[Anna] A Dhòmhnall Iain, cha bhi mòran againn a’ dèanamh siubhal mar a bhios Ishi a’ dèanamh ach tha thusa a’ tighinn ’s a’ falbh aig amannan cuideachd. Bha thu, Dè na h-àiteachan anns an robh thu o chionn ghoirid?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill fhad ’s a bha mi anns an oilthigh tha mi gu math fortanach ’s tha mi a’ faighinn làithean-saora gu math fada ’s tha mi air a bhith a’ falbh a h-uile samhradh on a thòisich mi san oilthigh. Tha mi air a bhith ann an Jordan ’s ann am Morocco ’s ann an taobh sear na Roinn Eòrpa ’s ann an Canada.
[Anna] Agus an dèanadh tu siubhal mar seo, mar a tha san leabhar seo?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Bu thoil leam smaointinn gun dèanainn e ach dh’fheumainn dìreach, fhios agad, dh’fheumainn, fhios agad, dìreach feuchainn ’s faicinn. Chan eil fhios ’m dè tha a’ dol a thachairt anns na bliadhnaichean a tha ri teachd.
[Anna] Nise, nuair a bha thusa ag èirigh suas anns an aon seòrsa sgìre innis dhomh mun leughadh a bhiodh tusa a’ dèanamh.
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi gu math beag ’s, fhios agad, cha robh mi a’ leughadh an uair sin ach tha cuimhne ’m gum biodh mo phàrantan, bhiodh iadsan a’ leughadh leabhraichean dhomh fad, fhios agad, a h-uile h-oidhche. Tha cuimhne ’m bhiodh mo mhàthair daonnan a’ leughadh ’s cuideachd bhiodh m’ athair, bhiodh esan a’ leughadh leabhraichean dhuinn sa Bheurla leithid Topsy and Tim ’s rudan mar sin ach bhiodh e ga chur gu Gàidhlig fhad ’s a bhiodh e ga leughadh. ’S dòcha nach robh sìon a dh’fhios agam dè bh’ anns an rud a bha seo, dè bh’ anns a’ Bheurla.
[Anna] Cha robh e gu diofar dhut, an robh?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Cha robh e gu diofar dhomhs’. Tha cuimhne ’m bhiodh e cuideachd ag innse sgeulachdan dhuinn mu dheidhinn bòcain ’s fuamhairean ’s rudan mar sin a bha a’ fuireach shuas air Beinn Sciathan an Èirisgeigh ’s a h-uile rud mì-mhodhail a bhiodh e a’ dèanamh nuair a bha e beag. Chaidh m’ àrach timcheall tòrr sgeulachdan. Tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi òg ’s nuair a bha mi fàs, fhios agad, nuair a bha mi ann an Èirisgeigh bhithinn a’ cur seachad tuilleadh ’s a’ chòrr ùine a’ leughadh. Cha robh... a h-uile uair den latha bhiodh mo shròn ann an leabhar, dh’fhios agad, nobhailean, leabhraichean eachdraidheil, leabhraichean saidheans, dìreach bha mi gu math, gu math toilichte a’ faighinn a-mach rudan ùra no a bhith caran a’ faighinn beagan ’s dòcha faighinn caran a bhith gam chur ann an saoghal eile tro bhith a’ leughadh ’s tro bhith a’ cleachdadh mo mhac-meanmhainn.
[Anna]’S e a’ chiad taghadh a th’ agadsa, ’s e leabhar bàrdachd a th’ ann. Am bàrdachd aig Somhairle MacGill-Eain, Dàin do Eimhir. Carson a thagh thu an leabhar a tha sin?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill thagh mise an leabhar a tha seo a chionn seo a’ chiad leabhar Gàidhlig a leugh mi a chòrd rium. Tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi caran còig bliadhna deug, fhathast caran òg, fhathast caran... Cha bu thoil leam idir leabhraichean a bhiodh sinn a’ faighinn anns a’ chlas Ghàidhlig sa sgoil. Bha mi a’ smaointinn gun robh iad... cha robh feum sam bith annta. Tha cuimhne ’m seo a lorg air sgeilp anns an taigh againn agus a thogail ’s bha mi a’ smaointinn tha seo dìreach... bha e dìreach, fhios agad, cha robh mi air sìon mar sin a leughadh roimhe ’s na faireachdainnean a bh’ ann, am poilitigs, an gaol, na ceistean mòra a bha a’ tighinn na lùib agus dìreach na briathran àlainn agus a’ Ghàidhlig a bha dìreach cho eadar-dhealaichte bho Ghàidhlig sam bith a leugh mi no a chualami agus bha mi a’ smaointinn tha seo dìreach mìorbhaileach agus bha mi a’ smaointinn, uill seo dìreach... bha buaidh mhòr aige orm nuair a bha mi òg agus bha mi a’ smaointinn gur e seòrsa de Shomhairle a bh’ annam fhìn ach tha mi air ionnsachadh nach eil mi mar sin! Tha mi air rudan ionnsachadh on uair sin ach fhathast, fhios agad, air a’ bhalla agam tha dealbh agam de Shomhairle.
