. 1. Of the twenty odd towers which necklace the coastline of Malta perhaps The Red Tower is the most eye-catchcng, not least for its eminent location and distinctive colour. / Den bhreis is scor túr atá le fáil mar mhuince ar chosta Mhalta seans gurb é An Túr Dearg an ceann is cuidsúlaí ni amháin mar gheall ar a shuíomh feiceálach ach a shaindhath chomh maith. Thog Ridiri Ord Eoin Naofa an túr i 1647 / 1649 fiú níos faide siar ná an bhliain dheireanach a ghnothaigh Maigh Eo Corm Sam Maguire. / The Knights of Malta built it in 1847/ 1649, even further back than the last time Mayo won the Sam Maguire Cup.
2. Togadh é nuair a bhí an Mor-Mhaistir Francach Lascaris i gceannas on Provence, chun costa an oileáin a chosaint o ionsaithe na dTurcach Ottoman agus na gCorsár / The Tower was built during the rule of the French Grand Master Lascaris from Provence. As a deterrent it worked a treat / Mar iombhagairt t ‘d’fheidmnigh sé.go seoigh.. Neither the Turks nor the Corsairs of Algeria during the period of the Knights were tempted to have a go / Níor thug na Turcaigh Ottoman no na Corsáir ionsadh faoi. le linn tréimhse na Ridirí
3. The rough etching on the wall of the main hall has piqued a lot of curiosity in recent time/ Díol mor spéise í an eitseáil gharbh ar bhalla an mhorhalla. / Tagrann sé don dá bhliain 1813/14 nuair a d’ionsaigh an phlá Malta/ It refers to the plague which attacked Malta in the years 1813/14. Den daonra de 100,000 no mar sin, fuair breis is 4,000 bás./ Of the population of 100,000 or so around 4,000 died. It was brought to Valletta from Constantinople via Alexandria. / Togadh í go Valletta o Constantinople via Alexandria. The British Colonial Government quickly quarantined Valletta but not quickly enough/ Biodh gur chuir Rialtas Coiíneach na Breataine Valletta ar coraintín go gasta ní rabhadar tapaidh a dhothain. Violators of the quarantine were to find that the quality of mercy did not fall gently from the heavens like rain / Iad siúd a sháraigh rialacha an choiraintín bhíodar le fáil amach nár thit an trocaire anuas go mánla mar bhaisteach/ They were summarily executed / Cuireadh chun báis go hachomair iad. One way of minimising casualties / Bealach amháin chun lucht na marbh a íoslaghdú.
1814 was a busy spell of the Imperialists (aka the Nationalists in Finchley Fintan-speak ) of Great Britain. Ba thréimhse ghnothach ag Impiriúlaigh (Náisiúnaithe de réir Fnchley Fintan) na Breataine Moire mar is léir on líne amhráin seo: In 1814 we took a little trip on the Mighty Mississiip/ We fired some more but the Biritsh kept a coming. (amhrán: canta ag Johnny Horton, cumtha ag Jimmy Driftwood)./ Maybe Multinationalists might be nearer the mark?/ Seans go mbeadh Ilnáisiúnaithe níos congaraí don sprioc?
4. Seans go gcuirfeadh an radharc seo radharc o bhalla Londaindoire in iúl don Seamsur Gréagora aka An Meigeafon Búireach / A Gergorian Chanter aka The Roaring Megaphone will be reminded of a familiar sight back home in Londonderry.. The Red Tower is under the auspices of Din L-Art Melwa (The Maltese National Trust) / Tá An Túr Dearg faoi stiúir ag Iontaobhas Náisiúnta Mhalta / Din L-Art Melwa – This Fair land, the opening words in the Maltese National Anthem / An Tir Álann seo i nGaeilge / Curry my yoghurt can coca coalyer – in Ulster’Scots. . Dála an scéil/ Btw, Malta is a member of the British Commonwealth/ Is ball den Chomhláthas Briotanach é Malta.
5….Seo é an radharc a bhi ag go leor ceannairí polaitiúla leis an céadta bliain anaus/ his is the view which political leaders would have gllmpsed, down the centuries, , dreaming alas of how their careers were destined to end in failure (from the Epistle of St. Enoch) / Lámha dearga suas / Red hands up: Cé hí an Eiscearch? Who is the Exception? Eisceacht í Arlene/ Arlene is the Exception.
PS Deireann Crogaill Uladh go neamhdhrogallach: i N.I. : Naíscoil na Seolta abú !
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