Alasdair MacColla
Encyclopedia
Alasdair Mac Colla was a Scottish
soldier. His full name in Scottish Gaelic was Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich Mac Domhnuill (Alasdair the son of Colla the Left-handed MacDonald). He is sometimes mistakenly referred to in English as "Collkitto", a nickname that properly belongs to his father. He fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
, most notably in Scotland. He died at the Battle of Knocknanauss in 1647.
of Colonsay in the early seventeenth century into Clan Donald
. His early life encompassed both Gaelic Ireland
and the Gaelic western Highlands
of Scotland
- as the MacDonalds had a presence in both countries. Like his father, Colla, Alasdair made his name as a soldier, being particularly noted for his use of a Scots broadsword called the claymore
. In his young days, he saw fighting against the Campbell
clan, with whom the MacDonalds had a long running feud over territory and power. This enmity was deepened by religious factors. The Campbells were Presbyterians, whereas the MacDonalds, among whom a Franciscan
mission had settled, were Catholics.
, sided with the Royalists and Irish Confederates
. Their deadly enemies, the Clan Campbell
, sided with the Scottish Covenanters. Early in the war, Mac Colla was forced to flee the Western Isles, which were attacked by a Covenanter/Campbell force. Colla, his father was taken prisoner by the Campbells. On the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641
, Mac Colla found himself in Antrim
, under the command of Randal MacDonald, the chief of the Irish MacDonalds. Mac Colla, who was a Catholic, quickly became involved in fighting the Protestant settlers in east Ulster
. He was implicated in some massacres of Protestant civilians, but also scored some notable military victories. However he was defeated and wounded in an attack on Lurgan
. He was rescued by Dónall Geimhleach Ó Catháin. The Scottish Covenanters landed an army in Ulster and drove the Irish Catholic forces out of the greater part of the province.
In 1644, he was selected by the Supreme Council of Confederate Ireland
to lead an expedition to Scotland to aid the Royalists there against the Covenanters. He was given a command of 1500-2000 men, mostly from Ulster. When in Scotland, Mac Colla linked up with the Royalist James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
. He was also able to raise men among his MacDonald clansmen and other anti-Campbell Scottish clans. In the subsequent Scottish Civil War, Mac Colla and Montrose won a series of victories at the battles of Tippermuir
, Aberdeen
, Inverlochy
, Auldearn
, Alford
and Kilsyth
. Mac Colla also took the opportunity to pillage the Campbell lands, killing all the men he could find there. In an incident in Argyllshire after the Royalists were ordered to lay down arms, Mac Colla burned down a building full of Campbell women and children becoming known as the "Barn of Bones".
However, he and Montrose parted company because Mac Colla's priorities lay in the western Highlands, whereas Montrose wanted to secure the Lowlands
and ultimately England
for the Royalist cause. As a result, both of them were defeated separately by the Covenanters in 1646.
Mac Colla has been credited with inventing the tactic of the Highland charge
in the Civil Wars - where his men ran at enemy infantry, fired a volley at close range and then closed hand to hand. This proved remarkably effective in both Ireland and Scotland, due to the musket
's slow reloading time and the poor discipline and training of many of the troops Mac Colla's men faced.
and then to Ireland with his family, where he re-joined the Irish Confederates in 1647. His troops, (both Irish survivors of the 1644 expedition and Scottish Highlanders) were split up and assigned to the Leinster
and Munster
armies, with Mac Colla attached to the latter. Mac Colla's men were mostly killed in the Confederate defeats at the Battle of Dungan's Hill
in County Meath
and then at the Battle of Knocknanauss in County Cork
. Alasdair Mac Colla himself was killed by English Parliamentarian soldiers at Knocknanauss after he had been taken prisoner.