[Anna] Thug e buaidh ort.
[Dòmhnall Iain] Tha mi a’ smaointinn gun tug.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anna] Donald John, not many of us travel like Ishi does but you come and go at times too. You were... What places have you been in recently?
[Donald John] Well whilst I am at university I am very fortunate and I get very long holidays and I have been away every summer since I started at university. I have been in Jordon and in Morocco and in eastern Europe and in Canada.
[Anna] And would you travel like this, like in this book?
[Donald John] I would like to think that I would do but I would need just, you know, just to try and see. I don’t know what is going to happen in future years.
[Anna] Now, when you were growing up in the same sort of area tell us about the reading that you would do.
[Donald John] Well I remember when I was very little and, you know, I wouldn’t readthen but I remember that my parents, they would read books to me all, you know, every night. I remember my mother would always read and also my father would, he would read books to us in English like Topsy and Tim and things like that but he would translate it to Gaelic whilst he would read it. Perhaps I had no idea what it was, what English was.
[Anna] It made no difference to you, did it?
[Donald John] It made no difference to me. I remember he would also tell us stories about ghosts and giants and things like that that lived up Ben Scrien in Eriskay and all the mischievous things he would do when he was little. I was brought up around lots of stories. I remember when I was young and when I was growing up, you know, when I was in Eriskay I would spend lots of time reading. [There] wasn’t... every hour of the day my nose would be in a book, you know, novels, historical books, science books, I was just very, very happy learning new things or somewhat perhaps putting myself in another world through reading and through using my imagination.
[Anna] Your first choice is, it is a poetry book. The poetry of Sorley MacLean, Dàin do Eimhir (Poems to Eimhir). Why did you choose that book?
[Donald John] Well I chose this book because this is the first Gaelic book that I read that I enjoyed. I remember when I was around fifteen, still quite young, still somewhat. I remember picking this up. I remember I didn’t at all like books that we would get in the Gaelic class in school. I thought that they were... they were useless. I remember finding this on a shelf in our house and picking it up and I thought this is just … it was just, you know, I hadn’t read anything like that before and the feelings that were in it, the politics, the love, the big questions that were connected to it and just the beautiful words and Gaelic that was just so different from any other Gaelic that I had read or heard and I thought this is just marvellous and I though, well this is just … it had a big impact on me when I was young and I thought that I was a sort of Sorley but I have learnt that I’m not like that! I have learnt things since then but still, you know, on my wall I have a photo of Sorley.
[Anna] He had an impact on you.
[Donald John] I think so.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.
[Anna] A Dhòmhnall Iain, cha bhi mòran againn a’ dèanamh siubhal mar a bhios Ishi a’ dèanamh ach tha thusa a’ tighinn ’s a’ falbh aig amannan cuideachd. Bha thu, Dè na h-àiteachan anns an robh thu o chionn ghoirid?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill fhad ’s a bha mi anns an oilthigh tha mi gu math fortanach ’s tha mi a’ faighinn làithean-saora gu math fada ’s tha mi air a bhith a’ falbh a h-uile samhradh on a thòisich mi san oilthigh. Tha mi air a bhith ann an Jordan ’s ann am Morocco ’s ann an taobh sear na Roinn Eòrpa ’s ann an Canada.
[Anna] Agus an dèanadh tu siubhal mar seo, mar a tha san leabhar seo?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Bu thoil leam smaointinn gun dèanainn e ach dh’fheumainn dìreach, fhios agad, dh’fheumainn, fhios agad, dìreach feuchainn ’s faicinn. Chan eil fhios ’m dè tha a’ dol a thachairt anns na bliadhnaichean a tha ri teachd.
[Anna] Nise, nuair a bha thusa ag èirigh suas anns an aon seòrsa sgìre innis dhomh mun leughadh a bhiodh tusa a’ dèanamh.
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi gu math beag ’s, fhios agad, cha robh mi a’ leughadh an uair sin ach tha cuimhne ’m gum biodh mo phàrantan, bhiodh iadsan a’ leughadh leabhraichean dhomh fad, fhios agad, a h-uile h-oidhche. Tha cuimhne ’m bhiodh mo mhàthair daonnan a’ leughadh ’s cuideachd bhiodh m’ athair, bhiodh esan a’ leughadh leabhraichean dhuinn sa Bheurla leithid Topsy and Tim ’s rudan mar sin ach bhiodh e ga chur gu Gàidhlig fhad ’s a bhiodh e ga leughadh. ’S dòcha nach robh sìon a dh’fhios agam dè bh’ anns an rud a bha seo, dè bh’ anns a’ Bheurla.
