Donal MacLean's Coo

Contributors

Mitchell, William Sinclair, 1904-1986 (2175) Mitchell, Catherine Margaret, 1942-2007 (6505)

Fieldworkers

Henderson, Hamish, 1919-2002 (10)

Date December 1956

Track ID 49929

Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1956.171.A2

Original Tape ID

SA1956.171

Summary

Outside Campbeltown lives a man called Donald Maclean. His grass is bare and despite his prayers his cow dies, cursed by a witch. His friend wants to bury it but Donald vows to eat it though it is tough and smells terrible and the others would rather eat stones.

Willie Mitchell got the song from Annie MacDonald (Mrs Colville), at Plantation. Her father was a level-crossing keeper.

Item Notes

8 verses plus last 2 repeated. In the discussion of the song in Tocher 31 (p. 18), 'Colville' is mistakenly transcribed as 'Caldwell'.

Item Subject/Person

Maclean, Donald

Recording Location

County - Argyllshire

Parish - Campbeltown

Village/Place - Campbeltown

Language

English

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good