An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volumes 44--45, January 1949--December 1950

SENIOR LEAVING CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION, 1949
GAELIC
Lower Grade
Tuesday, 22nd March—9.30 a.m. to 12 noon
The value attached to each question is shown in
brackets after the question
N.B. Begin the answer (or fair copy of an
answer) to each question on a fresh
page. Write legibly and neatly, and
leave a space of half an inch between
the lines. Marks will be deducted for
bad spelling and bad punctuation, and
for writing that is difficult to read.
1. Translate into English, paying careful
attention to idiom:—
Ri mo cheud chuimhne, agus chan ’eil ach
mu dheich bliadhna fichead bho an uair sin,
cha robh fear-tighe anns a’ choimhearsnachd
nach robh ’ha fhear-ceairde air rathad air chor-
eigin; agus tha mi cinnteach gu robh sin fior
mu luchd nan eilean air fad, ged nach robh
mion eolas agamsa orra. Am fear a bhiodh ri
iasgach dheartadh e a bheairt fhein air a mhiaran;
dheanadh fear fearainn gu ire bhig gach bearraid
air an robh e cur feuma. Chan e a mhain gun
togadh na fir sin an tighean fein, ach chuireadh
iad air doigh !narri broirin iad le snas is grinneas.
; Mar bu trice is.e saor ionnsaichte a thogadh
am bata, saor a thog a cheaird bho a athair.
Ach bha fir ann a thog. eathraichean
matha gun ionnsachadh idir. Bu mhath na
dha a thog Dbmhnull Mhurchaidh, agus cha do
ghabh e .riamh air a bhith ’na shaor, dubh no
geal. Cha toireadh saor ach mu fhichead
latha air cur bata ochd troighean deug ri cheile.
Mar bu nos do luchd-ceairde bho shean, thigeadh
an sabr a dh’fhuireach cbmhla ris an fhear leis
ah robh an obair gus am biodh i deis. Bheir-
eadh sgioba an eathair cuideachadh gu leoir
dha ris a’ gharbh - obair. An uair a bhiodh am
bata ullamh b’ i a dhuais tri no ceithir punnd
Sasunnach.
A. T. MacGilleathain. (25)
2. - Translate into English, paying careful
attention to idiom:—
'Nuair thig oirnn an samhradh, b ’ e m ’ annsachd
’s mo mhiann,
Bhith direadh a’ bhealaich ’nuair dh’eireas a’
ghtian;
Am feur air na raointeah fo eallach de dhruchd,
Is lub air gach cuiseig, gach lus agus fliir.
Bu shunndach bhith ’g eisdeachd, ’s an- 6g
mhaduinn chiuin,
Ri ceilear na h-uiseig brhigh lointean an
driichd,
I seinn brain maidne le grinneas ’s gach pong,
Is gach eun anns an ealtainn a’ togail air fonn.
Tha ’n smebrach gu cridheil ’s an doire ud
thall,
A’ chuthag ’s gug-gixg aic’ air mullach nan
crann;
Grian birdhearc a’ boillsgeadh troimh
dhumhlachd pan geug,
’S an druchd air gach duilleig a’ dearrsadh mar
reul.
Ged bhithihh fo mhighean is m’ inntinn fo
' lebn,
Mi airsheulach, tuirseach, neo-shunndach gun
trebir;
Ged bhithinn gun speiread, is m’ aigne fo
phramh,
’S' e dh’fhuadaicheadh m’ eislean bhith ’g
eisdeachd nan dan.
Donnchadh MacCuinn. (25)
3. Translate into Gaelic, paying careful
attention to idiom:—
At one time there was a band of warriors
called the Feinn, of whom Fionn Mac Cumhaill
was the redoubtable chief. The whole company
entered a large cave where they were put under
a spell. They were cast into a deep slumber.
Nothing could rouse them except three blasts
on a magic horn that hung at the mouth of the
cave. After the warriors had been a long time
asleep, a stray hunter came to the entrance of
the cavern. He blew one blast on the horn.
The heroes opened their eyes. The hunter
sounded a second blast. The warriors rose on
to their elbows and looked at him. At their
terrible appearance the hunter took fright and
ran away. The third blast on the horn has
never yet been blown. The warriors are still
recumbent, resting on their elbows, their faces
set in a wistful gaze. (25)
4. Write in Gaelic a continuous story based
on the following summary. The story should
be about the same length as your answer
to question 1. Failure to comply with this
instruction may lead to a loss of marks.
A story is told of an island piper who had
gone to London for the first time. On his
return he was asked how he had got on and what
he had thought of the English. “Hach,”
said he, “a strange people, with strange ways.
Every night they kept on knocking, knocking
at my bedroom door—yes, till two in the
morning—but I just went on with my piping.’’
(Complete the story in your own wav.)
(25)
(Continued on .next page)
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