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Dhìrich mi moch maduinn cheòraich Gu bràigh, caisteal Inbhir-Lòchaidh, Does not necessarily mean "gu muUach caisteal Inbhir-Lòchaidh," and refers to the memoirs of Montrose by Grant (London : Koutledge & Co., 1858), page 221, wherein the following passage occurs :— " The castle of Inverlochy, &c., was occupied by fifty musketeers of the Stirlingshire Regiment. These were some of Argyll's men already mentioned." DONALD BAN A' BHOCAIN'S RESIDENCE. The site of Domhnull Ban a' Bhòcain's house is just beside the burn called Allt-Laire on the Inverlair side of it, and a few yards from where the present Inverlair keeper's house now is, the site is quite plain there. It seems that he (lid not live at Monesie. It was another Bòcan that haunted Monesie, and the two seemed to get mixed in people's memories. Mrs MacDonell, Keppoch, had often heard the story from her husband, Angus MacDonell XXII. of Keppoch, who had it direct from his own grandfather, Angus Ban, Inch, who was present many times Avhen the Bòcan molested Domhnull Ban. Some people in Lochaber assert that Domhnuill Mac Fhionnlaidh the author of the Comhachag, who lived atLoch-Treig, was a MacKillop ; but all his descendants fought under the Keppochs. The Keppoch old gamekeeper, Archibald MacKillop, Achluachrocli, maintains that he is descended from the poet. He says he got his information from Donald Macintosh, a noted herbalist, who lived at Bohenie, and was considered a most reliable Seanachie. He was generally known as Domhnull Mac Eoghan, and had a fund of old lore and songs which were unfortunately allowed to die with him. Donald MacPherson of the Advocates' library, and author of "An Dnanaire" got a good deal of his information from this Donald Macintosh. Mr MacKillop says in corroboration of his assertion that Domhnull Mac Fhionnlaidh the poet was a MacKillop, that in Cille Chaorrill he was buried in the graves of the MacKillops. I do not know what truth may be in the above story, but it is believed, Miss Josephine MacDonell of Keppoch tells me, by some of the Brae Lochaber people. The writer, however, does not accept this story. Stronger evidence would be necessary, but it is only fair to record that some of the Brae Lochaber people believe in it. MRS ERASER, CULBOKIE.* Miss MacDonell of Ardnabie, near Ardachy, Fort Augustus, afterwards Mrs Eraser of Giiisachan and Culbokie, when a lassie in her teens astonished her lady companions by compos- ing a merry song commencing thus : — Co chi, CO chi, Co chi mi tighinn ? Co chi ach Mac Phàdruig 'Stigh le braidh Ardnabie. Co chi. CO chi. Go chi. CO chi, Co chi ach Mae Uistean, Lùb air a chùil bhuidhe. Co chi, CO chi,_ (Jo chi mi tighinn ? 'Shàr mac an duin'-uasail, Teann suas is dean suidhe ! Some years after, she became the wife of Mac Uistean, the Laird of Giiisachan. There is also in Ranald MacDonald of Eigg's book an " Gran le fear Ardnabidh do dh' Alastair Mae Dhomhnuill," song by Ardnabie to Alastair MacDonald, of which the following is a stanza : A' cheud diluain do'n bhliadhna so, Gu riaraichte 'bha m' inntinn deth, 'N ti mu'n robh mi iargaineach, Bha iarrtas ro chinnteach dha ; Do shlàinte 'blii gun deireas Blio'n la 'dhealaich mi 'san tir so riut, An dèigh gach ciiis a bhuadhachadh. Do in' chluasaibh 's duais ro fhirinneach. It consists of 11 verses, 8S lines, and is evidently a fairly good song. Then there is a marbhrann—death-bed elegj', "le mac fir Ardnabie ann an leabaidh a bhàis,' by a son of MacDonell, Ardnabie, which runs : — Dùisg, a choluinn, o do chadal. Is fhad an oidhche dhuit do shuain. Gun chuimhn' air an t-slighe mu'd choinno, 'S olc dhuit an eomunn a fhuair ; Comunn eadar thu 's an saoghal, Cha bhaoghala chuniail ceart, Ma gheibh a' eholunii a sùth, Bidh aithreachas 'an la nan leachd.
