Facts and traditions collected for a family record

M'CONNELL VEESUS M'DONALD. 97
M'Connells of Galloway and Ayrshire were branches of the Clan Donald,
who possessed Cantyre, Isla, and the Glens of Antrim.
It has been already shewn that Macdonald was pronounced Maccon-
n ell in Cantyre, Isla, and the Glens ; in this and other parts of Argyle
the name is now, however, MacDonald and MacDonnell. In fact, since
the middle of the seventeenth century, the large landed proprietors in
Cantyre and Antrim have adopted the names MacDonald and MacDon-
nell. An instance of this was given in the MacDonalds of Lanne, who
for two generations at least were written in official documents Mac-
Connell ; the Earl of Antrim is also MacDonnell. There are, however,
some branches, especially in Antrim, who retain the name M'Connell
even to the present time. Those also who came over to the mainland
of Scotland retained the name M'Connell. This latter name is now
quite extinct in the Highlands of Scotland, Cantyre and Isla, as well as
all Argyleshire and the north. No doubt each clan thinks their own
method of spelling the name the most correct ; but still there are many
good arguments to shew that MacDonnell is more correct than Mac-
Donald, according to the Gaelic pronunciation, as well as the mode of
spelling ; Donald is derived from the Latin name Donaldus. In the
Gaelic, the termination is aill and uill ; and there is no reason why a
good Gaelic word should be made into bad Latin.
With regard, however, to the words M'Connell or M'Donnell, the
former resembles more the pronunciation, and the latter the spelling,
so that either party could have good arguments for the correctness of
their name. If the Mac were omitted, there could be no question as to
the more correct manner being Donnell ; but when the Mac is retained,
the best Gaelic scholars of the present day have difficulty in pronouncing
an opinion whether MacConnell or MacDonnell is the more correct.
M