Blair Collection > Gaelic bards

Alastairs p )eins, published in 1751,
there is a poem entitled, "Marbhrann
Mari ni^hean Iain mhic Iain, do ii
goirteadh An Aigeannach." In one of
stanzas the following lines occur: —
'N am bhi cur na h-uii*' ort
Sheanachaisinn mo run-sa
'Mach a teaglilach Mhuideart,
Culidh 'rusgadh phiostal.
It seems then that the Aigeannach 's
name was Mary McDonald; that her
father s name was John, Iain mac Iain;
and that she belonged to the Clanranald
l>ranch (jf the Macdonalds. According to
( iillies's collection her father s name was
Donald, Domhnall Gorm. It is certain
tliat Mac Mhaighstir Alastair knew who
slie was. It is also altogether pnjbable
that he would give her father s real name
and not a fictitious name. We think
then that she w^as, not a daughter of
Domhnall Gorm, but of Iain mac Iain.
We do not know when the Aigeannach
was born or when she died. We do not
suppose, however, that she Avas dead
when Mac Mhaighstir Alastair composed
her juarbhrann. It is not likely that any
man would write such horrible stuff about
a dead person.