Col Ciotach

Col Ciotach Mac Domhnaill (English: Left-handed Col Macdonald) (1570–1647) was a Scottish adventurer and mercenary of Clan Donald, who became Laird of Colonsay in 1623, by treachery.[1] His name, which means left-handed or crafty, was anglicised as Colkitto (Collkitto), and he became a figure of legend. However he only used the nickname late in his life in 1629 when it appeared in a Latin translation of a Gaelic letter where Coll refers to himself as Ego Collatius Kiotach Macdonnell. He was normally known as Coll Macgilespik or a variant of this, or as Coll MacDonald.[2]He died aged 77 at Dunyvaig Castle.[3] Some English speakers concluded that "Coll" must be his military rank and that "Ciotach" was a surname. So he was also referred to as: Colonell Kittoghie, Col. Kittack, Collonell McGillespick, Colonel Coill McDonnell alias McGillespick, Col. Killa and Colonel Macdonald. Others took "Coll" or "Coll Ciotach" as places, and so they introduced "MacDonald of Coll" and "MacDonald of Kolkitto".[4]

Family

He is often confused with his son Alasdair MacColla, who was prominent in the fighting in Western Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, on the Royalist side. Col Ciotach, a Highland Catholic by birth, but born in Ireland, was able to recruit troops for that war in Ireland; his birthplace is given as Loughlynch, which is in the parish of Billy, County Antrim, mother's name as a local O'Quinn or O'Cahan (O'Kane).

He married Mary MacDonald of Sanda; those MacDonalds were also caught up in related fighting from the 1630s onwards, and lost their position as a result of the Dunaverty Massacre.

His father's name was Gillespick,[5] a nephew of Sorley Boy MacDonnell.

This family is alluded to in a sonnet of John Milton (Sonnet XI[6]) which has a line referring to three generations:

[...]Colkitto or Macdonnel or Galasp.

Galasp stands in for Gillespie (anglicised name). Properly Col Ciotach can be called Coll Mac Gillespick MacDonald, Coll Keitache MacGillespick M'Donald.[7]

From his marriage with Mary MacDonald of Sanda, they had issue:

References

  1. ↑ David Morgan (30 October 1996). "Origins of the Clan". ancestry.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  2. ↑ Highland Warrior, Alasdair MacColla and the Civil Wars, David Stevenson. Prologue, What's in a Name?, page 2.
  3. ↑ "Dunyvaig Castle". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Highland Warrior, Alasdair MacColla and the Civil Wars, David Stevenson. Prologue, What's in a Name?, page 2.
  5. ↑ "Ballycastle Travel Guide". World66.com. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  6. ↑ John Milton. "Sonnet XI: On the Detraction Which Followed Upon My Writing Certain Treatises". Luminarium. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Variants are numerous: Col-Kitto, Col Ciottoch, Colla Ciotach, Coll Kittogh, Col Kittoch, Colla Ciotach, Coll Kiotach, Coll Keitach, Coll Kittagh.

Further reading

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