Donald Balloch MacDonald (

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

: ''Dòmhnall Ballach Mac Dhòmhnaill'') was a Scottish-Gaelic lord who died about 1476.

Biography

Donald Balloch MacDonald was a son of

John Mór Tanister John Mór Tanister MacDonald (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eòin Mòr Tànaiste Mac Dhòmhnaill'', aka ''Iain Mac Dhòmhnaill''), Scottish-Gaelic lord, died 1427. Biography MacDonald was the second son of John of Islay, Lord of the Isles and Princess M ...

and Margery Byset, daughter of MacEoin Bisset, Lord of The Glens. He was the second lord of

Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, also known as Clan Donald South, ''Clan Iain Mor, Clan MacDonald of Islay and Kintyre, MacDonalds of the Glens (Antrim)'' and sometimes referred to as ''MacDonnells'', is a Scottish clan and a branch of Clan Donald. T ...

, also known as Lord of Dunyvaig and the Glens. He succeeded to the lordship after his father was murdered by James Campbell (the agent of

James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and ...

) after a scheduled meeting called at the king's request on the Isle of

Islay Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...

in 1427. King James had James Campbell executed, but Campbell protested that it was done under the orders of the king. Known as a military leader, at 18 years of age, Donald Balloch was chosen to lead

Clan Donald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald or Clan McDonald ( ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. Historically the chiefs of the Clan Donald held the title of Lord of the Isles until 1493 and two of those chiefs a ...

in their revenge for the King's treachery and the humiliation of their chief, Alexander Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, aka

Alexander of Islay, Earl of Ross Alexander of Islay or Alexander MacDonald (died 1449; ) was a medieval Scottish nobleman who succeeded his father Domhnall of Islay as Lord of the Isles (1423–1449), later rising to the rank of Earl of Ross (1436–49). His lively career, ...

when he surrendered to the king at Holyrood in 1429. The whole strength of Clan Donald was mustered under Donald Balloch. The royal army was encamped in Lochaber at Inverlochy Castle under the Earls of Mar and Caithness. The resulting Battle of Inverlochy was a resounding victory for Clan Donald. Thus, once more, Alexander Stewart, Earl of Mar, had underestimated the might of Clan Donald, and the result was a complete rout and a great slaughter. Mar escaped wounded but Caithness was killed. Subsequently, Donald Balloch returned with his booty to the Isles and from there to his lands in Antrim in Ireland. In response, King James demanded of Hugh Buy O'Neill, an Irish chief in Ulster, that Donald be captured and sent dead or alive to the king. Instead, a pickled head was presented by Odo, Prince of Connaught to King James.Chronicle of the Earls of Ross, p. 11-12. But it was not that of Donald, who lived many years beyond this, a great hero. While Donald did not lose his head, he did lose his heart to O'Neill's daughter who he afterwards married. After the death of King James I, he returned to Dunnyveg on Islay in 1437. He died on an

islet An islet ( ) is generally a small island. Definitions vary, and are not precise, but some suggest that an islet is a very small, often unnamed, island with little or no vegetation to support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/ ...

upon Loch Gruinart, Islay about 1476.

Family

By his first wife Johanna, daughter of Conn O'Neill of Eden-duff-carrick Edenduffcarrick, prince of the Clandeboye O'Neills in Antrim. They had; * John Mor MacDonald, m. Sabina O'Neill, daughter of Phelim Bacagh O'Neill *Margaret, b. c. 1414 married Ruari MacDonald, 3rd of Clan Ranald. By his second wife Joan, daughter of O'Donnell, Lord of Tyrconnell, they had; *Agnes, who married Thomas Bannatyne of Knraes.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:MacDonald, Donald Balloch 1476 deaths Nobility from Argyll and Bute

Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

15th-century Scottish nobility 15th-century Irish landowners Medieval Gaels Medieval Gaels from Scotland Scottish clan chiefs