Allan MacDonald (poet)
Encyclopedia
Father Allan MacDonald (Scottish Gaelic Maighstir Ailein) (25 October 1859, Fort William, Scotland
– 8 October 1905, Eriskay
) was a Roman Catholic priest
, poet, folklore collector, and activist from the Scottish Gàidhealtachd
.
, the son of a tavern keeper, and was descended from the MacDonalds of Keppoch. Prior to entering seminary
, this future Gaelic scholar spoke only English
. He was educated at the Scottish College of San Ambrosio in Valladolid
, Spain
. He was ordained to the priesthood at Glasgow
by Bishop Eyre on 9 July 1884. He served as a priest in Oban
before being assigned to Daliburgh
, South Uist
. The island of Eriskay
, located across the bay, was also in his care. When sick calls on Eriskay were required, MacDonald would trudge down to the beach and light a bonfire as a signal to the Eriskay fisherman to come and ferry him across.
This era also saw the agitation of the Crofter's Commission and the Highland Land League
. Therefore, MacDonald was active in demanding greater rights for the impoverished tenant who were bulk of his parishioners. At the time, the island's government and school board were dominated by members of the Church of Scotland
. Therefore, MacDonald also began urging his parishioners to vote against the candidates of the landlord. This was a task which required great tact and, according to John Lorne Campbell
, it is very telling that the Protestants of South Uist still speak very highly of MacDonald.
However, his health was broken in an epidemic during which MacDonald tirelessly provided the Sacraments to the dying. In order to assist his recovery, MacDonald was assigned to Eriskay which he immortalized in his poem, Eilein na h-Òige (Isle of Youth). He swiftly earned the love of his parishioners and oversaw the construction of a new church and rectory
, both of which still stand on Eriskay. Although he died of pneumonia
in 1905, Maighstir Ailein is still fondly remembered on both South Uist and Eriskay.
MacDonald, a lifelong admirer of the Jacobite
movement, was an expert in the history of the uprising in 1745. His manuscripts are still preserved and, although unpublished, remain a rich source of Highland folklore and history.
. However, several secular poems and songs were also composed by him. In some of these, MacDonald praises the beauty of Eriskay and its people. In his verse drama, The Old Wives' Parliament, he lampoons the gossiping of his female parishioners and local marriage customs. In, The Campbell
Wedding, a poem composed for the marriage of his housekeeper, Father Allan irately skewers the Campbells over the Massacre of Glencoe
and for siding against the House of Stuart
during the Jacobite wars.
MacDonald's secular verse, however, was written for his own amusement and, likely, was never meant to see publication. A bilingual anthology of the priest's Gaelic verse, both religious and secular, was edited by Ronald Black
. It was published in 2002 by Mungo Books, the Scottish imprint of Saint Austin Press
.
and is housed at Canna, Scotland
. In addition, South Uist
vocalist Kathleen MacInnes
performed MacDonald's Marian hymn Reul Alainn a Chuain on her 2006 album Summer Dawn.
Fort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
– 8 October 1905, Eriskay
Eriskay
Eriskay , from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is connected to South Uist by a causeway which was opened in 2001. In the same year Eriskay became the ferry terminal for...
) was a Roman Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, poet, folklore collector, and activist from the Scottish Gàidhealtachd
Gàidhealtachd
The Gàidhealtachd , sometimes known as A' Ghàidhealtachd , usually refers to the Scottish highlands and islands, and especially the Scottish Gaelic culture of the area. The corresponding Irish word Gaeltacht however refers strictly to an Irish speaking area...
.
Biography
MacDonald was born in Fort William, ScotlandFort William, Scotland
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger.Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles...
, the son of a tavern keeper, and was descended from the MacDonalds of Keppoch. Prior to entering seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, this future Gaelic scholar spoke only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He was educated at the Scottish College of San Ambrosio in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was ordained to the priesthood at Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
by Bishop Eyre on 9 July 1884. He served as a priest in Oban
Oban
Oban Oban Oban ( is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. It has a total resident population of 8,120. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can be crowded by up to 25,000 people. Oban...
before being assigned to Daliburgh
Daliburgh
Daliburgh is a crofting township in Scotland situated one and a half miles west from Lochboisdale and has the second largest population of any township in South Uist.Like Lochboisdale, Daliburgh has undergone major changes in recent years....
, South Uist
South Uist
South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
. The island of Eriskay
Eriskay
Eriskay , from the Old Norse for "Eric's Isle", is an island and community council area of the Outer Hebrides in northern Scotland. It lies between South Uist and Barra and is connected to South Uist by a causeway which was opened in 2001. In the same year Eriskay became the ferry terminal for...
, located across the bay, was also in his care. When sick calls on Eriskay were required, MacDonald would trudge down to the beach and light a bonfire as a signal to the Eriskay fisherman to come and ferry him across.
