[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Iain Fearchar Rothach, ball pàrlamaid Albannach, comhairliche fad iomadh bliadhna, maraiche, contractor, sàr Ghàidheal bhon t-seann stoc, dh’ fhaodadh tu ag ràdh. Mar a thuirt cuideigin rium bho chionn ghoirid, fìor dhuine gasta a rinn feum mhòr dhan choimhearsnachd. Fàilte oirbh, Iain.
[Iain Fearchar Rothach, nach maireann] Mòran taing.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Nuair a bha sibhse òg ann an Loch Aillse ag èirigh suas. Nam biodh duine air a ràdh ribh gum biodh sibh air a bhith nur ball anns a’ Phàrlamaid, dè bhios sibh air a ràdh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, chan eil mi ro chinnteach mu dheidhinn sin. Bhon a bha mise a’ fàs suas ann an Glean Seile san an Loch Aillse, mar a thuirt thu, cha robh mòran meas agam ann an saoghal poilitigs is cha robh mi dhen bheachd gun robh e a’ dol a bhuntainn ormsa anns na bailtean iomallach mar Ghleann Seile. Ach tha saoghal caran neònach far a bheil sinn beò agus leis an sin cha robh mi fhèin an dùil mòran bhliadhnaichean an-dèidh a bhith a’ fàs suas ann an Glean Seile gum biodh mi an-diugh an-sàs ann am poilitigs mar a tha sinn.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Chan e duine politigeach a bh’ annaibh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Chan e, chan e mar sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, thig sinn air ais gu mar a dh’atharraich sin, ach cò na daoine gam buin sibh ma-thà ann an Glean Seile?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, anns a’ chiad àite bha iomadach fear timcheall orm air an robh mi eòlach a thug taic dhomh, na maighstirean sgoile, neach-teagaisg nuair a bha sinn sa sgoil, bha iad a’ dèanamh uallach mòr orm.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus an teaghlach fhèin, co às a bha an teaghlach agaibh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, bha ma sheanmhair às Na Hearadh à Manais. Thàinig i gu Gleann Seile nuair a bha i fìor òg. Bha i ag innse dhòmhsa gun tàinig i gu Gleann Seile, cas rùisgte, nuair a bha i còig-deug bliadhna…
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] A dh’obair?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] A dh’ obair, seadh. Ach cha robh sin neònach aig an àm, bha sin a’ tachairt ann an iomadach àite. Aon uair ‘s gun robh iad deiseil anns an sgoil, ma bha iad san sgoil, bha iad a’ dol a-mach a dh’ obair a’ dol air seirbheis, mar a bhiodh aca air . Agus ‘s e sin na thachair dhith-se.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus thachair i ri geamair, an e ?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, thachair i ri fear a bha geamaireachd agus phòs iad ann an Glean Sèile, ach gu mì-fhortanach, bha teaghlach òg aca agus chaill i an duine aice, mo sheanair, air a bàsaich e sìos aig Ceann Loch Duich, dìreach aig tobhtaig ann an sin . Agus bha e gu math duilich dhi aig an àm, teaghlach òg a thogail agus gun dùine timcheall airson taic a thoirt dhaibh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Donald Morrison] John Farquhar Munro, Member of the Scottish Parliament, councillor for many years, sailor, contractor, renowned Gael from the old stock, you could say. As someone said to me a short time ago, a truly great man who did a lot for the community. Welcome, John.
[The late John Farquhar Munro] Many thanks.
[Donald Morrison] When you were young in Lochalsh growing up. If someone was to say to you that you would be a Member of Parliament, what would you say?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, I am not too sure about that. When I was growing up in Glen Shiel in Lochalsh, as you said, I did not have much respect for the world of politics and I was not of the opinion that it would affect me in the remote towns, like Glen Shiel. But the in which we live world is quite strange and as such I did not expect that many years after growing up in Glen Shiel that I would today be involved in politics as it is.
[Donald Morrison] You weren’t a poilitical man?
[John Farquhar Munro] I wasn’t. Not like that.
[Donald Morrison] Well, we’ll come back to how that changed, but who were the people you came from then in Glen Shiel?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, in the first place, there was many people round me who I know, who gave me help, the school masters, teachers in the school, they put pressure on me.
[Donald Morrison] And the family itself, where did the family come from?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, my grandmother came from Manish. She came to Glen Shiel when she was really young. She told me she came to Glen Shiel, barefoot, when she was 15 years old.
[Donald Morrison] To work?
[John Farquhar Munro] To work, aye. But that was not strange at the time in many areas. As soon as they were finished in school, if they were in school, they were going out to work on service, as they called it. And that’s what happened to her.
