Glenmoriston

• Glenmoriston
• • Recollections
  • • Jimmy Warren
    • • Clachan Meiricheard
      • Merchard's Bell
      • Mise Meiricheard Mor Nam Feart
    • Eoghann Grant
    • Karen MacLeod
    • Keith Aitchison
    • Pat The Pier
    • Peter Struy
    • Rena MacKenzie
    • Ted Murdoch
    • Willack And Jeanack
  • An Cruinneachadh - The Gathering
  • Bardachd
  • Census
  • Contact
  • Links
  • Miscellaneous
  • Moriston Matters
  • Old Newspaper Articles
  • Old Photographs
  • Recollections
  • Whats New

Clachan Meiricheard

Jimmy Warren interviewed in Gaelic by Calum MacLean. Taken from the website of The Calum Maclean Project, based at the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh. Original page here.

Bha craobh thall an Srath Ghlais agus bha a’ bhò a bha seo ag ilimeach bun a’ chraobh a bha seo a h-uile latha is a h-uilelatha is, mu dheireag, thòisich iad agus thug iad an àird an talamh aig bun a’ chraobh agus fhuair iad trì cluig ann an clag. Well, ’s e Crò nan Clag a their iad ris an àite fhathast à Srath Ghlais. Well, Meiricheard – chuala tu Meiricheard, St Merchard, Meirichead Mòr nam Feart. Well, fhuair e fios gun robh aig airson clag fhàgail aig trì cladhan no trì clachan. Well, thàinig e gu mullach uiread an seo agus shuidh e an sin agus ghoir an clag. Thàinig e a-bhàn tao’ an uillt agus bha fearann beag aig tao’ an uillt an sin agus thug e an t-uisge an sin agus choisrig e – chan eil fhios a’m an robh eaglais ann aig an àm. Well, choisrig e e. Well, am fuaran gus an latha an-diugh Tobar Meiricheard a their iad ris agus an cladh Clachan Meiricheard. Chan eil teagamh nach robh eaglais ann uaireigin.

There was a tree over in Strathglass and this cow was licking the base of the tree every single day until, at last, they began to dig up the base of the tree and found three bells in a hollow. Well, the folk of Strathglass call this place the Cattle-stance of the Bells to this day. Well, Merchard, you’ve heard about St Merchard, Great Merchard of the Wonders. Well, they got word that he had left a bell at three cemeteries or boulders. Well, he came up to a height at this place and he sat down and called for the bell. It duly appeared from beside a burn and there’s a piece of land beside the burn and he took some water and blessed it – I don’t know if there was a church there at that time. Well, he blessed it. Well, there’s a spring there to this very day and they call it Tobar Meirichead [St Merchard’s Well] and the cemetery is called Clachan Meiricheard [St Merchard’s Church]. There’s no doubt that a church was there at some point.