Seumas Mhigi Shandraidh 'ic Dhòmhnaill
Benacadie Pond, Cape Breton County
carpentry work; his father was a farmer
Saorsinneachd; b’e tuathanach a bha ’na athair:
GD Agus, an do dh’obraich sibh ‘riamh …. An robh sibh a’ fuireach ann an àite sam bith eile ach an t-àite seo-fhèin?
SMN Cha robh.
GD Cha do chuir sibh seachad ùine ann an Halifax no a’s na Stàitean no àite sam bith mar sin?
SMN (Cha do chuir.) GD Dè na h-obraichean a bh’agaibh?
SMN Oh, bhithinn, uh, [????] fad deich bliadhna agus “carpenter work”.
GD Oh, ‘se saor a th’annad? SMN Saor.
GD Cò bhuaith’ a dh’ionnsaich sibh an saorsainneachd? Thog sibh i dìreach le bhith ‘g obair le feadhainn eile?
SMN Còmhla ri feadhainn eile.
GD An e saor a bha nur n-athair?
SMN Chan e. Tuathanach.
GD Seadh, seadh, seadh – agus ‘se tuathanachas bu mhoth’ an obair a bhiodh aca ann a’ seo.
SMN ‘Se.
GD Agus an robh duine sam bith sònraichte ann bhon a dh’ionnsaich sibh an t-saorsainneachd?
SMN Bhiodh mi ‘g obair còmhla ri feadhainn eile – saoir agus mar sin, bha mi ag ionnsachadh.
GD Bha sibh ag ionnsachadh na saorsainneachd ‘san dòigh sin. Agus dè …… bhiodh sin anns na “forties” [????] dar a bha sibh ag ionnsachadh?
SMN Tha mi ‘creidsinn.
GD Dè an saorsainneachd bu mhoth’ a bhiodh iad ris?
SMN Uell, bha mi nam “bhoss” air “a’ bhuilding” chur iad [???]
GD “Firehall”?
SMN Air a’ firehall
GD Sibhse am “foreman” a bh’ann.
GD Agus dur a bha sibh ag obair air saorsainneachd, an ann anns a’ Bheurla no ‘s a’ Ghàidhlig a bha sibh a’ bruidhinn?
SMN Oh, a’ rèir cò bha còmhla rium.
Carpentry work and farming:
GD And did you ever work... Did you live in any other place besides this place here?
SMN No.
GD You didn't spend time in Halifax or in the States or anyplace like that?
SMN (No.)
GD What jobs did you have?
SMN Oh, I'd be, uh, [????] and carpenter work.
GD Oh, you're a carpenter?
SMN A carpenter.
GD From who did you learn carpentry? ....... You learned just from working with other people?
SMN With other people.
GD Was your father a carpenter?
SMN No. A farmer.
GD Yes, yes, yes – and farming was the work that most people had here.
SMN Yes.
GD And was there anyone in particular that you learned carpentry from.
SMN I'd be working with other people – carpenters and such. I was learning.
GD You were learning carpentry in that way. And what ....... That would be in the forties [????] when you were learning?
SMN I believe so.
GD What's the most common carpentry that you'd be doing?
SMN Well, I was the boss on the building that they put up [????]
GD Firehall?
SMN On the Firehall.
GD You were the foreman.
GD And when you were working at carpentry, was it in English or in Gaelic that you were speaking?
SMN Oh, depending on who was with me.
Transcribed and translated by Hector MacNeil.
