The Grey Dog of Meoble
In Morar, in the Rough Bounds, there is a lochan which carries an unusual name –
Lochan Tàin Mhic Dhùghaill
. It’s in the hills between Loch Beòraid and Loch Morar. There is an island on the lochan. Meoble is the closest settlement to it. I wonder how the
lochan got a name like that?
Perhaps you’ll know the old Gaelic story
Tàin Bò Cuailgne – ‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’ in English. It’s set in Ireland. Tàin means ‘plunder’, ‘driving off’ and things like that. Lochan Tàin Mhic Dhùghaill – ‘the lochan of the plundering of MacDugald’?
It appears that the name is connected with an old story. It is called
The Grey Dog of Meoble. It’s only short.
Many years ago, there was a man living in Meoble. He belonged to the MacDonalds of Morar. They are called
MacDhùghaill in Gaelic. This man owned greyhounds. They were grey.
This man left to go overseas. Before he left, he tried to find all of the greyhounds – to kill them. But he failed to get hold of one bitch.
After he left, the bitch went up to the lochan. She swam out to the island. On the island, some puppies were born to her. These greyhounds lived off
the produce of the hills.
Our friend – MacDugald – returned to the area. She heard that the bitch and her puppies were alive, and that they were living on the island in the
lochan.
He went there to see the dogs. He whistled. The bitch heard him, and she swam to land. She was pleased to see the man. After a short while, however,
three of the puppies swam over. They were now big and strong. They ripped the man to shreds on the spot. They weren’t recognising him as a friend.
To this day, when one of the MacDonalds of Mòrar is about to die, they see a grey dog as an omen of death. Or that’s what they say anyway.
Cù Glas Mheòbail
Ann am Mòrar, anns na Garbh Chrìochan, tha lochan ann air a bheil ainm car annasach – Lochan Tàin Mhic Dhùghaill. Tha e anns a’ mhonadh eadar Loch
Beòraid agus Loch Mhòrair. Tha eilean anns an lochan. ’S e Meòbal am baile as fhaisge air. Saoil ciamar a fhuair an lochan ainm mar sin?
’S dòcha gum bi sibh eòlach air an t-seann sgeulachd Ghàidhlig Tàin Bò Cuailgne – The Cattle Raid of Cooley ann am Beurla. Tha e
stèidhichte ann an Èirinn. Tha tàin a’ ciallachadh ‘plunder’, ‘driving off’ is a leithid sin. Lochan Tàin Mhic Dhùghaill –‘ the lochan of the plundering of MacDugald’?
Tha e coltach gu bheil an t-ainm ceangailte ri seann sgeulachd. ’S e an t-ainm a th’ oirre Cù Glas Mheòbail. Chan eil i ach goirid.
O chionn bhliadhnaichean mòra, bha fear a’ fuireach ann am Meòbal. Bhuineadh e do Dhòmhnallaich Mhòrair. ’S e Clann Dhùghaill a chanar riutha ann an
Gàidhlig. Bha mial-choin aig an fhear a bha seo. Bha iad glas.
Dh’fhalbh am fear seo a-null thairis. Mus do dh’fhalbh e, dh’fheuch e ris a h-uile gin de na mial-choin a lorg – airson cur às dhaibh. Ach dh’fhàilnich air
grèim fhaighinn air aon ghala.
An dèidh dha falbh, chaidh a’ ghala suas don lochan. Shnàmh i a-mach don eilean. Air an eilean, rugadh grunn chuileanan dhi. Bha na mial-choin seo beò air
toradh a’ mhonaidh.
Thill ar caraid – MacDhùghaill – don sgìre. Chuala e gun robh a’ ghala agus a cuileanan beò, agus gun robh iad a’ fuireach air an eilean anns an lochan.
Chaidh e ann airson na coin fhaicinn. Rinn e fead. Dh’fhairich a’ ghala e, agus shnàmh i gu tìr. Bha i toilichte an duine fhaicinn. An ceann tacain, ge-tà,
shnàmh trì de na cuileanan a-null. Bha iad a-nise mòr is làidir. Stiall iad an duine às a chèile sa spot. Cha robh iad ga aithneachadh mar charaid.
Chun an latha an-diugh, nuair a tha fear no tè de Chloinn ’ic Dhùghaill Mhòrair an impis bàs fhaighinn, chì iad cù glas mar mhanadh a’ bhàis. No ’s e sin a
chanas iad co-dhiù.
