MyGlasgow News

The following tribute has been paid to Professor Donald MacAulay, Professor of Celtic at the University from 1991–96 who died earlier this year. It has just been published in the College of Arts Newsletter. 

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An t-Ollamh Dòmhnall MacAmhlaigh: Gàidheal, Bàrd agus Sgoilear / Professor Donald MacAulay: Gaelic, Poet and Scholar (1930–2017)

Dh’eug an t-Ollamh Dòmhnall MacAmhlaigh aig aois 86 bliadhna air an 28mh dhen Ghearran 2017. Rugadh e ann an 1930, agus chaidh àrach air eilean Bheàrnaraigh, far eilean Leòdhais. An dèidh a chuid foghlaim ann am Bun-sgoil Bheàrnaraigh, Sgoil MhicNeacail ann an Steòrnabhagh agus Oilthigh Obar Dheathain, far an d’ fhuair e ceum urramach aig a’ chiad ìre ann an Ceiltis agus Beurla ann an 1953, sgrùd e Ceiltis, Seann Bheurla agus Seann Lochlannais aig Colaiste Emmanuel ann an Drochaid a’ Cham agus cheumnaich e ann an 1955. Rinn e a Sheirbheis Nàiseanta ann an roinn na Ruisis anns a’ Chabhlaich Rìoghail bho 1955-57. Bha e a’ teagasg Cànan na Beurla agus Cànanachas Coitcheann aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann (1958-60) mus do ghluais e gu Baile Àtha Cliath, far an robh e na òraidiche ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann ann an Colaiste na Trianaid, Baile Àtha Cliath (1960–63). Bho 1963 gu 1967 bha e na òraidiche ann an Cànanachas Gnìomhach aig Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann. Ann an 1967 chaidh e gu Oilthigh Obar Dheathain mar Cheannard Roinn na Ceiltis agus mar Àrd-Òraidiche (agus an uair sin na Leughadair) ann an Ceiltis, far an robh e airson 24 bliadhna.

Ann an 1991 thàinig e a Ghlaschu gus Cathair na Ceiltis a ghabhail, mar a rinn Aonghas MacMhathain agus Ruairidh MacThòmais roimhe. Na ùine ghoirid anns an dreuchd, chuir e atharrachaidhean cudromach an sàs, leithid leasachadh nan cùrsaichean agus prògraman ann an Sìobhaltas nan Ceilteach, a bha e air a leasachadh cuideachd ann an Obar Dheathain. Bha na gluasadan ùr-nòsach sin nam bun-stèidh air atharrachadh agus soirbheas na roinne anns na bliadhnaichean an dèidh sin. Leig e dheth a dhreuchd ann an 1996.

Bha a’ bhàrdachd ùr-ghnàthach aige air a foillseachadh ann an Seóbhrach ás a’ Chlaich (1967) agus anns an leabhar chudromach Nua-Bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig: Modern Scottish Gaelic Poems (1976),  a dheasaich e fhèin. Bha an leabhar seo na leabhar deimhinnte fad ginealach air dè dìreach a bh’ ann an nua-bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig. Nochd an leabhar àlainn Deilbh is Faileasan ann an 2008, anns an robh cruinneachadh de chuid bàrdachd ùr agus bàrdachd nach deach fhoillseachadh, cuide ris a’ bhàrdachd a chaidh fhoillseachadh roimhe. Bha e na neach-deasachaidh air Scottish Gaelic Studies bho 1978 gu 1996, agus na neach-deasachaidh air an leabhar shoirbheachail, The Celtic Languages (CUP, 1992). Ged a b’ e duine air leth ionnsaichte a bh’ ann agus a bhiodh a’ foillseachadh air iomadh raon de litreachas na Gàidhlig, b’ e cànachas na Gàidhlig a phrìomh raon eòlais agus sgrìobh e air a’ chuspair seo le sàr shoilleireachd agus ghèiread. Dh’fhaodte an aon rud a ràdh mu chuid obrach cànanachais ’s a tha e fhèin ag ràdh anns an dàn A’ Cheiste mu a dhreuchd mar bhàrd:

Ghineadh dhomhsa faillean,
à spàrn dhiamhair;
dh’fhàs e tromham craobhach;
chuir mi romham gum fàsadh e dìreach.

