’n shenn dooinney ny hassoo er yn raad beg shen, as v’eh gra, “Shaghyn y jeeig shen,” son hie Breagagh gour e hoshee stiagh aynjee keayrt ny ghaa.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Shen agglagh ghooinney!
WALTER CLARKE:
V’eh, Ren eh tuittym ayn syn ushtey. Shoh yn boayl, Yn Gaaue. T’eh er ve jeant ass y noa nish.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Ta mee fakin shen, ghooinney.
WALTER CLARKE:
Slane spooillit.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Ta caghlaa mooar ayn.
WALTER CLARKE:
T’eh, agglagh, ghooinney. Gyn ourys erbee. Cha nel sleih Manninagh baghey ayns ny Curraghyn nish. T’ad ooilley joarreeyn.
JOHN KNEEN:
Tra va mee aeg, ghooinney, va mee baghey ayns boayl, cha row monney sleih mygeayrt ec y traa as va jishig, jees jeh’n phaitçhyn, daa phaitçhey, neen as mee hene, v’eh goll dy goaill shin un laa dy chur shilley dys yn sleityn. As ren y laa çheet, as va shin goll dys Doolish. Ren shin girree ayns y voghree as ren shin geddyn fo-raad,as ren shin geddyn dys Sniaull red ennagh mygeayrt yn traa va’n ghrian girree. As ren shin soie er Sniaull son tammylt as gee yn bonnag as giu yn vainney va’n shenn ven er chur dooin dy ghoaill snap er y raad.
As eisht va shin soie traa braew liauyr er Sniaull as ren shin goll dys Doolish. Ren shin geddyn dys Doolish red ennagh mygeayrt nuy er y chlag ayns y voghree, ta mee sheiltyn, as ren shin shooyl mygeayrt Doolish son oor ny jees, as eisht va shin goll dy gholl thie.
Ren shin goll magh er y Phier Jiarg, as va shen noa ec yn traa shen, as va bobby er as dooinney as buggad as ushtey freayl eh glen, ghooinney. As va sleih ayns Doolish feer moyrnagh jeh’n Phier Jiarg ayns y laghyn shen, son v’ad smooinaghtyn nagh row red erbee gollrish ayns y seihll.
Eisht ren shin goll dy gholl thie, as ren shin çheet er y phromenade. Cha row thie er y phromenade ayns y laghyn shen woish yn thie yn sheshaght saagh ayns Doolish. Cha row thie erbee er y phromenade, cha row oo fakin nane dorrys ayns Doolish.
As ren shin çheet eisht dy gholl thie, as ren shin shooyl dys Laksey. As yn traa ren shin geddyn dys Laksey, va jishig toiggal dooinney ayns yn boayl niaghyn, yn thalloo niaghyn v’ad gra. As va shin goll mygeayrt yn boayl shen son tammylt, as ren shin eisht çheet dys yn Wheeyl Vooar. As ren yn jishig aym, ren eh geddyn dy loayrt da dooinney v’ad gra Casement da, as v’eh ginsh mygeayrt, v’eh ayns Sostyn, as v’eh ginsh hoshiaght mygeayrt yn reddyn v’eh jannoo son y Wheeyl Vooar – ooilley yn castings. V’eh cur ad dys Sostyn dy gheddyn ad jeant. As v’eh ginsh mygeayrt, nee oo geddyn yiarn dy jannoo mwyllin dy liooar neesht ayns yn boayl t’ad lheie yn yiarn.
As eisht va shin goll dy gholl er y raad dys Rhumsaa, as ren mee geddyn skee, as va my jishig goll dy jeeaghyn son dy gheddyn markiagh son aym. As ooilley yn red va cur lesh yn sleih woish Doolish dys Rhumsaa ayns y laghyn shen, v’eh red gollrish dy chur lesh yn çhattlenyn thie woish boayl dy boayl. As va three cabbil roish eh as va’n dooinney v’ad gra Bobbin Crellin da va geiyrt eh. As ren shin goll er y raad, as yn tra va shin çheet dys boayl va shin goll n’oi ayns yn bayr, v’eh cur er yn sleih lhiggey ooilley shooyl dys yn mullagh, as eisht v’eh currit er eh reesht as goll er y raad, as shen yn aght v’eh jannoo ooilley yn traa ren ad geddyn dys Slieau Lewaigue. As ren eh cur ad er y vullagh ayns shen as ren eh goll sheese yn bayr dys Rhumsaa ayns trot vuc.
As va cart as shuyr elley ayns Rhumsaa dy goaill shin thie. As va shen endey yn laa.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Ga dy row obbyr vooar scanshoil jeant ec Coimisúin Bealoideas Éirann as ec sleih elley roish shen, myr ta shin er n’akin, er çhymsaghey stoo veih loayreyderyn dooghyssagh yn Ghaelg, dys y traa shen, cha row monney jeant ayns Mannin mysh sauail yn çhengey.