[Anna] Cha robh e gu diofar dhut, an robh?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Cha robh e gu diofar dhomhs’. Tha cuimhne ’m bhiodh e cuideachd ag innse sgeulachdan dhuinn mu dheidhinn bòcain ’s fuamhairean ’s rudan mar sin a bha a’ fuireach shuas air Beinn Sciathan an Èirisgeigh ’s a h-uile rud mì-mhodhail a bhiodh e a’ dèanamh nuair a bha e beag. Chaidh m’ àrach timcheall tòrr sgeulachdan. Tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi òg ’s nuair a bha mi fàs, fhios agad, nuair a bha mi ann an Èirisgeigh bhithinn a’ cur seachad tuilleadh ’s a’ chòrr ùine a’ leughadh. Cha robh... a h-uile uair den latha bhiodh mo shròn ann an leabhar, dh’fhios agad, nobhailean, leabhraichean eachdraidheil, leabhraichean saidheans, dìreach bha mi gu math, gu math toilichte a’ faighinn a-mach rudan ùra no a bhith caran a’ faighinn beagan ’s dòcha faighinn caran a bhith gam chur ann an saoghal eile tro bhith a’ leughadh ’s tro bhith a’ cleachdadh mo mhac-meanmhainn.
[Anna]’S e a’ chiad taghadh a th’ agadsa, ’s e leabhar bàrdachd a th’ ann. Am bàrdachd aig Somhairle MacGill-Eain, Dàin do Eimhir. Carson a thagh thu an leabhar a tha sin?
[Dòmhnall Iain] Uill thagh mise an leabhar a tha seo a chionn seo a’ chiad leabhar Gàidhlig a leugh mi a chòrd rium. Tha cuimhne ’m nuair a bha mi caran còig bliadhna deug, fhathast caran òg, fhathast caran... Cha bu thoil leam idir leabhraichean a bhiodh sinn a’ faighinn anns a’ chlas Ghàidhlig sa sgoil. Bha mi a’ smaointinn gun robh iad... cha robh feum sam bith annta. Tha cuimhne ’m seo a lorg air sgeilp anns an taigh againn agus a thogail ’s bha mi a’ smaointinn tha seo dìreach... bha e dìreach, fhios agad, cha robh mi air sìon mar sin a leughadh roimhe ’s na faireachdainnean a bh’ ann, am poilitigs, an gaol, na ceistean mòra a bha a’ tighinn na lùib agus dìreach na briathran àlainn agus a’ Ghàidhlig a bha dìreach cho eadar-dhealaichte bho Ghàidhlig sam bith a leugh mi no a chualami agus bha mi a’ smaointinn tha seo dìreach mìorbhaileach agus bha mi a’ smaointinn, uill seo dìreach... bha buaidh mhòr aige orm nuair a bha mi òg agus bha mi a’ smaointinn gur e seòrsa de Shomhairle a bh’ annam fhìn ach tha mi air ionnsachadh nach eil mi mar sin! Tha mi air rudan ionnsachadh on uair sin ach fhathast, fhios agad, air a’ bhalla agam tha dealbh agam de Shomhairle.
[Anna] Thug e buaidh ort.
[Dòmhnall Iain] Tha mi a’ smaointinn gun tug.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anna] Donald John, not many of us travel like Ishi does but you come and go at times too. You were... What places have you been in recently?
[Donald John] Well whilst I am at university I am very fortunate and I get very long holidays and I have been away every summer since I started at university. I have been in Jordon and in Morocco and in eastern Europe and in Canada.
[Anna] And would you travel like this, like in this book?
[Donald John] I would like to think that I would do but I would need just, you know, just to try and see. I don’t know what is going to happen in future years.
[Anna] Now, when you were growing up in the same sort of area tell us about the reading that you would do.
[Donald John] Well I remember when I was very little and, you know, I wouldn’t readthen but I remember that my parents, they would read books to me all, you know, every night. I remember my mother would always read and also my father would, he would read books to us in English like Topsy and Tim and things like that but he would translate it to Gaelic whilst he would read it. Perhaps I had no idea what it was, what English was.
[Anna] It made no difference to you, did it?
[Donald John] It made no difference to me. I remember he would also tell us stories about ghosts and giants and things like that that lived up Ben Scrien in Eriskay and all the mischievous things he would do when he was little. I was brought up around lots of stories. I remember when I was young and when I was growing up, you know, when I was in Eriskay I would spend lots of time reading. [There] wasn’t... every hour of the day my nose would be in a book, you know, novels, historical books, science books, I was just very, very happy learning new things or somewhat perhaps putting myself in another world through reading and through using my imagination.
[Anna] Your first choice is, it is a poetry book. The poetry of Sorley MacLean, Dàin do Eimhir (Poems to Eimhir). Why did you choose that book?
[Donald John] Well I chose this book because this is the first Gaelic book that I read that I enjoyed. I remember when I was around fifteen, still quite young, still somewhat. I remember picking this up. I remember I didn’t at all like books that we would get in the Gaelic class in school. I thought that they were... they were useless. I remember finding this on a shelf in our house and picking it up and I thought this is just … it was just, you know, I hadn’t read anything like that before and the feelings that were in it, the politics, the love, the big questions that were connected to it and just the beautiful words and Gaelic that was just so different from any other Gaelic that I had read or heard and I thought this is just marvellous and I though, well this is just … it had a big impact on me when I was young and I thought that I was a sort of Sorley but I have learnt that I’m not like that! I have learnt things since then but still, you know, on my wall I have a photo of Sorley.
[Anna] He had an impact on you.
[Donald John] I think so.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.