MacDonald and in Ireland by a piece of traditional music named Mac Colla's March or Alasdair Mac Colla that dates from the mid seventeenth century and is still performed.
has been recorded numerous times. It appears on the following notable albums:
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
soldier. His full name in Scottish Gaelic was Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich Mac Domhnuill (Alasdair the son of Colla the Left-handed MacDonald). He is sometimes mistakenly referred to in English as "Collkitto", a nickname that properly belongs to his father. He fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms formed an intertwined series of conflicts that took place in England, Ireland, and Scotland between 1639 and 1651 after these three countries had come under the "Personal Rule" of the same monarch...
, most notably in Scotland. He died at the Battle of Knocknanauss in 1647.
Early life
Mac Colla was born on the Outer Hebridean IsleOuter Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
of Colonsay in the early seventeenth century into Clan Donald
Clan Donald
Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. There are numerous branches to the clan. Several of these have chiefs recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms; these are: Clan Macdonald of Sleat, Clan Macdonald of Clanranald, Clan MacDonell of Glengarry, Clan MacDonald of Keppoch, and Clan...
. His early life encompassed both Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland
Gaelic Ireland is the name given to the period when a Gaelic political order existed in Ireland. The order continued to exist after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans until about 1607 AD...
and the Gaelic western Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- as the MacDonalds had a presence in both countries. Like his father, Colla, Alasdair made his name as a soldier, being particularly noted for his use of a Scots broadsword called the claymore
Claymore
The term claymore refers to the Scottish variant of the late medieval longsword, two-handed swords with a cross hilt, of which the guards were in use during the 15th and 16th centuries.-Terminology:...
. In his young days, he saw fighting against 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:...
clan, with whom the MacDonalds had a long running feud over territory and power. This enmity was deepened by religious factors. The Campbells were Presbyterians, whereas the MacDonalds, among whom a Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
mission had settled, were Catholics.
Civil War in Ireland and Scotland
However, Mac Colla really came to prominence with the onset of the conflict known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The MacDonald clan, which was spread over northwestern Scotland and northeastern IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, sided with the Royalists and Irish Confederates
Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
. Their deadly enemies, the Clan 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:...
, sided with the Scottish Covenanters. Early in the war, Mac Colla was forced to flee the Western Isles, which were attacked by a Covenanter/Campbell force. Colla, his father was taken prisoner by the Campbells. On the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
, Mac Colla found himself in Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
, under the command of Randal MacDonald, the chief of the Irish MacDonalds. Mac Colla, who was a Catholic, quickly became involved in fighting the Protestant settlers in east Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. He was implicated in some massacres of Protestant civilians, but also scored some notable military victories. However he was defeated and wounded in an attack on Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
. He was rescued by Dónall Geimhleach Ó Catháin. The Scottish Covenanters landed an army in Ulster and drove the Irish Catholic forces out of the greater part of the province.
In 1644, he was selected by the Supreme Council of Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland
Confederate Ireland refers to the period of Irish self-government between the Rebellion of 1641 and the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. During this time, two-thirds of Ireland was governed by the Irish Catholic Confederation, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny"...
to lead an expedition to Scotland to aid the Royalists there against the Covenanters. He was given a command of 1500-2000 men, mostly from Ulster. When in Scotland, Mac Colla linked up with the Royalist James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose
James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose was a Scottish nobleman and soldier, who initially joined the Covenanters in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, but subsequently supported King Charles I as the English Civil War developed...
. He was also able to raise men among his MacDonald clansmen and other anti-Campbell Scottish clans. In the subsequent Scottish Civil War, Mac Colla and Montrose won a series of victories at the battles of Tippermuir
Battle of Tippermuir
The Battle of Tippermuir was the first battle James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose fought for the king during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms....
, Aberdeen
Battle of Aberdeen
The Battle of Aberdeen was an engagement in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place between Royalist and Covenanter forces outside the city of Aberdeen on 13 September 1644....
, Inverlochy
Battle of Inverlochy (1645)
The Battle of Inverlochy was a battle of the Scottish Civil War in which Montrose routed the pursuing forces of the Marquess of Argyll....
