Domhnall Dubh

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Domhnall Dubh (died 1545), in English Donald the Black, was a Scottish nobleman. He was the son of Aonghas Óg of Clann Domhnaill, and claimant to the Lordship of the Isles, which had been held by his grandfather Eoin MacDomhnaill.

His grandfather's lordship was forfeited to the crown in 1493. However, an earlier forfeiture of 1476 had led to Domhnall's father Aonghas turning against Eoin. Aonghas became an enemy of both his father and the Scottish crown, both of which he successfully defeated before being murdered by his Irish musician in 1490. Following Aonghas' death in 1490, the crown lauched a new campaign against the rebels of the north-west and the infant Domhnall Dubh was captured by Cailean I, Earl of Argyll. Domhnall was imprisoned in Innischonnel Castle in Loch Awe.

Domhnall escaped in 1501 with the aid of Torcall MacLeoid, who may have had the connivance of the earl of Argyll. Torcall was looking for a way to resist the power of his enemy Alexander Gordon, the earl of Huntly, who was acting as the King's lieutenant. On August 13, 1502, a royal council decreed that Torcall was guilty of rebellion and had no right to the lands under his possession. Huntly was ordered to gather forces in the north and take possession of the MacLeoid lands. Moreover, the king prepared to deliver Eion, now a semi-retired courtier, back to the lordship in order to counter the effect given by the presence of Domhnall Dubh. Eion, however, never made the trip. Eion took ill and died at Dundee in 1503. Torcall and his ally Lachlan MacGill'Eain of Duart took the offensive against Huntly, and in December 1503 invaded and wrought devastation to Huntly's Lordship of Badenoch. The royal island of Bute was also attacked by the islesmen. The revolt continued until 1506, by which time Lachlan MacGill'Eain had been detached from the cause, and Huntly's forces were able to isolate Torcall and Domhnall in the Outer Hebrides. Domhnall was captured by September 1506.

He remained in captivity for 37 years until he was released in 1543. The north-west rose in revolt once more. After securing an alliance with England, Domhnall found himself in with a good chance of resurrecting the lordship. However, this chance was destroyed when Domhnall died at Drogheda, Ireland, in 1545.

[edit] References

• MacDougall, Norman, "Achilles' Heel? The Earldom of Ross, the Lordship of the Isles, and the Stewart Kings, 1449-1507", in Edward J. Cowan & R. Andrew McDonald (eds.), Alba: Celtic Scotland in the Medieval Era, (Edinburgh, 2000), pp. 248-75
• Oram, Richard, "The Lordship of the Isles, 1336-1545", in Donald Omand (ed.) The Argyll Book, (Edinburgh, 2005), pp. 123-39