An Litir Bheag le Ruairidh MacIlleathain

An Litir Bheag is a shortened and simplified version of Ruairidh’s Litir do Luchd- ionnsachaidh (also available on the BBC website), designed for those who are at an earlier stage of learning Gaelic. The topic each week is the same as Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh so that, once the Litir Bheag is mastered, a student of the language might wish to try the full Litir. This is Litir Bheag 622 (which corresponds to Litir 926). Ruairidh can be contacted at [email protected].

Have you ever heard of John or An cuala sibh riamh air Iain no Seonaidh Johnny Cattanach? Some people Catanach? Tha cuid ag ràdh gum b’ e an say he was the best shinty player cluicheadair iomain a b’ fheàrr a bha ann ever. He belonged to Badenoch. riamh. Bhuineadh e do Bhàideanach. He was born in 1885. His father Rugadh e ann an ochd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs was a merchant in Newtonmore. a còig (1885). Bha athair na mharsanta ann Iain was educated in Newtonmore am Bail’ Ùr an t-Slèibh. Fhuair Iain School and Kingussie School foghlam ann an Sgoil Bhail’ Ùr an t-Slèibh before he went on to George agus Sgoil Cheann a’ Ghiùthsaich, mus Watsonʼs College and Edinburgh deach e gu Colaiste Sheòrais Watson agus University. He did a degree in Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann. Rinn e ceum ann an Medicine. He was working as a Eòlas-leigheis. Bha e ag obair mar dhotair doctor in England and Wales. ann an Sasainn agus sa Chuimrigh. He was an exceptional Bha e na lùth-chleasaiche air leth. athlete. In 1909/10 he won the Ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a naoi agus a long jump at the University of deich (1909/1910) bhuannaich e an leum- Edinburgh championships. He was fhada ann am farpaisean Oilthigh Dhùn also excellent at hockey. He Èideann. Bha e cuideachd sònraichte math played for the Scottish national air hocaidh. Chluich e airson sgioba hocaidh hockey team. na h-Alba. But the first stick he picked Ach ʼs e a’ chiad chaman a thog e up was the shinty stick. His shinty fear na h-iomain. Bha na sgilean camanachd skills were exceptional. When he aige air leth. Nuair a bha e air an rathad was on the way to the Eilan, the chun an Eilein, pàirc na h-iomain ann am shinty field in Newtonmore, he Bail’ Ùr an t-Slèibh, bhiodh e a’ ruith airson would run for half a mile, keeping leth-mhìle a’ cumail a’ bhuill san adhar le a the ball in the air with his caman. chaman. Newtonmore were successful Bha sgioba a’ Bhail’ Ùir when John Cattanach played for soirbheachail nuair a bha Iain Catanach a’ them. In 1909, they played cluich dhaibh. Ann an naoi ceud deug ʼs a Furnace in the Camanachd Cup naoi (1909), chluich iad an Fhùirneis ann an Final. They won by eleven goals to Cuairt Dheireannach Chupa na Camanachd. three. And John Cattanach scored Bhuannaich iad aon tadhal deug gu trì. Agus eight goals! Some people think chuir Iain Catanach ochd tadhail! Tha cuid that will stand forever as the dhen bheachd gun seas sin gu sìorraidh mar greatest number of goals that one an uiread as motha de thadhail a chuir aon player scored in the Final. chluicheadair anns a’ Chuairt Dheireannach. Tragically, John Cattanach Gu mì mì-fhortanach, chaill Iain lost his life in the First DWorld Catanach a bheatha anns a’ Chiad Chogadh. War. He was in the Royal Armny Bha e ann an Corps Meidigeach Rìoghail an Medical Corps. He was wounded Airm. Chaidh a leòn anns na Dardanelles in the Dardanelles in 1915. He ann an naoi ceud deug is còig-deug (1915). never recovered, and he died. Cha d’ fhuair e seachad air sin, agus chaochail e. He was inducted into the Chaidh ainmeachadh ann an Talla Scottish Sporting Hall of Fame – nàiseanta an Sàr-luchd-spòrs – an aon the only shinty player that has chluicheadair iomain a fhuair an inbhe sin. been granted that accolade. A Bidh òraid agus duais ainmichte air a shon lecture and prize named for him air an toirt le Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann gach are given by the University of bliadhna. Tha daoine ga chuimhneachadh Edinburgh every year. People still mar ‘Prionnsa na Camanachd’ fhathast. remember him as the ‘Prince of Shinty’.