McIntyre History
The name is derived from the Gaelic 'Mac-an-T'saoir' meaning 'son of a
carpenter' which accounts for its occurrence throughout the Highlands.
By the end of the 13th century the McIntyres of Glen Noe were foresters to the
Lord of Lorn. Some became bards, Duncan of Bàn, and families of McIntyre became
hereditary pipers.
The first chief of record was Duncan who married a Campbell.
Originally the McIntyres held their land by right of sword but they had
acquired feudal obligations to the Campbells, which were purely symbolic until
the 18th century. When the Campbells of Breadalbane imposed a rent that
progressively grew too great, first Duncan, then Donald, 4th & 5th Chiefs
respectively, emigrated to America by 1806.
In 1991, the correct shield of arms was recorded by the 9th Chief and the
McIntyres once more took their seat on the Council of Clan Chiefs.
2 comments:
a charaidh choir,
I learned this tune in the 1960s from my pipe major, Donald Rory Leslie, a native speaker from Skye who served in the Cameron Highlanders in WW I. His setting was quite different from the modern settings, as it had a very "Gaelic" sound - very fierce, not at all like "London Bridge" or other tunes mentioned.
I got the words from old native speakers in Cape Breton in the 1970s. Most “translations” are very loose poetic ones that alter the meaning considerably and bear little resemblance to the actual words, which are actually fairly insulting to the Macintyres and their Campbell over-lords.
The refrain is an idiom meaning roughly “whether anyone else likes it or not!” The MacIntyres were adherents of the Campbells (aka the ”race of inciters” and “race of the night”) on the Hanoverian side - though at least some regretted being forced to serve against Charles Edward who they considered their lawful Prince, among them the great bard, Duncan Ban, who wrote a rueful account of his unwilling participation at the battle of Falkirk (Jan. 17th, 1746) where he reluctantly served under the command of Colonel Campbell of Carwhin with a borrowed sword, which he threw away in the hasty retreat.
The “Son of the son of Alasdair” was MacDonald of Glengarry, and Lochial was Cameron of Lochiel, while the “Man of Keppoch” was MacDonald of Keppoch, Cloinn 'Phearsoin was the MacPhersons, Cloinn Choinnich the MacKenzies, and Griogair the MacGregors.
It is said the air was composed by Iain Breac MacEanruig (aka Henderson - not related to the southerly Hendersons) who were hereditary pipers to the Mac lains of Glencoe.
Some say it was once a gathering tune of the MacIntyres of Cruachan, but was appropriated by the Stewarts of Appin who played it as a victory march after the battle of Pinkie in 1547 after they beat them - and then stole their march!
In 1645, after the battle of Inverlochy a new Gaelic lyric was written to a new version of the same air, and in 1715 the original version was played at the battle of Sherrifmuir. At some point, it became a Cameron piece, and in the 1745 Rising, it was played by the Camerons as they came to join Prince Charles at Glenfinnan. due to your blog’s character limitations, I will post a copy below for you, which you may use if you wish. (Attribution appreciated!)
Mise le meas,
Seamus mac an tailleur
Gabhaidh sinn an rathad mór, (3x) We’ll take the big road
Olc air mhath le cach i. Bad on good with each of it.
Olc air mhath le cloinn an t-saoir (3x) Bad on good with the clan of the sawyer
’S iad bodaich mhaol an làgain. And they (are) the bald old men of the hollows!
Dìridh sinn ri beinn an fhraoich, We’ll climb the mountain of the heather
Teàrnaidh sinn le gleann nan laogh, We’ll descend the glen of the calves
‘S chan eil fear de luchd-nam-braosg And not a man of the race-of-inciters
Nach leig sinn gaoir à mhàileid. We wouldn’t noisily deflate their belly!
Suas na' beantainn ann ar sgìab Up the mountains in our step
(alt. Thar an mhonaidh ann ar sgìab) (Across yon moor in our step)
Sios ghlinne Chomhainn le beg sgith Down Glen Coe with little fatigue
Meàrsaibh sinn ann t-anim an righ March we in the name of the King
Olc air mhath le cach i. Bad on good with each of it.
Gu Mac ‘ic Alasdair ‘s Lochial, To (the) Son of the son of Alasdair and Lochiel
Bidh iad leinn mar bha iad riamh, Be they with us as they were before
‘S fear na Ceapaich mar ar miann, And the Man of Keppoch as (is) our wish
Olc no math (air mhath) le càch siud. Bad on good with each yonder.
Thig Cloinn 'Phearsoin, feachd nam buadh Come Clan ‘Pherson, host of the victories
'S thig Cloinn Choinnich o'n taobh-tuath And come Clan Kenneth from the North side
'S mairg an dream do'n nochd iad fuath And pity the race of the night they hate
'N uair dh' eireas gruaim nam blar orr. When they cast the grim look of battle on them
Thig Clann Ghriogair, garg 'san stri Come Clan Gregor, ferocious in the strife
Stiubhartaich---'s iad sluagh an righ Stewarts, and they the race of the king
Meàrsaibh uallach: suas i ‘phiob March proudly; up it, pipes
Olc air mhath le cach e. Bad on good with each of it
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