In this elegy there are 13 verses, or 110 lines ; the poem, complete, is also in Ranald MacDonald of Eigg's book. There is also a song entitled " Deoch-slàinte 'n oighre," to a member of the Glengarry family, composed by a local poet named John Kennedy. It is to be found in tlie Transactions of tlie Gaelic Society of Inverness, vol. ix., beginning : Fonn (Chorus). Olaidh mi deoch-slàinte 'n oighre, S toigh leani fhin e la 's a dh' oidhche Struidh an eòrna, fear mo chaoimhneis, S cha teid fheighneachd ciod ì 'phris. 'S mi gu'n òladh i 's gu'm pàidheadh, Do 'n stuth chruaidh a cuach nan Gàidlieal, Olaidh sinn deoch-slàinte 'n àrmuinn, Gu seasamh 'an àite 'linn. Gur deas an Gàidheal an t-oighre, Dòmhnullaeh cho àrd 's a sloinnte, 'S 'nuair gheibh e gu 'lamb an oighreachd Theid na Goill a chur fo chis ! There are other 9 verses in it equally good. IAIN DUBH MAC IAIN MHIC AILEIN. lainDubhMac Iain MhicAilein,the bard, fought at the battle of Sherittniuir and composed the following songs besides those already mentioned. Oran do Mhac Shimidh Lord Lovat, who was beheaded in 1746 when in France, after 1715. Oran do Mhac Mhic Ailein a Mliarbhadh 'sa bhliadhna 1715. Marbhrann do'n Mac Mhic Ailein, of 15 verses, 5 lines in each verse, 75 lines. Cumha Chlann Domhnuill, 12 verses, 96 lines. All in Ranald MacDonald's book. He also composed " Oran do dh' Aonghas Bhaile Fhionnlaidh." ',' Am Bruadar, oran air cor na rioghachd 'sa bhliadhna 1715."t There is another song that may be mentioned here for want of a more suitable place. " bean Oran a rinn bana-chombanach do Dhonull gorm Mac Raonuill Mhic Ailein 's a leannan." Dhonuil Mhic Neill Mhic Iain Bhuidhe, Chaidh do shaothair ort am mudha, Leig ihu 'ghruagach uait air shiubhal, Le fear àrd na gruaige duibhe Cruinn chas dhireadh. Fonn (Chorus). 'Se mo leannan th' ann ho ro gheallaidh Co sheinneadh ealaidh mur sin. 6 verses, 24 lines. t In Glenbard Collection. — A LOCHABER JACOBITE SONG. The following stanzas were also taken down from Mr MacArthur, Fort Augustus, by Miss Josephine MacDonell, who did not know the author's name, but being himself a descendant of a scion of the House of Keppoch, and the song being a Jacobite one, it deserves mention. The author was probably a prisoner in England after the " forty-five." Ged tha raise so ann Sasunn, Cha 'n 'eil a fasan tighinn 'am chàileachd ; 'S mòv gu'm b' fheàir 'bhith measg nan gruagaich Far an cluinninn fuaini na Gàidhlig. 'S mòr gu'm b' fheàrr bhi measg nan gruagaich Far an cluinninn fuaim na Gàidhlig Bleodhainn a' chruidh air na buailtean 'S na laoigh òg mu'n cuairt li bàraich. Mo mhallachd air na casaig liiighseach, 'Si thug sgrios air tir nan àrdbheinn ; Cha chan mi gur Gàidheal dileas 'Chuireas air a dhruini gu bràth i. 'S niòr gu'm b' fheàrr am breacan riomhach Feileadh, 's bonaid grinn 's cocàd innt', Biodag chraigneach 's lann chinn ileach, 'Se 'thogadh inntinn chlann nan Gàidheal. 'S ioma big fhear 'bha deas direach 'Sheasadh dileas ri uchd a' chatha 'Tha ann Culodair dhiubh 'na shineadh 'Chuir siol na muic gu tir nan laoich. 'S ioma te a blia gun annsachd Agus bantrach 'bha dheth cràiteach, Agus mhàthair 'bha gun mhac ann, Och mo chreach, 's mi 'g acain pàirt diubh. Thearlaich oig an fhior-fhuil rioghail, 'Sheasadh dileas cùis nan Gàidheal, Chuir na cùlanan fo chis thu, Siol na muic 'nan righre 't' àite. 'S ho na'n tigeadh t'oighre, a Thearlaich, 'S ho na'n tigeadh t'oighre, a Thearlaich, Dh' fhalbhamaid gu aotrom sunndach Dileas dlùth ri cùl a shàlach. ALEXANDER MACDONALD, RIDGE, N.S. Mr Alexander MacDonald, Ridge, or rather of Upper South River, Nova Scotia, writes me some interesting details about the Lochaber bards. " With regard to Iain Lom's " Marbhrann do dh' Alasdair Dubh Ghlinne Garaidh," to the air of " 'S ann aig taobh Beinne Bnidhe," he says that neither Dr MacNicol nor Dr Maclntyre, Kil- nionivaig, could know more or give a better account of Iain Lom than his forefathers, because they were good seanachaidhean, and of the same branch of MacDonalds as Iain was (the Keppochs),
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O^ ^^l
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MACDONALD BARDS MEDIEVAL TIMES. KEI
Page 8 and 9:
INDEX. Page. Alexander MacDonald, B
Page 10 and 11:
Donald Donn p. 12, see also p. 95.