[Donald Morrison] And she came upon a gamekeeper?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, she came upon one who was gamekeeping and they married in Glen Shiel, but unfortunately, she had a young family and she lost her man, my grandfather, died down in Loch Duich, just on the bay there. And it was really bad for her at the time, raising a young family and without a person around to give them help.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2009.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Iain Fearchar Rothach, ball pàrlamaid Albannach, comhairliche fad iomadh bliadhna, maraiche, contractor, sàr Ghàidheal bhon t-seann stoc, dh’ fhaodadh tu ag ràdh. Mar a thuirt cuideigin rium bho chionn ghoirid, fìor dhuine gasta a rinn feum mhòr dhan choimhearsnachd. Fàilte oirbh, Iain.
[Iain Fearchar Rothach, nach maireann] Mòran taing.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Nuair a bha sibhse òg ann an Loch Aillse ag èirigh suas. Nam biodh duine air a ràdh ribh gum biodh sibh air a bhith nur ball anns a’ Phàrlamaid, dè bhios sibh air a ràdh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, chan eil mi ro chinnteach mu dheidhinn sin. Bhon a bha mise a’ fàs suas ann an Glean Seile san an Loch Aillse, mar a thuirt thu, cha robh mòran meas agam ann an saoghal poilitigs is cha robh mi dhen bheachd gun robh e a’ dol a bhuntainn ormsa anns na bailtean iomallach mar Ghleann Seile. Ach tha saoghal caran neònach far a bheil sinn beò agus leis an sin cha robh mi fhèin an dùil mòran bhliadhnaichean an-dèidh a bhith a’ fàs suas ann an Glean Seile gum biodh mi an-diugh an-sàs ann am poilitigs mar a tha sinn.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Chan e duine politigeach a bh’ annaibh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Chan e, chan e mar sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, thig sinn air ais gu mar a dh’atharraich sin, ach cò na daoine gam buin sibh ma-thà ann an Glean Seile?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, anns a’ chiad àite bha iomadach fear timcheall orm air an robh mi eòlach a thug taic dhomh, na maighstirean sgoile, neach-teagaisg nuair a bha sinn sa sgoil, bha iad a’ dèanamh uallach mòr orm.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus an teaghlach fhèin, co às a bha an teaghlach agaibh?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, bha ma sheanmhair às Na Hearadh à Manais. Thàinig i gu Gleann Seile nuair a bha i fìor òg. Bha i ag innse dhòmhsa gun tàinig i gu Gleann Seile, cas rùisgte, nuair a bha i còig-deug bliadhna…
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] A dh’obair?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] A dh’ obair, seadh. Ach cha robh sin neònach aig an àm, bha sin a’ tachairt ann an iomadach àite. Aon uair ‘s gun robh iad deiseil anns an sgoil, ma bha iad san sgoil, bha iad a’ dol a-mach a dh’ obair a’ dol air seirbheis, mar a bhiodh aca air . Agus ‘s e sin na thachair dhith-se.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus thachair i ri geamair, an e ?
[Iain Fearchar Rothach] Uill, thachair i ri fear a bha geamaireachd agus phòs iad ann an Glean Sèile, ach gu mì-fhortanach, bha teaghlach òg aca agus chaill i an duine aice, mo sheanair, air a bàsaich e sìos aig Ceann Loch Duich, dìreach aig tobhtaig ann an sin . Agus bha e gu math duilich dhi aig an àm, teaghlach òg a thogail agus gun dùine timcheall airson taic a thoirt dhaibh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Donald Morrison] John Farquhar Munro, Member of the Scottish Parliament, councillor for many years, sailor, contractor, renowned Gael from the old stock, you could say. As someone said to me a short time ago, a truly great man who did a lot for the community. Welcome, John.
[The late John Farquhar Munro] Many thanks.
[Donald Morrison] When you were young in Lochalsh growing up. If someone was to say to you that you would be a Member of Parliament, what would you say?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, I am not too sure about that. When I was growing up in Glen Shiel in Lochalsh, as you said, I did not have much respect for the world of politics and I was not of the opinion that it would affect me in the remote towns, like Glen Shiel. But the in which we live world is quite strange and as such I did not expect that many years after growing up in Glen Shiel that I would today be involved in politics as it is.
[Donald Morrison] You weren’t a poilitical man?
[John Farquhar Munro] I wasn’t. Not like that.
[Donald Morrison] Well, we’ll come back to how that changed, but who were the people you came from then in Glen Shiel?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, in the first place, there was many people round me who I know, who gave me help, the school masters, teachers in the school, they put pressure on me.
[Donald Morrison] And the family itself, where did the family come from?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, my grandmother came from Manish. She came to Glen Shiel when she was really young. She told me she came to Glen Shiel, barefoot, when she was 15 years old.
[Donald Morrison] To work?
[John Farquhar Munro] To work, aye. But that was not strange at the time in many areas. As soon as they were finished in school, if they were in school, they were going out to work on service, as they called it. And that’s what happened to her.
[Donald Morrison] And she came upon a gamekeeper?
[John Farquhar Munro] Well, she came upon one who was gamekeeping and they married in Glen Shiel, but unfortunately, she had a young family and she lost her man, my grandfather, died down in Loch Duich, just on the bay there. And it was really bad for her at the time, raising a young family and without a person around to give them help.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2009.