Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 2, 1894

ISS
THE CELTTO MONTHLY,
Randal, fifth Anjjus, and sixth Lother. Mary
O'Neill died 15Si', and Sorley died in 1500,
succeeded hy his third son James, afterwards
Sir James Macdonnell, who married Mary
O'Neill, daughter of Phelim of Claunaboye.
This Sir James came to Scotland and made
some claims to the Isla Estates in 1597. He
was well received by James Vf. by whom he
was Knighted, and received a grant of twenty-
two merks of land in the south-west of Kintyre,
of which the principal messuage was (JuUelungart.
These lands formed part of the Isla possessions.
In an old Chronicle it is said of Sir James, he
Avas " ane bra uian of ])er.son and behaxiour, but
had not the
Scots tongue,
nor nae lan-
guage but
Erse." It is re-
ported of Rory
Mor Mackod of
Macleod that
■when he either
paid a visit, or
was summoned
to appear in
London before
King James, he
like Sir James
Macdonnell had
no English, and
the conversa-
tion between
them was
carried on in
Latin. It
turned out sat-
isfactory, per-
haps llory com-
plimented the
Royal pedant
in his mastery
of the language
but be that as
it may, Rory
departed from
t li e Royal
audience as Sir
Rory. Sir James died Easter Monday 1601,
not witiiout suspicion of being poisoned, and
according to the Four Masters " the most
distinguished of the Clan Donnell, either in
peac(- or war." Altho' Sir James had several
sons, his brother Randal was immediately
recognised as chief. Having been fostered and
V)rought up in Arran he was known in Ireland
as " Arranach " and beitig more of a politician
than a soldiffr, became a warm supporter of the
English interest after Elizabeth's death. King
Ja;iits conferred the honour of Knighthood; and
ShX'OXIl t:.\l!l. .XMi KIltST .MAIil.MIS or ANTlilM.
re-granted, and on L'Gth Maj', 1 603, confirmed him
in upwards of .'500,000 acres of land in Antrim.
He married, about 1604, Alice O'Neill, daughter
of Hugh, Earl of Tyrone and niece of the Earl
of Tyrone, and surrounded by enemies he had
great difficultly in maintining his position. He
was confirmed in the Kintyre lands of his late
brother, and had a tack of seven years of Isla,
receiving no benefit. Always favoured by King
James, he in iiOth June, 1618, was created
Vi.scount Dunluee, and on l:ith December, 16l?0,
Earl of Antrim. The Kintyre Estates of the
Macdonalds fell into the hands of James
Campbell, son by his second marriage of the
"A p o state"
Earl of Argyle,
created Lord
C a n t i r e in
1622. Like his
relative Calder,
in the case of
Isla, Lord Can-
tire soon found
that their ac-
(juisitions were
unprofitable,
and desired to
get rid of them.
Lord Cantire
first offered the
lands to his
senior half-
brother, Lord
Lorn, w h o
declined to ))ur-
chase. T h e
Earl of Antrim
then c a m e
forward, agreed
with Lord
Cantire and
paid down
.£1,500 sterling
of the price.
Upon t li i s
coming to the
ears of Lord
Lorn, he was
easures to stop the Karl
lands, and used every
furious, took fonibli
being infeft in th
exertion and remonstrance within his power
with the ruling powers in Scotland to prevent
the Earl of Antrim from getting possession.
Th(! Earl however was infeft on 16th January,
163.'"); and in answer to Lord Lorn's threats
stated that he was one of the remainder men
under Queen Mary's Charter to James Mac-
donald of Isla, was the successor of his brotlier
Sir James who had po.sse.ssion of part of Kintyre,
and he had bought them when for open sale