Agh ren obbyr speeideilagh yn Choimisiún greinnaghey dy mooar sheshaghtyn ayns shoh gollrish Thie-Tashtee Vannin as Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh dy yannoo nyn gooid share dy recortyssey yn shenn sleih Gaelgagh Shen ren y Thie-Tashtee eddyr nuy cheead jeig nuy as daeed as nuy cheead jeig ghaa-yeig as daeed, as yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh eddyr nuy cheead jeig nane-jeig as daeed as nuy cheead jeig three-jeig as daeed.
Mysh y traa cheddin haink yn Olloo Francis J. Carmody dys Mannin veih Olloo-schoill Verkeley ayns California dy hymsaghey Gaelg. As sy vlein er-giyn, yn vlein nuy cheead jeig jeih as daeed, haink sy tourey veih Institiúid Ard-Léighinn Bhaile Átha Cliath ayns Divlyn Heinrich Wagner, nish yn Olloo Heinrich Wagner.
As shey meeaghyn ny lurg shen haink yn Olloo Kenneth Jackson veih’n Rheynn Cheltiagh ayns yn Olloo-schoill ayns Doon Eadjyn. Sy vlein nuy cheead jeig three-feed as daa-yeig chur yn Olloo Jackson Mnr. David Clement hug Mannin son dy hymsaghey stoo veih Ned Maddrell, rish y traa shen yn loayreyder s’jerree, ass lieh yn Scottish Gaelic Linguistic Survey.
Nish ta shin ec Balley Garret ayns Skylley Vreeshey çheu-mooie jeh’n thie raad va Bnr. Annie Kreale baghey, loayreyder dooghyssagh, as ta’n mac eck foast cummal sy voayl shoh.
ANNIE KNEALE:
...as v’eh fidder, as v’eh soie, as v’eh gra, “Myr ooh ta mee dy jarroo, danjeyragh dy ve brisht, as gollrish shenn vraagyn, va ceauit as ayns corneil. Faagit as treigit, as my chorrag ayns my veeal, as gollrish shenn vraagyn va ceauit as ayns corneil.”
BRIAN STOWELL:
Faggys da thie Annie Kreale ayns Balley Garrett, Skylley Vreeshey, va baghey Juan Tom Kaighin, loayreyder dooghyssagh elley, agh paart dy vleeantyn er-dy-henney, va n shenn thie lhieggit as boayl noa troggit syn ynnyd echey.
JOHN TOM KAIGHIN:
Un muc, v’ad freayll. As ooilley yn tra va’n muc ... dy çheet stiagh dy geddyn yn bee oc dy-chooilley traa... V’ad coontey wheesh jeh’n muc son v’ad fetçhal yn muc stiagh dy geddyn yn bee eck yn un traa as v’ad hene geddyn bee. As shiaght ny hoght er y chlag moghree va’n muc ec y dorrys dy gheddyn y breakfast eck neesht. As v’ad goaill y breakfast as v’ad cur breakfast dys y muc ayns shenn pott, as va peesh ass y pott, as va’n muc gee ass y phott as v’ad goaill yn breakfast oc.
As v’eh çheet dy-chooilley moghree, dy-chooilley jinnair, as çheet dy gheddyn y shibber eck. As va’n shenn ven ayn, cha row yn dooinney ayn y laa shen edyr, as va’n shenn ayn, as va’n muc geddyn y jinnair eck, as va’n shenn ven geddyn y jinnair eck.
Quoi ren çheet dys y dorrys agh yn saggyrt – fer v’ad gra saggyrt Qualteragh rish. V’eh son loayrt Gaelg as preaçheil Gaelg neesht. As ren eh çheet stiagh, as ren yn shenn ven gra dys y saggyrt,
“Soie sheese.”
“Cha jean mee soie sheese, my ta.”
“C’red ta jannoo ort?”
“Cur yn muc shen magh hoshiaght.”
“Cha jean mee cur y muc magh, my ta.”
“Well, cha jean mee soie, eisht.”
“Well, immee shiu magh eisht mannagh jean shiu soie.”
“Cur yn muc shen magh hoshiaght.” “Cha jean mee cur yn muc magh hoshiaght.”
“Mannagh vel shiu laccal soie, immee shiu magh, eisht, son cha jean mee cur y muc magh, son ta’n muc fetçhal argid hym as ta shiuish goaill argid voym, as cha jean mee cur y muc magh.”
NED MADDRELL:
Well, va mee ruggit ayns y Corvalley, troggit seose ayns Creneash, hie mee gys y schoill ec Purt le Moirrey. C’red ta shiu coontey jee’m nish?
BRIAN STOWELL:
Shoh Doolish y Karagher, loayreyder flaaoil jeh’n Ghaelg, ren gynsaghey ram Gaelg voish Ned Maddrell. Va enney feer vie ec Doolish er Ned.
DOUGLAS FARAGHER:
Va Ned Maddrell ruggit ayns y Corvalley, as troggit seose ayns Creneash. V’ eh troggit marish y henn naunt echey enmyssit Paaie Humman, ta shen ayns Baarle, Peggy Taubman.
