Duncan Johnston | Donnchadh MacIain (20 August 1881, Lagavulin, Islay – 20 July 1947, Glasgow) was a poet born and brought up in Islay. After serving in WWI, he settled in Glasgow, worked at the library of the University of Glasgow, and continued to compose poetry. He received the Bardic crown at the National Mòd in Perth (1929). His songs were published in the volume Crònan nan Tonn.
Erskine translated Johnston’s story, ‘Dòmhnull Ruadh a’ Bhuinne,’ which originally appeared in Guthan o na Beanntaibh (1927), ed. John MacDonald, as ‘Red Donald of Hill-Foot’ and included it in The Old Tribute (1929).
Publications in Erskine’s Periodicals
- ‘Aoir air na h-Eòin’ [poetry, GD], Volume X, Issue 2 (Spring 1913)
- ‘Cumha Eabh’ [translation from Old Irish, GD], Volume X, Issue 1 (Winter 1913)
- ‘Marabh-Rann do Niall MacLeòid’, Volume XI, Issue 1 (Spring 1914)
- ‘An Guth’ [poetry, GD], Volume IV (1930)
- ‘Red Donald of the Hill-Foot’ [prose, ENG; translated from Gaelic by Ruaraidh Erskine], Issue 8, Volume I (June 1928)
Resources
- Ronald Black, ‘Duncan Johnston (Donnchadh MacIain) 1881–1947,’ An Tuil: Anthology of Twentieth-Century Gaelic Verse (Edinburgh: Polygon, 1999)
- Lachlan MacKinnon (ed.), ‘Donnchadh MacIain,’ Bàird a’ Chomuinn (1953)