Fearchar a’ Ghunna (3)
I’m going to finish my account of Fearchar a’ Ghunna. He had a good
opinion of himself. He spoke no English, but he was going to English
services in Killearnan Church. The minister asked him why he was going.
‘I’m trying to be like the people of my own status, the gentlemen of
the country,’ replied Farquhar. ‘There is no pride in going to listen
to a Gaelic sermon that is only listened to by ordinary people!’
Farquhar was famous for his wit. A young man on the Black Isle said to
him that he would ask him a question he couldn’t answer. They came
together in front of many people. The young man asked him the question
– ‘What’s the colour of Satan’s hair?’
Without any delay, Farquhar replied, ‘Are you so long in Satan’s
service and you don’t know the colour of your master’s hair?!’
Everybody laughed.
One day, Farquhar met a minister. The minister asked him if he knew
where God was. Farquhar replied, ‘Won’t you tell me where He isn’t?’
‘You’re quite correct,’ agreed the minister. ‘God is everywhere.’
‘Oh, I don’t think He is everywhere,’ replied Farquhar cryptically.
The miller in Redcastle heard about this conversation. The miller asked
Farquhar, ‘Will you name for me, Farquhar, any place where God is not?’
‘God is not in the heart of the unconverted man,’ replied Farquhar.
Another time, Farquhar was in a manse. The minister asked him if the
death scared him. ‘Not at all,’ said Farquhar.
‘Doesn’t anything scare you?’ said the minister.
‘Oh, aye,’ replied Farquhar. ‘I fear that which is on the far side of
death!’
Farquhar reached the other side of death in 1868 in Inverness. He was
eighty four. He was buried in the Tomnahurich Cemetery. There is no stone
or slab marking his grave.
Fearchar a’ Ghunna (3)
Tha mi a’ dol a chur crìoch air mo chunntas mu Fhearchar a’ Ghunna. Bha
deagh bheachd aige air fhèin. Cha robh Beurla aige, ach bha e a’ dol gu
seirbheisean Beurla ann an Eaglais Chill Iùrnain. Dh’fhaighnich am
ministear dheth carson a bha e a’ dol ann.
‘Tha mi a’ feuchainn ri bhith mar mo choimeas inbhe, daoine-uasal na
dùthaich,’ fhreagair Fearchar. ‘Chan eil mòr-chùis ann a bhith a’ dol a
chluinntinn searmon Gàidhlig a th’ air èisteachd le sluagh cumanta
a-mhàin!’
Bha Fearchar ainmeil airson a chuid eirmseachd. Thuirt fear òg anns an
Eilean Dubh ris gun cuireadh e ceist air dha nach biodh freagairt aige.
Thàinig iad cruinn còmhla air beulaibh mòran dhaoine. Chuir am fear òg a’
cheist – ‘Dè an dath a th’ air falt Shàtain?’
Gun dàil sam bith, fhreagair Fearchar, ‘A bheil thu cho fad ann an
seirbheis Shàtain agus nach eil eòlas agad air dath falt do mhaighstir?!’
Rinn a h-uile duine gàire.
Latha a bha seo, thachair Fearchar ri ministear. Dh’fhaighnich am ministear
dheth an robh fios aige cà’ robh Dia. Fhreagair Fearchar, ‘Nach inns thu
dhòmhsa càite nach eil E?’
‘Tha thu glè cheart,’ dh’aontaich am ministear. ‘Tha Dia anns a h-uile
h-àite.’
‘O, chan eil mi a’ smuaineachadh gu bheil E anns a h-uile h-àite,’
fhreagair Fearchar gu dìomhair.
Chuala am muillear anns a’ Chaisteal Ruadh mun chòmhradh seo. Chuir am
muillear a’ cheist air Fearchar, ‘An ainmich thu dhomh, Fhearchair, àite
sam bith far nach eil Dia?’
‘Chan eil Dia ann an cridhe an duine neo-iompaichte,’ fhreagair Fearchar.
Turas eile, bha Fearchar ann am mansa. Dh’fhaighnich am ministear dheth an
robh am bàs a’ cur eagal air. ‘Chan eil, gu dearbh,’ arsa Fearchar.
‘Nach eil càil a’ cur eagal ort?’ thuirt am ministear.
‘O tha,’ fhreagair Fearchar. ‘Tha eagal orm ro sin a th’ air taobh eile
dhen bhàs!’
Ràinig Fearchar taobh eile a’ bhàis ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad ʼs a
h-ochd (1868) ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha e ochdad ʼs a ceithir. Chaidh a
thiodhlacadh ann an Cladh Thom na h-Iùbhraich. Chan eil clach no leac a’
comharrachadh uaigh.
