Fear thollaidh nan tighean ("The destroyer of houses")
Born
c. 1610 Colonsay, Hebrides, Scotland
Died
1647 (aged 36–37) Battle of Knocknanuss, County Cork, Ireland
Buried
Clonmeen, County Cork, Ireland
Allegiance
Irish Government (1641–1642) Irish Confederates (1642–1647) Scottish Royalists (1644–1646)
Years of service
1641–1647
Rank
Major general
Battles/wars
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Battle of Glenmaquin
Battle of Tippermuir
Battle of Aberdeen (1644)
Battle of Inverlochy (1645)
Battle of Auldearn
Battle of Kilsyth
Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss
Battle of Dunaverty
Battle of Knocknanuss †
Spouse(s)
Elizabeth MacAlister
Relations
Coll Ciotach (father)
Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich MacDhòmhnaill (c. 1610 – 13 November 1647), also known by the English variant of his name Sir Alexander MacDonald, was a military officer best known for his participation in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, notably the Irish Confederate Wars and Montrose's Royalist campaign in Scotland during 1644–5. A member of the Gaelic gentry of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg, a branch of the Clan Donald active in the Hebrides and Ireland, Mac Colla is particularly notable for the very large number of oral traditions and legends which his life inspired in the Highlands.[1]
During Montrose's campaign of 1644–5, in which the Royalist army won a series of remarkable victories, Mac Colla was given a knighthood. He died in 1647 in Ireland at the Battle of Knocknanuss.
^See Matheson, Traditions of Alasdair Mac Colla in Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Glasgow, v5 (1958), 9
and 24 Related for: Alasdair Mac Colla information
AlasdairMacColla Chiotaich MacDhòmhnaill (c. 1610 – 13 November 1647), also known by the English variant of his name Sir Alexander MacDonald, was a military...
feud between Clan MacDonald and Clan Campbell. The Royalist forces of AlasdairMacColla, supported by men of Clan MacDougall and Clan MacAulay, defeated...
His son, AlasdairMacColla, was heavily involved in the wars, fighting both in Ireland and in Scotland. From his marriage with Mary MacDonald of Sanda...
force of about 2,000 Irish Confederate troops, under the command of AlasdairMacColla, sailed to Scotland in June 1644, where they joined with Royalist...
("long knife") held in the other hand. The Scottish and Irish warrior AlasdairMacColla is sometimes credited with inventing the Highland charge during the...
After the Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss, the remaining royalist army of AlasdairMacColla fled to Kinlochkilkerran, where a fleet of birlinns transported many...
'Jacobite.' In 1644, AlasdairMacColla landed in Scotland with 1500 Irish troops to link up with the Scottish Royalists; Alasdair was from Clan Donald...
sending 2000 professional soldiers to Scotland led by Antrim's kinsman AlasdairMacColla. The Irish landed at Ardnamurchan on the west coast in early July...
Leading a force built around an Irish Confederate brigade under AlasdairMacColla, Montrose had beaten the Covenanters at Tippermuir, Aberdeen, Inverlochy...
In the 17th century the castle was besieged by the rival MacDonalds, under AlasdairMacColla. The Campbells sold Duntrune in 1792, to the Malcolms of...
the plans for an expedition came to fruition, with AlasdairMacColla (also known as Alexander MacDonnell) leading a force of men from Waterford to Scotland...
CollaMacDonnell was a son of Alexander MacDonnell, Lord of Islay and Kintyre (Cantire), and Catherine, daughter of the Lord of Ardnamurchan. He died...
mercenaries continued to come to Ireland until the 1640s (notably AlasdairMacColla). They fought under the Irish general Owen Roe O'Neill at the Battle...
of AlasdairMacCollaMacDonald, a MacDonald clansman from the Western Isles of Scotland. They included Manus O'Cahan (an Irish cousin to MacColla) and...
Kinlochkerran in 1647. Elizabeth, married AlasdairMacColla Chiotaich MacDomhnaill, son of Coll Chiotaich Mac Gillespick MacDomhnaill. Barbara, married Archibald...
a victory for the royalists, led by the Marquess of Montrose and AlasdairMacColla, over Sir John Urry and an army raised by the Covenanter-dominated...
take Ranald's place. AlasdairMacColla, aka "Alasdair the son of Colla the Left-handed MacDonald" ("AlasdairMacColla Chiotaich Mac Dhomhnaill" in Gaidhlig)...
1st Marquess of Montrose. A notable member of the Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg is AlasdairMacColla who is famed for his victories with the Royalist James...
clansmen serving under AlasdairMacColla, himself a member of a minor Hebridean branch of Clan Donald (a cadet family of Clan MacDonald of Dunnyveg). However...
sandstone. The castle was burned in 1644, when it was besieged by AlasdairMacColla during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The castle was attacked by...
Mac Domhnail's son, Séamas mac Somhairle Mac Donmhnaill, served as lieutenant to his kinsman, Alastair macColla Chiotaigh Mac Domhnaill (Alasdair Mac...
actively support the Royalist cause. Lamont then joined forces with AlasdairMacColla and invaded the lands of the Campbells. Sir James' brother, Archibald...
Global Information
Irish Government (1641–1642)
Irish Confederates (1642–1647)
Scottish Royalists (1644–1646)