As cha row monney Baarle ec Paaie, as shen y boayl hooar Ned ooilley n Gaelg echey, er-y-fa dy row eh eginit dy loayrt Gaelg r’ee car y traa, as cha nee Baarle. As va mac ec Paaie enmyssit Tom Tumman, as va Ned cliaghtey geaishtagh rish Tom Tumman lhaih yn Vible ayns Gaelg rish yn shenn ven, as er-lhiam dy vel shen yn oyr dy row Gaelg Ned cha mie as v’eh.
Va Gaelg Ned, er-lhiam, yn Gaelg share jeh ooilley ny loayreyderyn dooghyssagh ren mee rieau fakin ayns Ellan Vannin. V’eh son jannoo ymmyd jeh ny breearyn neu-reiltagh dy kiart, as cha row boghtynid ny broid erbee ayns y Gaelg echey. Fegooish Ned cha beagh shinyn loayrt Gaelg cha mie jiu as ta shin ec y traa t’ayn.
NED MADDRELL:
Lhiggey, lhargey, goll gys y vargey, geiyrt er ny mraane lesh ny oanraghyn jiargey.
Lhiggey, lhargey, goll dys y keeill, geiyrt er ny mraane lesh ny oanraghyn green.
Shooyl, shooyl, yn dooinney boght.
Roie, roie, yn eirinagh.
Lhiggey, lhiggey, lhiggey, dooinney seyr.
DOUGLAS FARAGHER:
Va’n thie s’faggys da thie Paaie Humman, va shen thie Neddy Beg Hom Ruy, ny Edward y Karragher va’n ennym echey. As va enney mie ec Ned, tra v’eh ny guilley aeg, er Neddy Beg Hom Ruy, myr yiarragh ad rish. As shimmey keayrt ta Ned er n’insh dou dy row Neddy son screeu as lhaih ayns Gaelg myrgeddin. Son cha row shen feer chadjin ayns ny laghyn shen.
As va Neddy jannoo ny çhymnaghyn son sleih mygeayrt tra v’ad gaase shenn, as v’ad laccal dy geddyn yn çhymney oc scruit v’ad goll dys Neddy Beg dy geddyn eh scruit. Agh cha row Ned coontey monney jeh Neddy, er-lhiam. Er-lhiam dy row sorçh dy voirey eddyr oc tra va Ned ny guilley mitçhooaragh aeg.
NED MADDRELL:
Ta mee er clashtyn jeh shenn dooiney as y ven, va baghey ayns thie ayns y valley, as un oie va ny guillyn goll mygeayrt dy yeeaghyn son red ennagh dy yannoo, as ren ad coodagh yn uinnag seose lesh soddyn.
Er y voghree ren y dooinney girree dy yeeaghyn row sollys çheet. Cha ren eh fakin red erbee agh dorraghys, as hie eh dy lhie reesht. Traa lurg shen ren eh gaase gaccrys, as dirree eh, as hie eh dys y dorrys. Ren eh fakin yn grian goll sheese ec Kione Bradda. Haink eh back reesht gys e ven as dooyrt eh,
“My Yee Paaie, ta’n seihll çheet dys jerrey, ta’n grian girree ayns y sheear.”
BRIAN STOWELL:
Hooar Ned Maddrell baase ayns Mee ny Nollick nuy cheead jeig kiare-jeig as three feed. Tra hooar eh baase, oddagh shin gra dy dooar yn çhengey dooghyssagh baase marish. Agh ny-yeih shen as ooilley, trooid yn obbyr jeean as graihagh jeh sleih gollrish Doolish y Karagher, ta coraa Ned foast cur cooney niartal dooin, as shinyn gynsaghey Çhengey ny Mayrey.
Red quaagh dy soilshaghey magh yn aght dy daink yn Gaelg dy ve ny red follit, bunnys, ayns Mannin – tra va Ned oanluckit ayns Skylley Chreest Rushen, cha row un ockle dy Ghaelg ry-chlashtyn sy keeill.
Rhumsaa, nane jeh ny buill scanshoil syn Ellan raad ren aa-vioghey yn Ghaelg gaase ny stroshey reesht mysh three bleeaney jeig er-dy-henney. Ec yn traa shen ren ram brastyllyn Gaelgagh gaase syn oie fud yn slane Ellan, er-lheh ayns Laksey, Doolish, Balley-Chashtal, Purt Çhiarn, Purt ny Hinshey, as ayns shoh ayns Rhumsaa.
As ec un traa va’n vrastyl Ghaelgagh yn vrastyl smoo popular, myr yiarragh ad, fud ny brastyllyn oie va reaghit ec y Voayrd-Ynsee ayns Doolish. Yn laa t’ayn jiu ta mysh three feed dy leih ayn as Gaelg flaaoil oc, as eddyr keead as queig keead, foddee, ta abyl loayrt Gaelg er aght ennagh.
Ta’n çhengey goll er ynsaghey ayns ny schoillyn, er-lheh ny bun-schoillyn,as rish daa vlein ta scrutaght O-level ayn. Chammah as shen, ta Claare ny Gael, yn claare Gaelgagh, ry-chlashtyn er Radio Vannin dy-chooilley oie Jedoonee. As red scanshoil elley, rish paart dy vleeantyn ta ny Gaelgeyryn er ve cur seose cowraghyn straidjey, myr yn cowrey shoh er shooylaghan Rhumsaa ayns shoh.
