Colla MacDonnell was a son of Alexander MacDonnell, Lord of Islay

Islay

-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...

 and Kintyre

Kintyre

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...

 (Cantire), and Catherine, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan. He died at Kinbane Castle

Kinbane Castle

Kinbane Castle is situated in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on a long, narrow limestone headland projecting into the sea, approximately 5 km from Ballycastle on the road to Ballintoy. The name Kinbane means White Head and refers to the white limestone on which the castle stands...

 in 1558.

Biography

After the death of his father Alexander MacDonnell in 1539, his older brother James MacDonnell

James MacDonald, 6th of Dunnyveg

James Mac Domhnaill or MacDonald in Scotland, 6th of Dunnyveg , a Scoto-Irish chieftain, who was the son of Alexander MacDonald, lord of Islay and Kintyre , and Catherine MacDonald, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan....

, inherited the title of Lord of Dunnyveg and Antrim Glynns, however decided to return 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...

, accompanied by his wife Agnus Campbell. Colla was appointed Captain of the Route to rule the Glynns in his absence.

Colla's marriage to Evelyn MacQuillan, brought a tentative peace between the previous opposing clans.

Attempts were made by Thomas Radclyffe

Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex

Thomas Radclyffe 3rd Earl of Sussex was Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland during the Tudor period of English history, and a leading courtier during the reign of Elizabeth I.- Family:...

, 3rd Earl of Sussex

Earl of Sussex

Earl of Sussex is a title that has been created several times in the Peerages of England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. The early Earls of Arundel were often also called Earls of Sussex....

, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

, to expel the MacDonnells back to Scotland. Colla built a two storey castle, known as Kinbane Castle in 1547, with a large courtyard with traces of other buildings, probably constructed out of wood.

In 1551 the castle was besieged by English forces under the command of the Lord Deputy of Ireland

Lord Deputy of Ireland

The Lord Deputy was the King's representative and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and later the Kingdom of Ireland...

, Sir James Croft

James Croft

Sir James Croft PC , Lord Deputy of Ireland and MP for Herefordshire in the Parliament of England.He was born the second but eldest surviving son of Richard Croft of Croft Castle, Herefordshire, inheriting the estate on his father's death in 1562.He was elected seven times as knight of the shire ...

, in the course of an expedition against the MacDonnell's. Another siege in 1555 by English forces, the castle was partily destroyed by cannon fire and rebuilt afterwards by Colla.

Colla MacDonnell died at Kinbane Castle in 1558. James MacDonnell then offered the Captain of the Route to his brothers Alasdair MacDonnell and Angus MacDonnell in turn, with both refusing. This was a difficult frontier posting, subject to hostility from the English

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...

 and risings from the displaced MacQuillin's, and upon offering to the youngest brother Sorley Boy MacDonnell

Sorley Boy MacDonnell

Somhairle Buidhe Mac Domhnaill , Scoto-Irish prince or flaith and chief, was the son of Alexander MacDonnell, lord of Islay and Kintyre , and Catherine, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan...

, he accepted.

Family

By his wife, Evelyn MacQuillan, they had:

• Gillaspick
  Gillaspick MacDonnell
  Gillaspick MacDonnell was a son of Colla MacDonnell, Captain of the Route and Evelyn MacQuillan. He was killed accidentally in 1571 at Ballycastle.-Biography:...
  
  , died in 1571 at Ballycastle.
• Randal