Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna
Donald MacDonald | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna |
| Born | 9 July 1887 Claddach Baleshare, North Uist, Scotland |
| Died | 13 August 1967 (aged 80) Lochmaddy, Scotland |
| Occupation | Stonemason |
| Language | Scottish Gaelic |
| Genre | War poetry, Gaelic poetry |
| Notable works | An Eala Bhàn |
Dòmhnall Ruadh Chorùna (Red Donald of Coruna; 9 July 1887 – 13 August 1967), legally Donald MacDonald or Dòmhnall MacDhòmhnaill, was a Scottish Gaelic bard, North Uist stonemason, and veteran of the First World War. Literary historian Ronald Black has called Dòmhnall Ruadh, "The Voice of the Trenches."
He wrote An Eala Bhàn ("The White Swan"), which he composed after being wounded in action on a mission in no man's land during the Battle of the Somme. An Eala Bhàn is a love song addressed to Magaidh NicLeòid of Lochmaddy, the woman whom the bard hoped to marry. In recent years, it has been recorded by artists as diverse as Calum Kennedy, Donnie Munro, Capercaillie, and Julie Fowlis.