Agh erskyn ooilley, ta ny thieyn-lhionney er n’yannoo foays mooar da’n çhengey er-y-fa dy vel ny Gaelgeyryn er jeet dy ve graihagh er meeiteil ry-cheilley ayns ny thieyn-lhionney dy ynsaghey Gaelg as dy loayrt ee. Foddee dy re drogh red ta shoh, er-y-fa dy vel eh cur yn olk er paart dy leih, as foddym toiggal shen, agh ny-yeih shen as ooilley, shoh yn red erskyn ooilley ny reddyn elley, ta mish credjal, t’er n yannoo foays da’n çhengey.
Co-soylagh rish ny cooishyn feed blein er-dy-henney, as son shickyrys co-soylagh rish ny cooishyn jeih bleeaney as feed er-dy-henney, ta’n Ghaelg bishaghey dy niartal ny laghyn t’ayn jiu. Fodmayd gra dy vel ee goll seose as sheese, agh shen yn red ta taghyrt dy dooghyssagh. Ta shin fakin y lhied ayns ny pabyryn ec y traa t’ayn. Cha nel colloo Gaelgagh ry-akin ayns ny pabyryn Manninagh, agh ta mee braew shickyr dy jig yn red shen reesht.
Well, er y laa braew grianagh shoh ta mee lane wooiagh dy ve ayns Rhumsaa, as va mee loayrt mychione yn jough, myr shen ta mish goll dy gheddyn nane nish.
Well ta mish geddyn ny joughyn eisht. C’red t’ou laccal dy iu, ghooinney?
JOHN CRELLIN:
Pynt dy harroo, my sailt.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Laa braew t ayn jiu, ghooinney.
JOHN CRELLIN:
Ta cooinaghtyn aym er goll dy chur shilley er y Gaaue marish Illiam y Radlagh. Ta mish er ve ayns shen daa cheayrt. As ta cooinaghtyn aym er y Gaaue ny hoie sheese kionefenish yn aile, ghooinney, as eshyn doal ec y traa shen. As dooyrt Illiam y Radlagh, “Ta shoh Juan y Crellin voish Balley Churree.”
As dreggyr y Gaaue, “Cha nel enney aym er y dooinney shen, agh ta enney aym er y çhaner echey.” As dooyrt eh, “V’eh ny keayrtyn geddyn scooyrit.” As dooyrt eh, “Va shenn gig echey, as v’eh ny keayrtyn goll dy valley as ny tead-streeaney er cooyl ny cabbil, as eshyn ny lhie ayns jough er laare y gig, as yn shenn laair cosney stiagh da’n thie ny lomarcan.”
Dooyrt eh myr shen, agh t’eh ny vreagagh.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
BRIAN STOWELL:
Çhengey ny Mayrey, the Mother Tongue – the Gaelic tongue of the Manx since time immemorial – our Gaelic language today.
As far as we know, the Gaelic, or Goidelic, language came into Man about the end of the fourth century AD, probably from County Down in Northern Ireland, the nearest part of that country to the Isle of Man. At that time Archaic Old Irish, or a language even older than that, was spoken in Ireland. During the succeeding centuries, as the Goidelic language spread throughout most of Scotland as well as Man, it developed into what scholars call Old Irish then Middle Irish, until it came to be Modern Irish or Gaeilge in Ireland today, Scottish Gaelic or Gaidhlig in Scotland, and Manx or Gaelg in Man.
Today scholars believe that some of the features of Manx that separate it from Irish & Scots Gaelic probably developed in the 13th century or earlier. Perhaps we can speak of a of Goidelic language in Man that was already different from Irish & Scottish Gaelic at that time. Although the earliest surviving piece of Manx dates from the start of the 17th century.
Although many languages were spoken in the Isle of Man throughout the Middle Ages, e.g. Welsh, Old Norse, Old English, perhaps, and Middle English, and even Latin by the monks, it is Manx that has been the mother tongue of the Manx people right down to this century. But from the middle of the 19th century, English took a firm hold in Man, and about the time of the Second World War there were only some 20 people who had Manx as their mother tongue living in various places in the Island.
At least since the beginning of the 18th century scholars have taken much interest in Manx. About the year 1703, the Welsh scholar Edward Lhuyd, or his agent, collected more than a thousand Manx words probably, we believe, from the same man. But only ninety five of them were printed in his Archaeologia Britannica in 1707.
It was only in 1976 or 1977 that the remainder of the words were found in the Mysevin Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth and printed recently by Dafydd Ifans and Robert Thomson.
The first sound recording that was ever made of Manx, as far as we know, was made on ten wax cylinders by Dr. Rudolf Trebitsch of the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften in Vienna in August 1909. Four speakers were recorded; they were William Caine of Onchan, William Cowley of Lezayre, Thomas Moore of Brookfield, Port Erin, and John Nelson of Ramsey.
The first substantial recordings were made on wax cylinders by Prof. Carl Marstrander at the beginning of 1933, and Harry Kelly from Cregneash was his main informant. Harry used to live in this house, and he was a farmer and fisherman, like his contemporaries. He was born in 1852 and died 83 years later.
