Eachann mac Eachainn Ghilleasbaig | Eachann Mór

Hector J. Carmichael was a gifted storyteller and one of the last active songmakers of the North Shore. Born in Monroe’s Point on August 14, 1887, Victoria County, he was one of nine children born to Angus Carmichael and Mary McAskill, whose roots trace back to the Isle of Skye.

Hector married Katie MacAskill of Birch Plain, and together they raised five children. For a time he worked for a time in the Plaster Quarry at Munro’s Point, but he was best known for wit, storytelling, and song-making talents. He had a particular gift for creating humorous songs that offered gentle satire and playful commentary on familiar people and events in the community. His compositions were often performed at house gatherings and milling frolics, lively social occasions where homespun tweed was fulled and stories and songs were shared.

One of his most well-loved songs, “An t-Each Ruadh” (“The Red Horse”), remains a staple of the local tradition. As both a poet and bearer of oral tradition, Hector played a key role in preserving the unique humour and cultural memory of his community through his songs and stories.