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MacDonald Bards from Mediaeval Time
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which stood the chapel and palace o
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Ann I was ever since I was born, In
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ander and Ronald. Alexander—Alasd
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ilaughter of the Earl of Gowrie. He
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nighean donn." poem, " 'S truagh, a
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GILLEASBUIG NA CEAPAICH. (ARCHIBALD
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Fonn (Chorus). 0, 'chruinneag, e 'c
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— 'S daingeann a bhuail iad às g
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Some of our minor Scotch poets take
Page 33 and 34:
— ! — Bha Iain gun teagaibh Gu
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— went down with her and took awa
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'S mairg a mhol a' Mhòrthir robach
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— The late Thomas Pattison of Isl
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so is " Tearlach Mac Sheumais " (Ch
Page 43 and 44:
Ma chaidh thu nunn thar linntichean
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— Mhac Mhic Alastair," and said t
Page 47 and 48:
Latin Verses. Verses written by Sir
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— after bidding farewell to the R
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Translation by Mr L. MacBean of som
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The Alex. MacDonald above referred
Page 55 and 56:
t Mrs Grant translates the verse as
Page 57 and 58: Och, aluchd-àiteacluiidli iia h-ua
Page 59 and 60: He ultimately married a young girl
Page 61 and 62: Here the merry lark ascends on dewy
Page 63 and 64: 'Mhuintir dh' an suaicheantas fraoc
Page 65 and 66: KAONAILD NIUHEAN MHIC NEIL. (RACHEL
Page 67 and 68: Yet 'mid the drift, wert thou but n
Page 69 and 70: Donald swept onward, spreading havo
Page 71 and 72: MAIRI NIGHEAN IAIN BHAIN (MARY, DAU
Page 73 and 74: Tha ùrnuigh nam bochdan, Do 'n a n
Page 75 and 76: Loch Moidart, Loch-nan-uanih, Loch
Page 77 and 78: His pibroch is a long one, and, I t
Page 79 and 80: Bhagair ar eascaird eitidh borb, Ma
Page 81 and 82: Another fine hymn of tMenty-nine ve
Page 83 and 84: Oir thàinig oirnn naigheachd 'bha
Page 85 and 86: Dòmhnuill," 1896 (a poem); (2) " T
Page 87 and 88: Lo ])rasgan de Ghaidheil, Làn àrd
Page 89 and 90: IAIN DOMHNALLACH AN BALL, OBAN. (BL
Page 91 and 92: who was a grand-danghter of Charlot
Page 93 and 94: all subsequent documents the name a
Page 95 and 96: Maidens ! softly touch the clàrsac
Page 97 and 98: Let, the free-born sons of the moun
Page 99 and 100: — fought with his brother Donald
Page 101 and 102: Ach gu'n caisg an Righ Mor e, Hi ha
Page 103 and 104: 'Nuair a thàinig e as a colainn, '
Page 105 and 106: — NIGHEAN MHIC AONGHUIS OIG. Besi
Page 107: Nach co-ion da 'blii 'caig rium Is
Page 111 and 112: Gur a binn leam 'bhi leughadh Mu'n
Page 113 and 114: Latha Sliabh-an-t-siona, Bu churaid
Page 115 and 116: the silver-hilted sword—the windo
Page 117 and 118: and imprisoned. His papers were car
Page 119 and 120: On what she did, now many look, Won
Page 121 and 122: IAIN DOMHNULLACH (John MacDonald).
Page 123 and 124: 10. " Spaidsearachd Dlionuill Ghrua
Page 125 and 126: personal danger ; certainly not, fo
Page 127 and 128: Another beautiful poem by " Fear Gh
Page 129 and 130: De Chlann DòmhnuiU tlo-rireaclli,
Page 131 and 132: 9.—Because the great majority of
Page 133 and 134: tional form, and as those who cheri
Page 135 and 136: landers were accustomed to sing at
Page 137: -^/
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