Tha cuimhn' 'am 'nuair a bha mi 'nam dheugnair, air fear Raghnall Caplan a bha fuireach aig Còbh na Luinge Briste agus a' cuir amach iris air eachdraidh 'is dualchas Cheap Breatainn, gé b' e Gàidhlig, Frangais, Mi'kmaq, no Beurla a bh' ann. Chuir e iongantas orm gun deanadh duine a leithid, agus m' aire fhéin air fiolmaichean 'is ceòl a chaidh a dheanamh fad air falbh, ann an àiteachan fada na bu chudtromaiche 's na b' fhoghluimte na Ceap Breatainn, 'nam bheachd.

Mar a dh' fhàs mi gu ìre leugh mi cuid dhe na h-irisean a cheannaich m' athair agus chòrd iad rium. Dh' aithnich mi gu robh fios 'is eòlas anns na naidheachdan a bh' annta, agus cho cudtromach 's a bha e a h-uile rud sin a ghléidheadh do 'n àm ri teachd.

An dràsda tha "Iris Cheap Breatainn" ri fhaotainn air an eadar-lìn. Chuir Raghnall Caplan amach trì fichead iris 's a ceithir deug ( no seachdad iris 's a ceithir ) agus tha iad uile ri 'n leughadh air an làrach-lìn seo. Gheibhear eachdraidh Cheap Breatainn bho iomadh buaidh-astair, seann sgeulachdan á beul-athris caochladh dhualchasan, dòighean beatha nan daoine tro na linntean, na cuir seachadan a bh' aca, agus iomadach rud eile.

A thaobh na Gàidhlig, chìthear anns an darna iris airteagal air Oidhche Challuinn agus an duan a ghabhadh daoine ann an Ceap Breatainn agus iad a' coiseachd bho thaigh gu taigh. 'San treas iris bidh airteagal air ceilearach nan eun, agus na h-òrain aca eadar-theangaichte dha 'n Ghàidhlig! ( Ma 's fhìor! ) Ged nach bi a' Ghàidhlig fhéin ann an gach iris, 's gann nach bi naidheachd air choireigin air beatha anns a' Ghaidhealtachd Cheap Breatainn ann.

Còmhla ri sin, bidh am pàipear naidheachd Mac-Talla ri leughadh air an eadar-lìn. Bha am pàipear seo 'ga fhoillseachadh ann an Ceap Breatainn eadar 1892 agus 1904, agus tha beartas farsuing ann do dhaoine a bhios airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh no leughadh. Ann a' seo gheibhear sgeulachdan, òrain ( 's dòcha nach eil ri 'm foillseachadh ann an àite sam bith eile ) naidheachd an latha a bh' ann, sanaisean bho na bùthan ann an Sudnaidh 's mu 'n cuairt, agus naidheachdan beaga air gluasadan 'is gnothaichean nan daoine air feadh an eilein. Bha cuspairean na naidheachd gu math diofaraichte bho 'n latha an diugh agus cha neònach leam ma ghabhas luchd leughaidh iongantas annta!

'S e seo dà làrach-lìn a dh' fhosglas sùil air eachdraidh 'is dualchas nan Gàidheal anns na linntean a dh' aom. Tha mi 'n dòchas gum faigh sibh tlachd asta.

*****

I remember when I was a teenager, a man named Ron Caplan was living in Wreck Cove and puclishing a magazine about the history and heritage of Cape Breton, whether it was Gaelic, French, Mi'kmaq or English. It surprised me that anyone would do the like of that, since my mind was set on movies and music from places far away, places that were much more important and learned than Cape Breton.

As I grew to be an adult I read some of the issues my father had bought and I liked them. I recognized that there was information and knowledge in them and how important it was to save all of it for the future.

Now Cape Breton Magazine is available on the internet. Ron Caplan published seventy-four issues and they can all be read on this website. You'll find a history of Cape Breton from many perspectives, old stories from a variety of traditions, the ways of life of the people throughout the generations, their pastimes, and much more.

As for Gaelic, you'll see in the second issue an article about Hogamany night and the poem that people in Cape Breton would sing as they went from house to house. In the thrid issue, there is an article on bird songs and translations of them into Gaelic ( If you believe it! ) Although there isn't Gaelic in every issue, it's seldom there isn't some story or other about life in the Cape Breton Gaidhealtachd.

Along with that, the newspaper Mac-Talla can be read on the internet. This paper was published from 1892 to 1904 and there is a wide richness here for anyone who wants to learn or read Gaelic. Here you'll find stories, songs ( perhaps not published anywhere else ), news of the those days, ads from the stores in Sydney and surrounding areas, and short snippets about the goings on and business of people throught the island. Ths subjects for news stories were quite different from today and it wouldn't surprise me if readers today found them strange!

These are two websites that open an eye on the history and traditions of the Gaels in generations past. I hope you enjoy them.