There is one man who knew Harry Kelly quite well, and who learned his Manx from him. Here is Mark Braide.
MARK BRAIDE:
I met Harry for the first time in 1930. I was 20 at the time and I wanted to learn Manx. I went to Castletown where my friend Bob Harrison worked for a newspaper and we went to Cregneash, because I was sure there would be Manx speakers there. But when we arrived at Cregneash we spoke with a women and she told me neither she nor her father spoke Manx, but there was an old man in the village who was fluent. She said it was pointless to visit him because he didn’t like to be bothered by strangers. That wasn’t good news. But we went down the road and we heard voices in a building at the bottom of the hill leading to the Howe. There were three men in there and Harry Kelly was the oldest of them, about 80 years old, he had a grey beard and looked like a Manxman to me. They were castrating the sheep there, they were sold, you understand, after a change of ownership.
And Bob Harrison knew one of the men, as he asked, “Does anyone in Cregneash speak Manx?” And he looked at his friend and shook his head, and he said to us, “There is nobody alive now that speaks Manx here.”
After a while we went away disappointed. And we came to a house in Cregneash called Cummal Beg. There was a man in the garden dressed as a butcher, we stopped to speak with him, and he had an English accent. I told him why were in Cregneash and he told us he read the Manx bible every day.
HARRY KELLY:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done
On earth, as it is in heaven:
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil;
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
BRIAN STOWELL:
The summer of 1929 was the first time Prof. Marstrander was in Man. On that occasion he came to Man via London and Liverpool around mid June. He found the man he was looking for in Thomas Christian who was living at that time in College St. in Ramsey, and from Mr. Christian he got a lot of stories and sayings which he wrote down in his own phonetic script.
The material Marstrander collected from the native speakers fills more than two and a half thousand pages, which are arranged together in four large volumes. These as well as the fifth volume, which contains photos of the speakers, private letters, the diary, and other things, were presented to the Manx Museum in Douglas on behalf of the Norwegian Government in July 1951.
Although Marstrander collected plenty of material from something like twenty people, Thomas Christian was his main informant. He was born and raised at Slieau Lewaigue farm, Maughold, and he came to Ramsey when he was an adult. He lived at Folieu, Maughold, for a while.
His great grandson James Cowle of Ramsey speaks the language fluently; he began learning over ten years ago.
JAMES COWLE:
This is Folieu, a Quarterland in Maughold, near Ramsey, where my mother’s family were crofters more than 124 years ago. They later moved from this house, which is now just a ruin, to Ramsey, where they lived on College Street for many years. It was there that Marstrander met with my ancestor Thomas Christian, the cart maker.
“The beautiful woman in white behind the threshing mill that belonged to Lewaigue.” A ghost was seen down behind the mill opposite the waterwheel that was driving the mill. She was a beautiful woman and she was visible from the road every night the moon was full. She was dressed in white clothing down to her feet, and her feet would shine in fine shoes. The people were troubled by this ghost, but the young women said that it was a woman who had been cheated by Lewaigue, and that she'd come to that place to bother him.
Many men would go to Lewaigue Bridge; they'd stand by the hedge and would look keenly for the woman. But one night my father was at Ballajora, he was making a cart for Lewaigue who was away somewhere, but my father was coming home at about ten o'clock and it was a fine moonlit night and he went to the hedge to see if the woman in white was there.
She was there right enough, and he watched her a little while, and then disappeared out of his sight, and he was wondered what happened to her, she was gone so quickly. And he looked up towards the moon and there was a big black cloud. It came over the moon, it was covering it, and he kept watch for a little while longer till the cloud was gone from the moon. And then he was amazed at what was causing the apparition to appear, and he realized that it was a reflection from the moon that was causing it. And he was thinking about that and he went to Lewaigue himself. Lewaigue wasn't troubled by it at all. My father and Lewaigue talked about it and they began to keep watch, and they discovered that it was an image from the top of one of the trees that was throwing this shadow down to the spot where the woman in white was sitting. And they got going and cut the trees, and after that she was never seen again. That was an end of the matter.
We are standing on College Street in Ramsey, and as you know there are not many houses left here now. But this one right behind us belonged to my ancestor Thomas Christian. And this was the garden, where we are now standing. And Carl Marstrander was here around 1928.
BRIAN STOWELL:
While he was in Man in 1929 Marstrander wrote a diary of his great tour around the Island. As we said, the purpose of his tour was to try and find the best Manx speaker. He started in Douglas, riding a bicycle as he went. The first place he stopped at was Kewaigue, and there, as well as the other places he stopped at, he would enquire of a man or woman if there was anyone who could speak Manx. Sometimes he was told that this body or that body had Manx, or the mother or father of the person he was asking. And if Marstrander found someone who had Manx, he’d ask him about this word or that word, or ask him to translate this or that sentence into Manx.
In this way he was able throughout his tour to draw an accurate picture of the state of Manx throughout the whole island. At that time, i.e. 1929, he came across people who had Manx, or some Manx, in places like Ballasalla, Port St. Mary, Port Erin, Cregneash, Bradda, Ronague, Peel, Michael, Jurby, Sulby, Sulby Glen, Ramsey, Maughold, & Lonan.
