Bho chionn ghreis chaidh làrach-lìn ùr a chuir air an eadarlìon, An Drochaid Eadarainn mar ainm. 'S e proiseact mór a tha seo, le fios air iomadh cuspair ceangailte ri dualchas Gàidhealach an Eilein Cheap Breatainn, ceòl 'is dannsa 's msaa. Cha b' urrainn dhomh ceartas a dheanamh dha 'n làrach lìn uile gu léir agus air sgàth gur i a' Ghàidhlig 'na prìomh ùigh a th' agamsa ann, cumaidh mi ris a' roinn sin dheth.

An toiseach feumaidh mi ràdh gur e làrach-lìn fìor bhreagha a tha seo, tarruingeach air a' cheud shealltainn!

Tha iomadh òran Gàidhlig ri chluinntinn a' seo, òrain a chaidh a dheanamh ann an Ceap Breatainn, agus cuid eile a thàinig leis na h-eilthirich ás an t-Seann Dùthaich. Rinneadh roinneachadh air an eilean a réir cò ás a thàinig na seinneadairean agus mar sin, cluinnear caochladh dual chainnt ás an diofar ceàrna. Bidh Crìochan Camus Anna, Loch Bhras D' Or, Ceap Breatainn an Ear-Dheas agus Siorramachd Inbhir Nis air an rìochdachadh ann, còmhla ri àiteachan eile air an Tìr Mhór.

Feumaidh duine a logadh asteach airson a h-uile sian fhaicinn, ach is furasda sin agus gheibh thu facal-faire bhuapa. Mar a tha an làrach-lìn a chruthachadh, faodaidh daoine stuth a chuir ris, fhad 's a leanar riaghailtean na làrach-lìn a thaobh susbaint 's msaa. Nan cuireadh daoine na b' urrainn dhaibh ris an àite, bhiodh e uamhasach fhéin mór! Tha ceudan de dh' òrain tasg-lannach agam fhìn air clàran-cruinne agus tha làn fhios agam gu bheil mìltean a corr mu 'n cuairt aig daoine eile. 'S e smuain ro mhath a tha seo 'nam bheachd, cead agus àit' a bhith aig daoine beartas ar dualchais a cho-roinneachadh.

Chan eil ach aon ghearan agam air an làrach lìn ghasda seo, agus 's e sin nach eil na faclan sgrìobta an còmhnuidh co-ionnan ri na faclan air an gabhail aig na seinneadairean. Anns an òran "An Oidhche bha Luadhadh ann" ( no An t-Each Geal ) tha iad fada ceàrr. 'S urrainn do na fileantaich seo aithneachadh ach tha mi creidsinn gum fàgadh e neach ionnsachaidh 'na cheò. Ma théid sin a cheartachadh, faodaidh An Drochaid Eadarainn a bhith 'na fhìor bheannachd do luchd ionnsachaidh agus do fhileantaich air feadh an t-saoghail.

Do 'n a h-uile duine a ghabh pàirt ann an cruthachadh na làrach-lìn seo, guidheam meal an naidheachd dhuibh. 'S e obair mhór chinnteach a bha seo gun teagamh agus is math a rinn sibh a' chùis.

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The Bridge Between Us

Not long ago a new website was put on the internet, The Bridge Between Us by name. It's a big project, with information on many subjects connected to the Gaelic traditions of Cape Breton, music and dance, etc. I can't do justice to the entire website and since Gaelic is my primary interest, I'll keep to that part of it.

First of all I must say that the site is very attractive, drawing you in from the first sight of it!

There are many Gaelic songs to be heard here, songs that were composed in Cape Breton and others that came with the immigrants from the Old Country. The island was divided into sections according to where the singers came from and so a variety of dialects from different areas can be heard. St. Ann's Bay, Bras D' Or Lakes, Southeastern Cape Breton and  Inverness County are represented, as well as other areas from the mainland.

You need to log in to see everything, but that's easy and you'll get a password from them. As the website is set up, anyone can add material to it providing they follow the rules of the website regarding content, etc. If everyone put in what they could, the site would be enormous! I have hundreds of archival songs on cds and I know there are thousands more in other people's possession. This is a great idea in my opinion, for people to have permission and a place to share the wealth of our culture.

I have only one complaint about the website, that being that the written words don't always match up with the singers' words. In the song "The Night There Was a Milling" ( or The White Horse ), they are far wrong. Fluent Gaelic speakers can recognize this but I am sure it would leave a learner confused. If this can be corrected, The Bridge Between Us can be a real blessing to the fluent and the learners throughout the world.

To everyone who was involved in designing this website, may I offer my congratulations. It was certainly a large and complicated task and it's a success!