John Cathanach MacDonald, 4th of Dunnyveg was a son of John Mor MacDonald

John Mor MacDonald, 3rd of Dunnyveg

John Mor MacDonald was a son of Donald Balloch MacDonald and Johanna, daughter of Conn O'Neill of Edenduffcarrick. He was the third chief of Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg.-Biography:...

 and Sabina, daughter of Felim O'Neill of Clanaboy. His father was charged with treason and refused to surrender to King James IV of Scotland

James IV of Scotland

James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...

. With his father and three sons they were captured through the treachery of their kinsman John MacIan of Ardnamurchan. John Cathanach and his sons John Mor, John Og and Donald Balloch were tried, convicted of treason and hung on the Boroughmuir (now Burgh Muir

Burgh Muir

The Burgh Muir was an area to the south of Edinburgh city centre upon which much of the southern portion of the city now rests, following expansions of the 18th and 19th centuries...

) in 1499. John Cathanach's son, Alexander

Alexander MacDonald, 5th of Dunnyveg

Alexander Carragh Mac Domhnaill, or MacDonald in Scotland, 5th of Dunnyveg , a Scoto-Irish chieftain, who was the son of John Cathanach MacDonald, 4th of Dunnyveg and Cecillia Savage, daughter of the Lord of the Ardes....

, fled to Ireland and became the next chief of the clan.

Family

By his wife, Cecelia, daughter of Robert Savage, Lord of the Ardes, they had;

• Alexander
  Alexander MacDonald, 5th of Dunnyveg
  Alexander Carragh Mac Domhnaill, or MacDonald in Scotland, 5th of Dunnyveg , a Scoto-Irish chieftain, who was the son of John Cathanach MacDonald, 4th of Dunnyveg and Cecillia Savage, daughter of the Lord of the Ardes....
  
  , fled to Ireland, married Catherine, daughter of John Macdonald of Ardnamurchan, died in 1538 at Stirling, Scotland
• John Mor, executed in 1499 with his father.
• John Og, executed in 1499 with his father.
• Donald Balloch, executed in 1499 with his father.
• Angus Ileach, fled to Ireland.
• Agnes, who firstly married Donald Gallach MacDonald, 3rd of Sleat, had issue; and secondly married Torquil MacLeod of the Lewes, had issue.