From a collection of photographs relating to Balephuil.
Men L-R: John MacKay, Donald Sinclair, Willie MacNeill, Duncan MacDonald
Girls L-R: Betty Daff, Mina Lindsay
Typed transcript of Donald Sinclair, West Hynish, singing about a boat named `Eilidh a` Chuain`, 1968
Transcript of Eric Gregeen interviewing Donald Sinclair, West Hynish, in 1968. Donald sings an old song in Gaelic about a trading boat named `Eilidh a` Chuain / Helen of the Seas`, which mentions the Isle of Mann. He doesn`t know its exact origin, only that it was passed down orally through generations of his family. Created on A3 paper using a typewriter. The transcript is labelled SA 1968/246/A1, suggesting that it may also be available on CD from Pròiseact Thiriodh, School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh.
Notes regarding audio recordings made on Tiree in 1972 and 1974
Two folders of handwritten notes made by Eric Cregeen while he was recording Tiree people speaking onto cassette tape during 1972 and 1974, plus a map of Balephuil, Balinoe and Barrapol annotated with the names of people living in each house. People recorded in notes: Donald Sinclair, Hector Kennedy – Balephuil, John Brown – Balephuil, John MacLean – Kilmoluaig, John MacLean – Cornaigbeg. Subjects covered include ancestry, Gaelic prose and songs, people living nearby, second sight, place names, shebeens, building construction, poverty, weather, schools, food, shops, water supplies, emigrants, rents, skeleton, confrontations, ferries and ships, literacy, crofts, Pairc na Coille, wars, Land Leagues, churches, illnesses.
Mini-disk SA1958/4.
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil sings three Gaelic songs: a eulogy to Hector MacLean, ‘Mo Nighean Donn a Còrnaig’ and ‘Pìobaireachd Dhòmhnaill Dhuibh’ and tells a bawdy story.
Mini-disk SA1968/25.
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil sings a song about the loss of a sailor, talks about the exploits of Donald Lamont of Ruaig, funeral customs, a type of kilt worn on Tiree, playing shinty on Sundays, whey-making, a well Tobar na Naoi Beò, sings three Gaelic songs, talks about games old men would play with young lads, recites a verse of a song about the Balephuil drowning, tells and anecdote about what his father believed, sings a humorous song about Calum MacArthur in Glasgow, talks about the Balemartine bard, gives a saying about guns, sings a Gaelic song and another by John MacLean, tells a story about a fool and his gold, a humorous anecdote about his great-grandmother, sings four more Gaelic songs, tells a story about sighting fairies and another about a sailing disaster and sings another Gaelic song.
Mini-disk SA1968/38.
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil sings ‘Bràigh Rùsgaich’, talks about the tacksman of Grianal Niall Dubh, sings ‘Lachlann ’ic Nèill ’ic Lachlainn’ and ‘Solbhag Bheag’, talks about Coinneach Odhar, recites part of a song about the ‘Black School’, the supernatural powers of Iain Dubh MacLeod and a boy who could perform magic, sings ‘Gillean Ghleann Dail’ and ‘MacGriogair o Ruadh Shruth’, talks about technical terms used on boats, sings a sailing song, talks about molluscs and their uses, sings a fragment of another song and talks some more about the Grianal tacksman.
CD Pròiseact Thiriodh CD-SA1960-70
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil tells tales about Fionn in search of the Feinne, Ossian’s last days in Skye, St Patrick’s levy and the deaths of Oscar, Diarmid and Cù Chuillin.
CD Pròiseact Thiriodh CD-SA1968-28
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil sings three Gaelic songs, talks about wandering minstrels, tells an obscene story, sings a love songs and one in praise of companionship, talks about the clan Brown, sings a song about a boat, talks about one of the Browns from Balephuil, second sight, sings a Gaelic love song, a humorous song by Mary Flora MacPhail of Cornaig, a woman’s love song for a sailor and two more Gaelic songs, give a saying about a lazy man and another popular saying, sings a song about the first boat fishing after the Balephuil disaster and a sailor’s song, a song about the Rennies and one about a thin horse, gives a saying about ravens and their eggs, sings a Gaelic love song, gives a fragment of a folktale, sings two fragments of Ossianic ballads and talks about his father’s storytelling.
Mini-disk SA1960/70.
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil tells tales about Fionn in search of the Feinne, Ossian’s last days in Skye, St Patrick’s levy and the deaths of Oscar, Diarmid and Cù Chuillin.
Mini-disk SA1968/28.
Donald Sinclair (Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin) of Balephuil sings three Gaelic songs, talks about wandering minstrels, tells an obscene story, sings a love songs and one in praise of companionship, talks about the clan Brown, sings a song about a boat, talks about one of the Browns from Balephuil, second sight, sings a Gaelic love song, a humorous song by Mary Flora MacPhail of Cornaig, a woman’s love song for a sailor and two more Gaelic songs, give a saying about a lazy man and another popular saying, sings a song about the first boat fishing after the Balephuil disaster and a sailor’s song, a song about the Rennies and one about a thin horse, gives a saying about ravens and their eggs, sings a Gaelic love song, gives a fragment of a folktale, sings two fragments of Ossianic ballads and talks about his father’s storytelling.