The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

694
The Highland Monthly.
t-Oranaiche,entitled "Orando Lachunn og Mac lonmhuinn,"
and another one of very high poetic merit is printed in The
Gaeh'c Bards, by Rev, A. Maclean Sinclair.
Probably Alexander Macdonald, Mac Mhaighstir
Alasdair, came under the lash of her keen tongue. At any-
rate, we find him composing a most scurrilous song tc her,
as if in retaliation.^ In the first edition of Mac Mha'rhstir
Alasdair's songs, the song is headed " Marbhrann Mairi
Nighean Iain mhic Iain do'n goirteadh An Aige:: nach."
From this heading some have tried to prove that An
Aigeannach was a native of Moidart, and a descendant
of the Clanranald branch of the Macdonalds. I have not
investigated the matter sufficiently to be able to decide
between the two theories. The other party base their
claim on Gillies' collection, where she is styled as " Nighean
Dhonuill Ghuirm."
AN CIARAN MABACH.
Archibald Macdonald, better known as An Ciaran
Mabach, lived in the latter part of the seventeenth century.
He was a natural son of Donald Gorm Og, eighth baron of
Sleat, and hence brother to Sir James Macdonald. He
was a man of great sagacity, zeal, and bravery, and his
brother was so pleased at the skilful manner with which he
conducted the expedition against the Keppoch murderers
in 1665, that he granted him a portion of land in North
Uist. He composed many songs, most of which are lost.
Two of them appear in the " )3eauties of Gaelic Poetry"
and another one in " The Glenbard Collection." We meet
him at one time in Edinburgh, where he was consulting the
doctors on account of a severe injury one of his legs got.
It was while here that he composed " B' annsa Cadal air
Fraoch," probably one of his best.
' No stress need be laid on this remark, for Mac Mhaighstir Alasdair would
try to revile anyone who dared compose a song ; so that the fact of his composing
a satire on the Aigeannach is no guarantee that he ever knew her. He
would have heard of her as a famous poetess.