Eilein na h-Òige: The Poems of Fr Allan McDonald

Fr Allan McDonald (1859-1905), priest, poet and folklorist, is one of the best-loved pastors the Scottish Catholic church has ever known. His name is evergreen in the Gaelic-speaking islands of South Uist, Barra and Eriskay, where he is remembered simply as Maighstir Ailein - Father Allan. A native of Fort William, trained for the priesthood at Blairs and Valladolid, he wore himself out in the service of his parishioners at Daliburgh in South Uist. In 1894 he was transferred to Eriskay, his beloved 'Isle of Youth', where he built the fine church that can be seen today.

Fr Allan was a legend in his own lifetime. He inspired the characters of "Fr MacCrimmon" in Frederic Breton's Heroine in Homespun (1893) and "Fr Ludovic" in Neil Munro's Children of the Tempest (1903), becoming himself again in Amy Murray's Father Allan's Island (1936). A still more remarkable series of books was to follow, however. The late Dr John Lorne Campbell of Canna published his biography in 1956 (Fr Allan McDonald of Eriskay), his lexicographical work in 1958 (Gaelic Words and Expressions from South Uist and Eriskay), his manuscript poetry in 1965 (Bàrdachd Mhgr Ailein) and his collection of stories of the supernatural in 1968 (Strange Things). But his priceless collection of general Gaelic folklore lies largely unpublished in the library of Edinburgh University.

Amongst Fr Allan's heroic labours was the publication in 1893 of a Gaelic Hymnal. A Presbyterian minister wrote of it in 1894, "Several of the hymns in this collection are his own composition and seem to me to be very beautiful." Dr Campbell identified altogether eighteen items which Fr Allan had composed himself.

In this new anthology, Ronald Black has brought these eighteen hymns together with sixteen religious poems from Bàrdachd Mhgr Ailein and provided facing English translations. The result is an exciting and lyrical celebration of Catholic faith, full of the clear vision of a dedicated pastor and the unique atmosphere of the Western Isles. Dr Campbell's biography of 1956 is also reprinted with additional material, while in a brief introductory essay the editor, Ronald Black, assesses Fr Allan's contribution to Gaelic literature.

Ronald Black, formerly Senior Lecturer in Celtic in Edinburgh University, is Gaelic Editor of The Scotsman and of the Uist community newspaper Am Pàipear. Among his other publications are An Tuil: Anthology of 20th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse (Polygon, 1999), Smuaintean fo Éiseabhal: Thoughts under Easaval, the poetry of Dòmhnall Aonghais Bhàin of South Uist (Birlinn, 2000), and An Lasair: Anthology of 18th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse (Birlinn, 2001).

Eilein na h-Òige: The Poems of Fr Allan McDonald, edited by Ronald Black.
Paperback. ISBN 1 901157 61 X.
£14.95 ; $26.95 in the U.S.A.
Published by Mungo Books, an imprint of The Saint Austin Press.
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