, Auldearn
Battle of Auldearn
The Battle of Auldearn was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It took place on 9 May 1645, in and around the village of Auldearn in Nairn. It resulted in a victory for the royalists led by the Earl of Montrose and Alasdair MacColla over a Covenanter army under the command of Sir John...
, Alford
Battle of Alford
The Battle of Alford was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, which took place near the village of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on 2 July 1645....
and Kilsyth
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
. Mac Colla also took the opportunity to pillage the Campbell lands, killing all the men he could find there. In an incident in Argyllshire after the Royalists were ordered to lay down arms, Mac Colla burned down a building full of Campbell women and children becoming known as the "Barn of Bones".
However, he and Montrose parted company because Mac Colla's priorities lay in the western Highlands, whereas Montrose wanted to secure the Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
and ultimately England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for the Royalist cause. As a result, both of them were defeated separately by the Covenanters in 1646.
Mac Colla has been credited with inventing the tactic of the Highland charge
Highland charge
The Highland charge was a battlefield shock tactic used by the clans of the Scottish Highlands which incorporated the use of firearms.-Historical Development :...
in the Civil Wars - where his men ran at enemy infantry, fired a volley at close range and then closed hand to hand. This proved remarkably effective in both Ireland and Scotland, due to the musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
's slow reloading time and the poor discipline and training of many of the troops Mac Colla's men faced.
Defeat and death
Mac Colla's father, who was a prisoner of the Campbells, was killed in retaliation for his son's atrocities in the Campbell country. Mac Colla himself retreated to KintyreKintyre
Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
and then to Ireland with his family, where he re-joined the Irish Confederates in 1647. His troops, (both Irish survivors of the 1644 expedition and Scottish Highlanders) were split up and assigned to the Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
and Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
armies, with Mac Colla attached to the latter. Mac Colla's men were mostly killed in the Confederate defeats at the Battle of Dungan's Hill
Battle of Dungan's Hill
The Battle of Dungan's Hill took place in County Meath, in eastern Ireland in August 1647. It was fought between the armies of Confederate Ireland and the English Parliament during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The Irish army was intercepted on a march towards Dublin and destroyed...
in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
and then at the Battle of Knocknanauss in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Alasdair Mac Colla himself was killed by English Parliamentarian soldiers at Knocknanauss after he had been taken prisoner.
Family
He married Elizabeth MacAlister, daughter of Hector MacAlister and Margaret Campbell and they had issue:- Coll, married Anne Magee, he died on 25 March 1719.
- Gill'Easbuig Mór, married Anne Steward, d.1720.
Commemoration
After his death, Mac Colla became a figure of minor folklore in Gaelic Ireland and Scotland, with songs and melodies written in his honour in both countries. He is commemorated in the Scottish Gaelic poetry of Iain LomIain Lom
Iain Lom MacDonald was a Scottish Gaelic poet.-Biography:Iain Lom's family were the MacDonalds of Keppoch. In Gaelic society, since there might often be a number of men with the same first names in any given clan, they were given sobriquets which might be based on a peculiar characteristic or...
MacDonald and in Ireland by a piece of traditional music named Mac Colla's March or Alasdair Mac Colla that dates from the mid seventeenth century and is still performed.
Alasdair Mac Colla
Sometimes known as 'Alasdair Mhic Colla Ghasda', this Scots Gaelic waulking songWaulking song
Waulking songs are Scottish folk songs, traditionally sung in the Gaelic language by women while waulking cloth. This practice involved a group of people beating newly woven tweed rhythmically against a table or similar surface to soften it...
has been recorded numerous times. It appears on the following notable albums:
- 1988 - CapercaillieCapercaillie (band)Capercaillie is a Scottish folk band, founded in the 1980s by Donald Shaw and fronted by Karen Matheson. They have seen four of their albums placed in the UK Albums Chart, and continue to perform and record to the present day.-History:...
