| Reference Number | 314 |
| Title | Mo Lorgan Fhin |
| Author | NicDhòmhnaill, Màiri |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | 1985 |
| Date Of Language | late 20c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 1950-1999 |
| DateMacro | Late 20th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | Crois-Eilein Publications |
| Place Published | Inverness |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National, academic, and local libraries |
| Geographical Origins | Grimsay, North Uist |
| Geographical Origins Ed | North Uist |
| GeoMacro | Harris and N Uist |
| GeoX | -7.3734 |
| GeoY | 57.4833 |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Literature, Verse |
| Register Ed | Literature, Verse |
| Genre | Literature |
| Medium | Verse |
| Rating | B (TBC)
An example of poetry from a poet belonging to Grimsay, North Uist.
Touches upon various topics in a mixture of traditional and modern poetic style and structure. |
| Alternative Author Name | Mary Macdonald |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 30cm x 21cm |
| Short Title | Mo Lorgan Fhin |
| Reference Details | NLS: HP4.86.453 |
| Number Of Pages | i, 33 |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | Màiri NicDhòmhnaill |
| Social Context | Màiri Macdonald (Màiri NicDhòmhnaill) is a native of Grimsay, North Uist, who received her education at Grimsay School, Paible Junior Secondary School and Portree High School. After having undertaken office work in Glasgow she trained as a primary teacher at Jordanhill College of Further Education from 1965 until 1968. She then taught at Riddrie, Glasgow from 1968 until 1969 and then returned to Grimsay, as a sole teacher, from 1969 until 1972, and then at Woodcroft Special School, Glasgow, from 1972 until 1973. From 1973 Macdonald taught at Kilmuir School, Isle of Skye, and then in 1975 went to Glen Etive, Argyll. From 1981 until 1982 she looked after her invalid mother in Grimsay. In 1982 she became head teacher at Kensaleyre, Isle of Skye, and in 1983 married to Norman Malcolm MacDonald (see Text 248), novelist and playwright. From 1986 until 1988 she worked as a Gaelic tutor at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and also ran Adult Evening Classes for the promotion of Gaelic language and culture, before moving to the Isle of Lewis to set up home with her husband. Her poetic output, although not prolific, has appeared in such publications as Books in Scotland, Chapman, Gairm, An Anthology of Scottish Women Poets and Siud an t-Eilean. |
| Contents | A quote in Gaelic appears before the title page (p. 1) which also contains publishing details. The main bulk of the text then appears, where the Gaelic poems are displayed on either the left- or right-hand page, and where, as often as not, English face-to-face translations appear. The text is interspersed with illustrations and photographs. |
| Sources | Some of the poems first made their appearance in Chapman and the West Highland Free Press. |
| Language | The language of the texts may be described as modern in outlook, and the texts deal with a variety of topics such as faith and religion, war and remembrance, death and the process, nostalgia, love, personal identity, expression of subsumed feelings, language death, cultural transformation, clearances, exile and sorrow.
The copula is realised as follows: S ann (p. 5), b’e (p. 5), ’N ann (p. 7), ’se (p. 11). Use of s (p. 31) without apostrophe for the contraction of is or agus. Occasionally an apostrophe is missing, e.g. Aig a ghriosaich (p. 5). Apostrophes are usually absent from the possessive determiner, e.g. nam dhùsgadh (p. 11) but also ’nar suain (p. 25). Absence of apostrophe in some phrases, e.g., Ga chumail. The use of accents is sporadic through the text.
The language reflects the Gaelic dialect of Grimsay, North Uist. |
| Orthography | The spelling conforms generally to the orthography of the early twentieth century. Acute and grave accents are both retained. Accents do not appear on capital letters. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | Black, Ronald I. M. (ed.), An Tuil: Anthology of 20th Century Scottish Gaelic Verse (Edinburgh, 2002: Birlinn), 532, 795.
MacMillan, Dorothy and Byrne, Michel (eds.), Modern Scottish Women Poets (Edinburgh, 2003: Canongate).
NicDhòmhnaill, Màiri, Grima (Stornoway, 1990: Acair).
NicDhòmhnaill, Màiri, Sràid na h-Eala (Stornoway, 1994: Acair). |
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| Download File | |
| NumWords | 1557 |