In the year of his great tour Marstrander concentrated on collecting material from the North of the island. And according to his diary he said that he would return to collect Manx from the South of the Island, for he knew, like other scholars who have come after him, that there were many differences between the Manx of the North of the island and that of the South.
And so he returned to Man the following year, in 1930, and in the South he obtained material from people like Joseph Woodworth from Port Erin, Edward Kennah from Ronague, Harry Kelly from Cregneash (as we’ve already mentioned). But that year he gathered material especially from Thomas Taggart who used to live in this school house in Grenaby. At that time he had a great long, white, apostolic beard, as Marstrander said, but was quite deaf.
Marstrander tells us in his diary about one occasion when they were shouting to one another for four hours, owing to Taggart’s deafness, and he thought that everyone in the parish could hear them.
There is one person who knew Thomas Taggart quite well. Here is Mona Douglas.
MONA DOUGLAS:
When I was staying in Ballasalla I went out with my dog every night to Grenaby and Kerrookeil and we often slept at the Whallag with Kathy Quayle and her mother, under Barrule. Tom Taggart often went about his house in the evening, maybe playing his fiddle, as he usually called it. Several times I asked him to play songs for me and perhaps tell me about dances. He was good to tell me anything he could. And if I could round up some children from the nearby houses, he would show me the steps and play tunes for us to dance.
He also often played the hymns in Kerrookeil Chapel and sometimes thought the old dance tunes were perhaps too lively, and one day he told to me, I don’t believe a fiddle has ever sinned, but they don’t like lively tunes right enough.
On the first Sunday of August in the old times people would go to the summit of Barrule and hold a service. One year Tom went with his fiddle to play for the service. He sat there on a rock, as happy as in the church, as his beard blowing in the wind and us all singing. Whenever I remember Tom Taggart I think of that day.
BRIAN STOWELL:
On 23rd July 1947 Éamon De Valéra, at that time Taoiseach of Ireland, paid an official visit to the Island. He was told that there weren’t many people alive who had Manx; and on that De Valéra offered to help in any way to record the language, if they so wished. “Absolutely” came the reply. And so on 22nd April the following year (1948) Dr. Kevin Danaher sailed to Man on behalf of the Commission in the B&I boat SS. Longford.
According to Dr. Danaher, they arrived at this pier early in the morning of that day, and Mr. Basil Megaw, director of the Manx Museum, was waiting for him, as he came in with the van containing the recording equipment. This van was housed in the ship’s hold – it was a cattle boat – on the voyage from Dublin, and when it was winched up from the hold the roof of it was covered in cow shit. Then they drove desperately through the narrow streets of DOuglas till they arrived at the Museum. There they cleaned it.
In the days following, the Commission collected on wax discs over four hours of Manx from Ned Maddrell & Eleanor Karran of Cregneash, Tommy Leece of Kerrookeil, Malew, Mrs. Sage Kinvig of Ronague; and from the North from Mrs. Annie Kneale and John Tom Kaighin of Ballagarrett, Bride, and Harry Boyde and John Kneen (The Gaaue Dhoo = Blacksmith) from Ballaugh.
The Gaaue was the most important informant to the Commission, as he was later to the Museum and Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh, and was able to supply them with much material such as stories and customs relating to the old people.
Collecting Manx with Kevin Danaher was Mark Braide – here he is again.
MARK BRAIDE:
Kevin Danaher from Bealoideas came to the island, with a car and recording machine.
Me and Bill Radcliffe went with Kevin to the Curragh and made a recording with the Gaaue and Harry Boyde.
Kevin Danaher was a good man, and spoke Manx, and the Manx people thought a lot of him. They didn’t regard him as a foreigner. We made a good recording that day.
BRIAN STOWELL:
That’s wonderful, man.
Walter Clarke of Ramsey. He knew the Gaaue well, and recorded plenty of material from him, especially for Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Well, Walter, how did you first meet the Gaaue?
WALTER CLARKE:
The first time I met him, I was a young boy at the time, and I heard the radio, there were people from England doing something on the radio, and he was the oldest man in the parish, Ballaugh. And he spoke a bit in Manx, a word or two, on the radio, and we knew then. I went with Bill Radcliffe one day, and we visited him, and he was in good trim, wonderful trim.
He wasn’t that old then. He was something like ninety five. And he wasn’t blind – he had good sight. He was a wonderful man. The Manx was pouring out of him.
BRIAN STOWELL:
What sort of man was he? A mischievous fella?
WALTER CLARKE:
Mischievous, and funny, and full of kindness. He was always like that. Sometimes when we went to see him he was in bed, and then he would get up, have a bit of food, and we waited for him, and then we’d speak Manx.
It was wonderful. His daughter didn’t have any Manx. His daughter and son. He lived with his daughter and his son, but they didn’t have a word of Manx.
She, cheayl mee shen. They didn’t want the Manx.
BRIAN STOWELL:
That’s the way of it, man.
WALTER CLARKE:
On the right hand side. It wasn’t like this in the old days. It was a small house, you know. There were two houses here, and the Gaaue lived in the one on the left there. Him and his wife – his daughter, sorry – and the son.