This era also saw the agitation of the Crofter's Commission and the Highland Land League
Highland Land League
The first Highland Land League emerged as a distinct political force in Scotland during the 1880s, with its power base in the country's Highlands and Islands. It was known also as the Highland Land Law Reform Association and the Crofters' Party...
. Therefore, MacDonald was active in demanding greater rights for the impoverished tenant who were bulk of his parishioners. At the time, the island's government and school board were dominated by members of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. Therefore, MacDonald also began urging his parishioners to vote against the candidates of the landlord. This was a task which required great tact and, according to John Lorne Campbell
John Lorne Campbell
John Lorne Campbell was a Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklore scholar.-Biography:In the 1930s Campbell was living on the Hebridean island of Barra where, with the author Compton Mackenzie, he founded the Sea League to fight for the rights of local fisherman and organised a...
, it is very telling that the Protestants of South Uist still speak very highly of MacDonald.
However, his health was broken in an epidemic during which MacDonald tirelessly provided the Sacraments to the dying. In order to assist his recovery, MacDonald was assigned to Eriskay which he immortalized in his poem, Eilein na h-Òige (Isle of Youth). He swiftly earned the love of his parishioners and oversaw the construction of a new church and rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, both of which still stand on Eriskay. Although he died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1905, Maighstir Ailein is still fondly remembered on both South Uist and Eriskay.
Folklore collector
MacDonald began collecting folklore when he was assigned to Oban shortly after his ordination. With the assistance of a parishioner from the Isle of Lewis, MacDonald collected several Pre-Reformation liturgical hymns in Scottish Gaelic. He supplemented these with several of his own compositions and translations, which were subsequently used in South Uist and Eriskay until the aftermath of Vatican II.MacDonald, a lifelong admirer of the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
movement, was an expert in the history of the uprising in 1745. His manuscripts are still preserved and, although unpublished, remain a rich source of Highland folklore and history.
Poet
MacDonald's poetry is mainly religious in nature, as would be expected from one of his calling. He composed hymns and verse in honour of the Blessed Virgin, the Christ Child, and the EucharistEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. However, several secular poems and songs were also composed by him. In some of these, MacDonald praises the beauty of Eriskay and its people. In his verse drama, The Old Wives' Parliament, he lampoons the gossiping of his female parishioners and local marriage customs. In, The Campbell
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell is a Highland Scottish clan. Historically one of the largest, most powerful and most successful of the Highland clans, their lands were in Argyll and the chief of the clan became the Earl and later Duke of Argyll.-Origins:...
Wedding, a poem composed for the marriage of his housekeeper, Father Allan irately skewers the Campbells over the Massacre of Glencoe
Massacre of Glencoe
Early in the morning of 13 February 1692, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite uprising of 1689 led by John Graham of Claverhouse, an infamous massacre took place in Glen Coe, in the Highlands of Scotland. This incident is referred to as the Massacre of Glencoe, or in...
and for siding against the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
during the Jacobite wars.
MacDonald's secular verse, however, was written for his own amusement and, likely, was never meant to see publication. A bilingual anthology of the priest's Gaelic verse, both religious and secular, was edited by Ronald Black
Ronald Black
Ronald E. Black is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.-References:...
. It was published in 2002 by Mungo Books, the Scottish imprint of Saint Austin Press
Saint Austin Press
Saint Austin Press is a British Roman Catholic publishing house founded in 1996.In its first ten years of operation, Saint Austin Press published around 50 books on various themes as diverse as William Shakespeare, hagiography, Freemasonry, floristry, liturgy, Scripture, Apologetics, fiction and...
.
Legacy
Detailed research about MacDonald's life was collected by John Lorne CampbellJohn Lorne Campbell
John Lorne Campbell was a Scottish historian, farmer, environmentalist and folklore scholar.-Biography:In the 1930s Campbell was living on the Hebridean island of Barra where, with the author Compton Mackenzie, he founded the Sea League to fight for the rights of local fisherman and organised a...
and is housed at Canna, Scotland
Canna, Scotland
Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is long and wide...
. In addition, South Uist
South Uist
South Uist is an island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. In the 2001 census it had a usually resident population of 1,818. There is a nature reserve and a number of sites of archaeological interest, including the only location in Great Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found. The...
vocalist Kathleen MacInnes
Kathleen MacInnes
Kathleen MacInnes is a Scottish singer, television presenter and actress, who performs primarily in Scottish Gaelic. She is a native of South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, and lives in Glasgow with her partner and three sons...
performed MacDonald's Marian hymn Reul Alainn a Chuain on her 2006 album Summer Dawn.
Further reading
- Eilein na h'Òige; The Poems of Fr. Allan MacDonald, Edited by Ronald BlackRonald BlackRonald E. Black is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.-References:...
, Mungo Books, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 2002.