Gilleasbuig Eóghainn Dhòmhnaill 'ic Aonghais 'ic Aonghais 'ic Iain 'ic Iain 'ic Dhòmhnaill
Archie Dan MacLellan
Eachdraidh-bheatha | Biography
Archie Dan MacLellan | Gilleasbuig Eóghainn Dhòmhnaill ’ic Aonghuis (August 2, 1900 - September 20, 1989) was from Broad Cove, Inverness County, the son of Hughie D. and Annie (MacPherson) MacLellan. His people came from Morar, Scotland when his great grandfather, Angus MacLellan (Archibald), emigrated from Swordland in 1816. Angus arrived with his wife Isabella MacLellan and two sons, Donald and Ronald. They spent the first winter with relatives in Malignant Cove, Antigonish County, and then moved to Broad Cove, securing a 200 acre land grant in 1832.
Donald married Marcella MacEachern of Mount Young, and they had 12 children, Archie Dan’s father Hughie D. amongst them. Hughie D. and Annie MacPherson married in 1899 and lived on the homestead. Archie Dan was their first child, born on August 2, 1900. He died on September 20, 1989, aged 89.
Archie Dan’s first language was Gaelic and he was a particularly fine tradition-bearer with a remarkable memory. As collector Dr. John Shaw recalls,
“[Archie Dan] recorded an impressive variety of items in an almost offhand way as part of his cordial and generous style of hospitality. In addition to their value as pure entertainment, however, Archie Dan’s contributions rank among the very best gathered from Gaelic tradition bearers. His specialities included a series of beautiful and dignified old prayers and religious verses, firsthand encounters with the experience of second sight, engaging accounts of local bards and characters of note accompanied by the appropriate songs, and a raft of witty and penetrating local anecdotes that would be the pride of any Gaelic settlement. His sister Flora appeared to know most of Archie Dan’s material by heart as well as his constant companion during recording sessions, occasionally discreetly prompting him.” (Na Beanntaichean Gorma, pg 204).
There are 57 items recorded from Archie Dan in the Collection. There are also several ghost stories from him published with English translations in vol. 11 no. 1 of An Rubha.