Lorn Archaeological & Historical Society are hosting a celebration of the 300th birthday of Duncan Ban MacIntyre here in Oban next March with an esteemed university researcher of our favourite local and nationally renowned Gaelic poet.
Dr Anja Gunderloch has agreed to come and speak on one of her favourite research topics
Dr Anja Gunderloch is engaged in researching the work of Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir, one of the famous Gaelic poets of the eighteenth century, whose work covers praise, love, humour, satire, and nature. Donnchadh Bàn’s poetry contains both traditional and innovative elements and, in combination with his skill at detailed description and his ability to laugh at himself, this makes him a quite irresistible figure in the field of Gaelic literature. A poet without much formal education, Donnchadh Bàn nevertheless saw three editions of his work published in his lifetime and his songs offer insights into how ‘oral’ and ‘literary’ aspects are intertwined in Gaelic poetry. Two editions were published by subscription, and the lists of subscribers contain a great deal of previously unconsidered information about the many different individuals from all walks of life who bought Gaelic books at the turn of the nineteenth century.
https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/anja-gunderloch
Duncan Ban MacIntyre was born 20th March 1724 at Druimlairt, Glenorchy.
A shepherd, forester, keeper for Campbell of Breadalbane he lived in a number of places in our area, before moving to Edinburgh.
Unable to write his evocative poems of our local area and the times were transcribed by others for publication.
He became one of the most renowned of Scotlands Gaelic poets.