Gaelic in Ayrshire Part 2

Ayrshire coastline looking southwards towards
Creag Aillse (Ailsa Craig).

The following article is a translation of the original Gaelic article written by Girvan MacKay which appeared in the magazine Gairm.

MacAoidh, G. (1979). Gàidhlig ann an Siorramachd Inbhir-Àir. Gairm. 106, 134-40.

Continued from Part 1 

Perhaps Gaelic had an impression on the way that Ayrshire folk speak English, and indeed Scots. There are two sounds that are very common in Ayrshire (they are almost universal in the area) a "ü" umlaut; / y /: and the glottal stop, like the funny old story about the soldier that answered, when the sergeant asked what his name was "Pa'erson wi' twa t's" (Patterson with two t's.) This sound is common in one or two places in the Gàidhealtachd of Argyll (Isn't this a sound we hear in the Gaelic of Tiree for example?). As we don't hear these sounds in any of the dialects of English or in places where Scots is spoken widely (Aberdeenshire for example) it's likely that the ü and the glottal stop came from Gaelic as it was spoken in Ayrshire. 

Now, these two sounds are now part of the accent (in English and in Irish) of Ulster, and it's there that we find the most hopeful clue as to what shape and form the Gaelic of Ayrshire had. There was barely a difference between the Gaelic of Scotland and that of the Glens of Antrim. However, it was the Gaelic of Rathlin Island, in the Straights of Moyle between Scotland and Ireland, that was most like the Gaelic of Scotland, and Irish scholars are of the opinion that this is the sort of Gaelic that the Gaels of Ayrshire had.

Rev. Cosslett Quinn, a scholar who translated the Revised Standard Version of the New Testament into Irish, and who conducted research on the Irish of Rathlin, wrote in a letter to [Girvan MacKay] on the 20th of November 1977:

"I would say that the Gaelic they had in Kintyre and in Ayrshire a hundred years ago was very like that of Rathlin."

He is the author of the paper "Iarsmaí ó Oilean Reachrann" (Remnants from Rathlin Island) that paints a clear picture of the dialect, with sample of folklore he recorded when he visited the island in 1932 and again in 1940. Among them are stories, poetry, words and phrases, plants, birds, insects, animals, ointments, parts of the body, fish and sailing terminology. Among these are only a very small few words that every Scottish Gael would not understand. Here is an example:

"There was once a man with a humped back and he went up to fetch the cows from the hillside one evening, and he heard people making music. The song went: 'Monday, Tuesday, Monday, Tuesday.' 'Wednesday' he said himself. The removed the hump from his back as he made their song better. 

There was another man in the town. He also had a humped back also, and he went up the next evening to fetch the cows. They were singing 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.' He sang 'Thursday.' Then, that ruined the song. Then, instead of taking the hump away from him, they gave him another."

"Bhá duine ann a bhá cruit air is chaidh é suas ag iarraidh nam bó coinfheascar ar an tsliabh, agus chuala é daeine ag gabhail ceol; agus an ceol a bhá ann: 'Dia Luain, Dia Mairt,
Dia Luain, Dia Mairt.'  'Dia Ceadaoine.' ars eisean. thug iad an cruit de n' air a rainn é an ceol n' a b'fhéarr. Bhá duine eile ar a' bhaile. Bhá cruit air cuideacht, is chaidh é suas an áthchoinfheascar ag iarraidh nam bó. Bhá iad ag gabhail an ceol an áthchoinfheascar cuideacht. Bhá iad ag ceol 'Dia Luain, Dia Mairt, Dia Ceadaoine.' Ars eisean 'Diardaen.' Annsin mhill sin an ceol. Annsin, in áite an cruit a thabhairt de, chuir iad cruit eile air.'

"Bhá dá dhaeine ann ráimhe seo, Gígeam agus Geógam, agus rainn iad bannach. Bhá bannach aca annsin, agus bhá iad a' dol amach ar a chéile cionn ar a' bhannach. Bhá a haen aca nach robh gan ngabhail a bheag de na bhannach. Chuir an ceann eile smog ar a' bhannach is n' air a fuair a' bhannach as an doras foscailte léim é de'n teine agus chaidh é amach ar an doras, is lean Gígeam agus Geógam é."

A view over Rathlin Island (Reachrainn), Co. Antrim (Contae Aontroma.

If Fr. Quinn is correct, and I believe he is, then this is the kind of Gaelic that was spoken by the people of Ayrshire (Or at least something very similar to it).

With regards to the sound of Rathlin Irish, Fr Quinn wrote (Op. cit. pg. 248):

"It is little surprise that the accent I heard pertaining to Rathlin is the accent you would hear from Scottish Gaelic speakers on the radio. However, although the d in indiu is heard, you wouldn't hear machg or bochg as you would in Scotland."

I don't believe that the Scottish Gaels of Southend of Kintyre used this chg sound. (Nils Holmer did not hear it in Southend of Kintyre, where there was - according to Cosslett Quinn - a dialect very similar to Rathlin and Ayrshire Gaelic).

I am very grateful to Fr. Quinn for this information and I hope that these short notes will be of assistance to any scholar who is willing to conduct research on this interesting subject, and is of encouragement to the people of Ayrshire who have an interest in their old native language.

Bibliography

List of writings on the subject:

Watson, Wm. J. (1932). Bàrdachd Ghàidhlig. Glasgow: An Comunn Gàidhealach.

Lorimer, W. L. (1949). "The Persistence of Gaelic in Galloway and Carrick" Scottish Studies, VI & VII.

Ó Snodaigh, P. (1973). Hidden Ulster. Dublin: Clodhanna Teo.

Johnston, J.B. & Murray, J. (1934). The Place-names of Scotland. London. Reprinted by S.R. Publishers, Wakefield (1972).

O'Rahilly, T.F. (1932). Irish Dialects Past & Present. Dublin.

Pedersen, R.N. (1972). Alba Map. 6 Drumdevan Road, Iverness.

Holmer, N.M. (1966). The Gaelic of Arran. Dublin: Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies (DIAS).

Quinn, C. (1951). Iarsmaí ó Oileán Reachrann [Remnants of Rathlin Island]. Éigse VI, Part III.

Holmer, N.M. (1942). The Irish Language in Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.