Eóghann Eachuinn Dhòmhnuill Iain mac Eóghainn

Hugh Roderick “Hughie R.” MacSween was from East Bay, Cape Breton County. He was the son of Hector MacSween of MacAdam’s Lake and Agnes MacNeil of Iona. His great-grandfather, John MacSween, emigrated from the Isle of Barra to Beaver Cove.

Hugh married Annie Morrison of Sydney Mines, a schoolteacher who taught in Scotchlake and Eskasoni. Together, they raised a family of seven. In 1947, after a fire destroyed their home, the family relocated from MacAdam’s Lake to East Bay.

A skilled blacksmith, Hugh learned the trade from his father, Hector, and later worked at the Sydney Steel Plant. He was raised in a Gaelic-rich environment surrounded by step dancing, piping, fiddle music, storytelling, and song. His mother, Agnes, was a singer, and from an early age, Hugh was immersed in the Gaelic musical traditions of his community.