- The Blood is StrongThe Blood is StrongThe Blood Is Strong is an album by folk rock band Capercaillie originally issued in 1988 and reissued in 1995 with six extra tracks by Survival Records... - 1996 - Clannad - LoreLore (album)Lore is a studio album by the Irish group Clannad. It was re-issued in 2005 with the Cantoma mix bonus track of "Croí Cróga". Lore was greeted with great acclaim by music critics worldwide, often stating that this was one of Clannad's greatest recordings...
- 2002 - Maty Sandeman - The Power of Scotland
- 2005 - Moya BrennanMoya BrennanMoya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
- Óró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live SessionÓró - A Live Session is a music album by Irish musician Máire Brennan, now known as Moya Brennan. Just before the start of the German tour, Moya and her band recorded a "live session" album to have available for fans on the tour. She's tried to recreate some of the live feel with the band in the... - 2008 - Julie FowlisJulie FowlisJulie Fowlis is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic.-Musical career:Fowlis grew up in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community, and has been involved in singing, piping and dancing since she was a child.She is a...
& Muireann Nic AmhlaoibhMuireann Nic AmhlaoibhMuireann Nic Amhlaoibh is a musician and singer from County Kerry, Ireland. She is the lead singer from the traditional music group Danú. Her name is pronounced MWI-ren Nick OWL-eve.-Biography:...
- DualDual (album)Dual is an album by four acclaimed Irish and Scottish musicians: Éamonn Doorley, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh , Julie Fowlis and Ross Martin.... - 2008 - Moya BrennanMoya BrennanMoya Brennan, born Máire Ní Bhraonáin , also known as Máire Brennan , is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist who began performing professionally in 1970, when her family formed the band Clannad, and is now widely considered as the "First Lady of Celtic Music"...
- Heart StringsHeart Strings (Moya Brennan album)Heart Strings is a live album by Irish singer Moya Brennan. The album was released in September 2008, but was previously available to fans throughout Brennan's Spring 2008 tour of the Netherlands. It was recorded at her concerts on 21 October 2007 in the Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool and in November...
Gol na mBan san Ár
Gol na mBan san Ár (Lament of the Women in the Massacre) was composed in memory of MacColla and his female followers. The song has been recorded under many names.- 1980 - The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
- Boil the Breakfast EarlyThe Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast EarlyThe Chieftains 9: Boil the Breakfast Early is an Irish folk album by The Chieftains. This album featured a big change in The Chieftains sound, because two of the founding members, Seán Potts and Michael Tubridy, left the group. The replacement for Michael Tubridy was Matt Molloy, who had just been... - 1993 - Noel Hill, Tony MacMahon & Iarla Ó LionáirdIarla Ó LionáirdIarla Ó Lionáird is an Irish singer and producer well known for his involvement with the Afro Celt Sound System. He is one of the most prominent artists of the Irish Sean nós singing tradition, and has released three solo albums through Real World Records, the third being Invisible Fields,...
- Aislingí Ceoil (Music Of Dreams) - 2008 - Julie FowlisJulie FowlisJulie Fowlis is a Scottish folk singer and multi-instrumentalist who sings primarily in Scottish Gaelic.-Musical career:Fowlis grew up in North Uist, an island in the Outer Hebrides, in a Gaelic-speaking community, and has been involved in singing, piping and dancing since she was a child.She is a...
& Muireann Nic AmhlaoibhMuireann Nic AmhlaoibhMuireann Nic Amhlaoibh is a musician and singer from County Kerry, Ireland. She is the lead singer from the traditional music group Danú. Her name is pronounced MWI-ren Nick OWL-eve.-Biography:...
- DualDual (album)Dual is an album by four acclaimed Irish and Scottish musicians: Éamonn Doorley, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh , Julie Fowlis and Ross Martin....
External links
- Alasdair Mac Colla - song lyrics with translation
- Gol na mBan san Ár - sheet music