B’ e duine treibhdhireach agus dealasach a bh’ ann agus sàr-Ghàidheal, bàrd agus ollamh air an robh sinn cho measail agus dhan tug sinn uile spèis. B’ e duine iriseal, umhail a bh’ ann agus tha sinn uile ag ionndrainn a chuid eirmseachd agus àbhachdais. Bha e fìor mhath air oileanaich, bàird agus luchd-sgrùdaidh na b’ òige a bhrosnachadh.

Tha banntrach Dhòmhnaill, Ella, a phòs e ann an 1957, an nighean aca, Cathlin, còignear oghaichean agus dithis iar-oghaichean, a’ caoidh Dhòmhnaill. Dh’eug am mac, Iain, anns a’ Ghiblean 2016. Tha barrachd fiosrachaidh mun Ollamh MacAmhlaigh agus a chuid bàrdachd, le earrannan bhidio dhen bhàrd fhèin, rim faighinn air Làrach nam Bàrd, aig a’ BhBC an seo.

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Professor Emeritus Donald MacAulay died at the age of 86 on 28 February 2017. Born in 1930, he was raised on the island of Bernera, off Lewis. Following his education at Bernera School, the Nicholson Institute in Stornoway and at Aberdeen University, where he graduated with first class honours in Celtic and English in 1953, he studied Celtic, Old English and Old Norse at Emmanuel College Cambridge, graduating in 1955. He did his National Service in the Royal Navy’s Russian language section during 1955–57. He taught in English Language and General Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh (1958–60) before moving to Dublin, where he lectured in Irish at Trinity College Dublin (1960–63). In the period 1963 to 1967 he lectured in Applied Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. In 1967 he joined the University of Aberdeen as Head of the Department of Celtic and Senior Lecturer (later Reader) in Celtic, where he remained for 24 years.

In 1991 he came to Glasgow to take up the Chair of Celtic, following in the footsteps of Angus Matheson and Derick Thomson before him. In his short tenure he introduced important changes, such as the development of courses and programmes in Celtic Civilisation, which he had previously developed in Aberdeen. These crucial innovations underpinned the later evolution and success of the department. He retired in 1996.

His innovative poetry was published in Seóbhrach as a’ Chlaich (‘Primrose out of a Stone’) (1967) and in the highly influential Nua-Bhàrdachd Ghàidhlig: Modern Scottish Gaelic Poems (1976), which he edited. This volume more or less defined modern Gaelic poetry for a generation. More recently his beautifully produced Deilbh is Faileasan (‘Images and Reflections’) appeared in 2008, which included a selection of previous work alongside new and unseen poems. He was editor of Scottish Gaelic Studies from 1978 to 1996, and editor of the hugely successful The Celtic Languages (CUP, 1992). Although he was deeply learned in and published on aspects of the Gaelic literary tradition, his main expertise was in the area of Gaelic linguistics, on which he wrote with unique and incisive clarity. What he said in his poem A’ Cheiste (‘The Question’) in reference to his calling as a poet could apply equally to his linguistic work:

Ghineadh dhomhsa faillean,
à spàrn dhiamhair;
dh’fhàs e tromham craobhach;
chuir mi romham gum fàsadh e dìreach.

‘A tree was for me engendered
by some mysterious striving;
its branches spread through me;
I decided it should grow undeformed.’

The sincerity and integrity evidenced here very much captures the very essence of the person, the sàr-Ghàidheal, the bàrd and scholar we all admired and respected so much. Donald was a humble man, a modest man whose encapturing wit and humour we all miss greatly. He was a great encourager of students, of poets and of younger scholars. 

Donald is survived by his wife Ella, whom he married in 1957, their daughter, Cathlin, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Their son, Iain, died in April 2016. Further information on Professor MacAulay and his poetry, including clips of video interviews with the poet himself, can be seen at the BBC resource Làrach nam Bàrd by clicking here.

Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh

 

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First published: 28 June 2017