91热爆

Air a鈥� chiad l脿 den Fhaoilleach 1919, 脿s d猫idh dhaibh a thighinn tron Chiad Chogadh, bha c貌rr math air 200 se貌ladair a鈥� tighinn dhachaigh a Le貌dhas agus na Hearadh airson a鈥� chiad Bhliadhn鈥� 脵r den t-s矛th a thoirt a-steach. Ach cha d鈥檉huair 201 dhen a bh鈥檃ir b貌rd a-riamh an cothrom air an t-s矛th a bha sin leis gun deach HMY Iolaire a sgrios air Biastan Thuilm. Cha do do th脿rr ach 79 脿s lem beatha.

Ann an Guthan na h-Iolaire tha na thachair do cheathrar dhiubhsan a bh鈥� air b貌rd agus ceathrar a bh鈥� air t矛r air innse anns na facail aca fh猫in le actaran : tha Iain F Macle貌id a fhuair air t矛r leis a鈥� r貌p, D貌mhnall Moireasdan a thug fad na h-oidhch鈥� anns a鈥� chrann, Raibeart MacFhionghain a fhuair aist鈥� le sn脿mh agus Iain MacIllEathain a fhuair gu s脿bhailteachd air a鈥� r貌p. Air t矛r bha Ceitidh NicLe貌id air bhioran agus a co-ogha a鈥� tighinn dhachaigh, bha M脿iri NicLe貌id a鈥� feitheamh ri h-athair, bha Ceitidh Bell NicDh貌mhnaill ag obair ann an taigh-貌sta agus chunnaic i na seallaidhean uabhasach ann a Ste貌rnabhagh an ath l脿 agus D貌mhnall MacPh脿il nach do dh矛o-chuimhnich a-riamh a n脿baidh a鈥� lorg corp a mhic.

On the 1 January 1919, having survived the First World War, in excess of 200 naval men were coming home to Lewis and Harris to celebrate their first New Year of peace. Sadly 201 of those on board never had the opportunity to savour that peace, as their ship, HMY Iolaire struck rocks half a mile from port at the Beasts of Holm. Only 79 men survived that awful night.

Guthan na h-Iolaire is a series of monologues with the survivors and witnesses of the tragedy鈥檚 own words spoken by actors. They include John F Macleod, who managed to get ashore with a rope, Donald Morrison, who clung all night to the mast, Robert MacKinnon who managed to swim to safety and John Maclean who got ashore by the rope. The others were onshore 鈥� Katie Macleod was a little girl excited since her cousin was coming home, M脿iri Macleod was waiting for her father鈥檚 return, hotel worker Katie Bell MacDonald was shocked by the scene she saw in Stornoway the following day and Donald MacPhail never forgot seeing his neighbour finding his son鈥檚 body.