Many times I’ve come of that house in the old days. It wasn’t like this then, but it was an old house, and the old man would stand on that little road there and say, “Watch the ditch there,” because Breagagh (Douglas Faragher) went headfirst into it several times.
BRIAN STOWELL:
That’s terrible, man!
WALTER CLARKE:
He fell in the water. This is the place, the Gaaue. It’s been renovated now.
BRIAN STOWELL:
I can see that.
WALTER CLARKE:
Completely spoiled.
BRIAN STOWELL:
It’s very different.
WALTER CLARKE:
It’s awful. There are no Manx people living in the Curraghs now. All foreigners.
JOHN KNEEN:
When I was young, man, I lived in a place where there weren’t many people around at the time, and father, two children, a girl and me, he was going to take us one day to see the mountains. And the day came and we were going to Douglas. We got up in the morning, and we set off, and we reached Snaefell round about the time the sun was rising. And we sat on Snaefell for a while and ate the bonnag and drank the milk the old woman had given us for a snack on the way.
We sat for a good while on Snaefell, and then we went to Douglas. We got to Douglas at something like eight o’clock in the morning, I suppose, and we walked around Douglas for an hour or two, then we headed home.
We went out on the Red Pier, which was new at that time, and there was a Bobby on it, and a man with a bucket and water keeping it clean. People in Douglas were very proud of the Red Pier in those days, because they thought there was nothing else like it in the world.
Then we headed home. And we came on the promenade. There were no houses on the promenade in those days. You didn’t see a single door in Douglas. Then we started for home, and we walked to Laxey.
And when we got to Laxey, my father knew a man in the washing floor. And we went about there for a while. Then we came to the Laxey Wheel. And my father got talking to a man they called Casement, and he was talking about– he was in England, and he was telling first about the things he was making for the Wheel – all the casting. He sent them to England to have them made. And he was talking about getting iron to make enough mills, where they smelt the iron.
They we started on the road to Ramsey, and I got tired, and my father went to see about getting a ride for me. And all there was bringing people from Douglas to Ramsey in those days was this thing for bringing cargo from place to place. There were three horses pulling it, and a man they called Bobbin Crellin was driving it.
And we were going along the road and we came to a place where we were going uphill. He made all the people walk to the top and then they got on again and we carried on. That’s what he did every time they got to Slieau Lewaigue. He put them on at the top there, and he went down the road to Ramsey at a pig’s trot. And there was a cart and another sister in Ramsey to take us home. And that was the end of the day.
BRIAN STOWELL:
Although the Irish Folklore Commission, and others before that as we’ve seen, did much important work in collecting material from the native Manx speakers, until that time little had been done in the island to save the language. The Commission’s successful operation greatly encouraged organisations such as the Museum and Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh to try and record the old Manx speakers.
This the Museum did from 1949 to 1952, and Yn Çheshaght Ghailckagh from 1951 to 1953.
About that time Prof. Francis J. Carmody came from the University of California to collect Manx. And the following year, 1950, Heinrich Wagner, now Professor Heinrich Wagner, of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies came during the summer. And six months after that Prof. Kenneth Jackson of the Dept. of Celtic, University of Edinburgh came. In 1972 Prof. Jackson sent David Clement of the Scottish Gaelic Linguistic Survey to collect material from Ned Maddrell, by that time the last native speaker.
We’re now at Ballagarrett in Bride, outside the house where Mrs. Annie Kneale, a native Manx speaker, lived. Her son still lives here.
ANNIE KNEALE:
And he was a weaver, and he would sit and say:
“I’m just like an egg,
In danger of being broken,
And like old shoes,
Worn out and thrown into a corner.
Left and forsaken,
With my little finger in my mouth,
Like old shoes,
Worn out in the corner.”
JOHN TOM KAIGHIN:
One pig, they kept. And all the time the pig would come in to gets its dinner. They thought so much of this pig they would fetch the pig in to have its food at the same time they were having their food. And at seven or eight in the morning the pig would be at the door to get its breakfast too. And they would have their breakfast and give the pig its breakfast in an old pot. And the pig would eat out of the pot, and they would have their breakfast. It would come every morning, every dinner time, and come to get its supper too.
And the old woman was there, the man wasn’t there this day, but the old woman was there, and the pig came to get its dinner, and the old woman was having her dinner. Who came to the door but the parson – a man they called Parson Qualtrough. He could speak Manx and preach in Manx too. And he came in and the old woman said to the parson, “Sit down.”
“I will not sit down.”
“What’s the matter with you?”
“Put that pig out first.”
“I will not put the pig out.”
“Well, I won’t sit then.”
“Well be off with you then if you won’t sit down.”
“Put the pig out first.”
“I won’t put the pig out. If you don’t want to sit then be on your way, because I won’t put the pig out, because the pig brings money in, and you take money away from me, and I won’t put the pig out.”
NED MADDRELL:
Well, I was born at Corvalley, raised in Cregneash, I went to school in Port St. Mary. What do you think of me now?
