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IAIN DOMHNULLACH<br />
(John MacDonald).<br />
In volume xxi. of the Transactions of the Gaelic<br />
Society of Inverness thei'e was a paper read on<br />
the 26th November, 1896, for Mr Neil MacLeod,<br />
Ed<strong>in</strong>burgh, the bard of the Society, entitled,<br />
" Beagan Dhiiilleag bho Sheann Bhàrdachd<br />
Eilean-a' cheo," <strong>in</strong> which he relates some jioems<br />
by the old Skye bards. Amongst others there is<br />
a song of eleven verses by the subject of <strong>this</strong> brief<br />
sketch. John MacDonald, better known as<br />
" Ia<strong>in</strong> Mac Dhond<strong>in</strong>uill-'ic-Alasdair," a native of<br />
Uig, <strong>in</strong> the Isle of Skye, was born about 1797.<br />
He began life by enlist<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the 42nd Highlanders.<br />
His father, however, not approv<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
his cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g the life of a soldier, bought him<br />
out of the army, and he returned to his native<br />
glen at Uig. He afterwards spent twenty-eight<br />
years at the herr<strong>in</strong>g fish<strong>in</strong>g, and generally spent<br />
the w<strong>in</strong>ters at home. He composed a good many<br />
poems and songs, most of which are now difficult<br />
to recover. He died <strong>in</strong> 1875, at the age of seventy-<br />
five years.<br />
The follow<strong>in</strong>g are a few verses from one of his<br />
songs :<br />
—<br />
Dh' eirich niise madu<strong>in</strong>n chiù<strong>in</strong><br />
'iS gu'n thog s<strong>in</strong>n siùil ri garbh-chro<strong>in</strong>n,<br />
Chunnacas dubhradh mòr is dùdlachd.<br />
An dara taobh 'n uair dh' fnalbh s<strong>in</strong>n ;<br />
'S gu'n shèid i bras le borb-thu<strong>in</strong>n chas,<br />
'S i tigh<strong>in</strong>n a mach gu gailbheach ;<br />
'S i ruith le sùgh air bhàrr gach stùchd,<br />
R i togail smùid na fairge,<br />
Bu mhath bhi 'n uair s<strong>in</strong> feadh na luachrach<br />
Ruith mu'n cuairt gu siùbhlach ;<br />
Mi fh<strong>in</strong> 's mo chru<strong>in</strong>neag ri mo ghuala<strong>in</strong>n,<br />
'S deamhais chruadhach dii<strong>in</strong>t' aic',<br />
Gach fear 's gille ruith mu'n cuairt<br />
'S bhiodu Dòmhnull Ruadh le 'chù ann.<br />
Sud an gleann 'is bòidhche sealladh,<br />
Ann am madu<strong>in</strong>n reòta,<br />
Le caoraicb gheala, dhubh, 'us ghlasa,<br />
Cuid dhiu tarr-fhionn, brògach ;<br />
'S bidh lair le'n searraich 'm bun gach bealaich<br />
Suas ri srath nan lo<strong>in</strong>tean :<br />
'S a dh' a<strong>in</strong>deo<strong>in</strong> gaillionn no fuachd Earraich,<br />
Cha 'n iarr mart ann crodhadh.<br />
'S iomadh caileag chuimir, ghuanach,<br />
Tha ann ri cuallaeh spreidhe,<br />
Le cuman 's buarach dol do'n bhuaile,<br />
'S laoigh mu'n cuairt di 'geumnaich ;<br />
B'e' n cebl nach b' fhuathach leam an duanag<br />
'Na suidhe luadh air clèithe.<br />
I<br />
Mi-fh<strong>in</strong> gu h-uallach 's piob ri m' ghuala<strong>in</strong>n<br />
'Cluich nan nuallan eibh<strong>in</strong>n.<br />
'S iomadh caileag bhoidheach chuimir,<br />
'Bhios 'nan suidh aig cuibhle,<br />
STiiomh nan r^lag, 'se<strong>in</strong>n nan lu<strong>in</strong>neag,<br />
Bidh gach iorram bh<strong>in</strong>n ac'—<br />
An snath 'is boidhche falbli bho 'm mebirean<br />
Gothrom, còmhnard, sìnte,<br />
'S am fait 'na chuaich air cheil an cluais<br />
'S e togta suas le cirean.<br />
'N uair bha mi og mu'n d' r<strong>in</strong>n mi posadh<br />
Bha mi gorach aotrom,<br />
Falbh gu spnrsail 'measg nan oighean,<br />
Sud an seol 'bu chaomh leam ;<br />
'S an tè bhiodh coir 's a bheireadh pbg dhomh<br />
Shuidh<strong>in</strong>n stolt' ri 'taobh-sa ;<br />
'So' n te nach fuil<strong>in</strong>geadh ball'n a coir dhiom,<br />
Gheibh<strong>in</strong>n dòrn mu'n aodann.<br />
'N uair thig an geamhradh's am nam ba<strong>in</strong>nsean,<br />
Gheibh s<strong>in</strong>n dram no l'òiseachd ;<br />
Bidh Nollaig chridheil aig clo<strong>in</strong>n-nighean<br />
S aig ria gillean òga ;<br />
Na mnathan fe<strong>in</strong> gu subhach, eibh<strong>in</strong>n,<br />
'S iad a' gleusadh òran ;<br />
'S bidh dram aig bodaich anns an fhodar—<br />
Sogan orra 'còmhradh.<br />
There are other four verses <strong>in</strong> a similar stra<strong>in</strong>.<br />
The song gives a faithful picture of peasant life <strong>in</strong><br />
his day, and, upon the whole, is an <strong>in</strong>dication of<br />
considerable talent.<br />
MACDONALD MUSICIANS.<br />
Intimately connected with the bards were the<br />
musicians, especially the harpists, and <strong>in</strong> later<br />
times, the bagpipers and viol<strong>in</strong>ists. The last of<br />
the Highland harpists was a clansman, viz.,<br />
Murdoch MacDonald, harper to MacLean of Coll.<br />
He studied with Kory Dall, <strong>in</strong> the Island of Skye,<br />
and afterwards <strong>in</strong> Ireland, and rema<strong>in</strong>ed with<br />
MacLean as a harper until 1734, after which he<br />
retired to Qu<strong>in</strong>ish <strong>in</strong> Mull, where he died. He is<br />
still spoken of as " Murchadh Clarsair," and his<br />
son was dist<strong>in</strong>guished as " Eo<strong>in</strong> Mac-Mhurchaidh<br />
Chlarsair."<br />
The Rev. Patrick MacDonald, Kilmore, near<br />
Oban, was a famous viol<strong>in</strong>ist, and author of the<br />
first collection of the vocal airs of the Highlands,<br />
which was published <strong>in</strong> 1784, a work for which all<br />
true Highlanders will for ever feel grateful. This<br />
first great collector of Highland Music was born<br />
at the manse of Durness, <strong>in</strong> Sutherlandshire, on<br />
the 22nd of April, 1729, and died at Kilmore,