BRIAN STOWELL:
Here is Douglas Faragher, fluent Manx speaker, who learned a lot of his Manx from Ned Maddrell. Douglas knew Ned Well.
DOUGLAS FARAGHER:
Ned Maddrell was born at Corvalley, and raised in Cregneash. He was brought up by his great aunt called Peggy Taubman. Peggy didn’t have much English, and that’s where Ned got his Manx, because he was obliged to speak Manx to her all the time, and not English.
Peggy had a son called Tom Taubman, and Ned would listen to Tom reading the Bible in Manx to the old woman, and I think that’s why Ned’s Manx was so good. Ned’s Manx, I think, was the best Manx of all the native speakers I ever saw in the Isle of Man. He could use the irregular verbs properly, and there was no rubbish or nonsense in his Manx. Without Ned we wouldn’t be speaking Manx as well as we are today.
NED MADDRELL:
Galloping, galloping, going to the market,
Chasing the women with the red petticoats.
Galloping, galloping, going to church,
Chasing the women with the green petticoats.
Walking, walking, the poor man,
Running, running, the farmer,
Galloping, galloping, galloping the gentleman.
DOUGLAS FARAGHER:
The house closest to Peggy Tubman’s belonged to Neddy Beg Hom Ruy, or Edward Faragher. And Ned, when he was a young man, knew Neddy Beg Hom Ruy, as they called him, very well. Many times Ned told me that Neddy could write in Manx too. That wasn’t very common back then. And Neddy would write the wills for the people round about when they got old and wanted to have their will written down, they would go to Neddy Beg to have it written. I don’t think Ned thought much of Neddy Beg, though. I think there was some sort of fallout-out between them when Ned was a young and mischeivous lad.
NED MADDRELL:
I’ve heard of an old man and woman who lived in a house in the village, and one night the boys went around looking for something to do, and they covered up the window with sods. In the morning the man got up to see if the light was coming. He saw nothing but darkness, and went to bed again.
A while after that he got hungry, and got up, and went to the door. He saw the sun going down at Bradda Head. He went back to his wife and said, “My Lord, Peggy, the world’s coming to and end. The sun is coming up in the West.”
BRIAN STOWELL:
Ned Maddrell died in December 1974. When he died, we could well say that the language died with him. However, through the passionate and dedicated efforts of people like Douglas Faragher, Ned’s voice still gives great help to those of us learning the Mother Tongue. A strange fact which illustrates how Manx had become something secret, almost, in the Isle of Man, is that when Ned was buried in Kirk Christ Rushen, not one word of Manx was spoken in the Church.
Ramsey, one of the most important places where the revival of Manx gained strength about thirteen years ago. At that time a number of Manx classes sprang up overnight throughout the Island, particularly in Laxey, Douglas, Castletown, Port Erin, Peel, and here in Ramsey. At one time the Manx class was the most popular class run by the Department of Education in Douglas. Today, about sixty people speak Manx fluently, and between a hundred and two hundred, perhaps, can speak it to some degree.
The language is taught in schools, particularly in primary schools, and for two years an O-level qualification has been available. In addition, Claare ny Gael, the Manx language programme, is heard every Sunday night on Manx Radio. Another important development is that Manx speakers have been putting up street signs like this one on Ramsey promenade.
More than anything else, public houses have been a great support to the language because Manx speakers have become fond of meeting in them to learn and speak the language. Perhaps this is a bad thing as it vexes some people, and I can understand that, but nonetheless, this, I believe, has been of greater benefit to the language than anything else.
Compared to the situation twenty years ago, and certainly compared to the situation thirty years ago, Manx today is flourishing. We can say that things go up and down, but that is to be expected. We can see this is the newspapers at the moment. There is no Manx column in the Manx papers at the moment, but I’m quite sure that it will return.
Well, on a fine sunny day like today I’m glad to be in Ramsey. And I was talking about having a drink, so I’m going to get one now.
Well, I’m getting the drinks, then. What do you want to drink, man?
JOHN CRELLIN:
Pint of bitter, please.
BRIAN STOWELL:
It’s a fine day, man.
JOHN CRELLIN:
I remember going to see the Gaaue with Bill Radcliffe. I’ve been there twice. And I remember the Gaaue sitting by the fire, man, and him blind at that time. And Bill Radcliffe said to him, “This is John Crellin from Ballacurry,”
And the Gaaue answered, “I don’t know him, but I know his grandfather.” And he said “He was sometimes drunk.” And he said, “He had an old gig, and would sometimes go home with the reins behind the horse, and himself lying in drink on the floor of the gig, and the old mare making its own way home.”
That’s what he said, but he’s a liar.
Scope & Content: The second film made by Foillan Films, entirely in the Manx language.
The film is a history of the Manx language and features interviews with several people involved in the recording of native speakers including Mark Braide's memories of Harry Kelly. James Cowle, Walter Clarke, Mona Douglas and Douglas Faragher are also interviewed. Narration is by Brian Stowell and the film features audio clips of the last native speakers.
The film was shot Easter 1984 and premiered in July that year at Yn Chrunniaght, Ramsey.
Language: eng
Collection: Film Archive
Level: ITEM
ID number: FA 0133/2