Neil MacLeod, The Polbain Bard, 1855-1922
THE TROWEL IN MY HAND
This collection of poems is the only known surviving work of Neil MacLeod, the Polbain Bard.
His verse, transcribed and translated here for the first time by Roderick Macleod, gives us a glimpse back into Polbain, in Coigach, at the end of the 19th century, where a vibrant, oral Gaelic tradition was very much alive.
This is Gaelic poetry in a rich and vibrant form, full of images of boats, fishing, hardships, wild rocky reefs, loves lost and gained, enforced clearances and poverty.
The verse brings to life the Gaelic community of Polbain, and what was recorded just in time is now preserved here as a testament to Neil MacLeod and his like.
Roddie Macleod
The work done to collate and archive the verse of Neil MacLeod was done by my late father Roderick Macleod of 'Springwell', 204 Polbain, in Coigach, seated here at the shore of the family croft.
In 2013, film director, artist and Beta Band musician John Maclean created his first feature film “Slow West”, starring Michael Fassbender, and asked local accordionist Ali ‘Beag’ MacLeod, artist Will Maclean (John’s father) and myself to perform traditional music in a short scene in a croft house setting. Ali ‘Beag’ also recreated the rendition of the Polbain Bard’s song “Am Bata Uaine”. He did this in the style of Johnny Ali Mackenzie of Polbain, recreating the original recording done in the 1950’s at a house ceilidh in 203 Polbain with elderly Gaelic speaking family.
Will Maclean - tromb, Kevin Macleod - mandolin & Ali 'Beag' MacLeod - accordion
Ali 'Beag' MacLeod & DOP Robbie Ryan, Coigach Community Hall, December 2013
It was a joy to see top Director of Photography, Robbie Ryan absorbed and fascinated by Ali Beag’s rendition, and charismatic company. A memorable moment that I managed to film.
Duncan MacLeod of Migdale is a family member from the my father’s maternal Macleod’s of Achiltibuie Post Office in Coigach. Lucky enough to be in an era when Gaelic has seen a revival in use and tuition, Duncan, a very fine singer, has dipped into the material that his forebear Roddie Macleod had collected and published. Keeping the material alive has been major desire of ours, so hearing this beautiful rendition is most pleasing.
We were invited to give a talk about the life and works of Neil Macleod at the 2011 Ullapool Book Festival. It was very well received, and a tremendous experience for us all to do, This is a video of the talk, given by my late father Roddie Macleod.
The only known photograph of Neil MacLeod, The Polbain Bard, (1855 - 1922 approx.)
This was filmed at the launch party of Ali ‘Beag’ MacLeod and Kevin Macleod’s duet cd “Braes of Badentarbat” in the Coigach Community Hall, July 2010.
This was an impromptu introduction by Roddie Macleod to the poetry and world of Neil MacLeod, known in the late 19th century in Coigach as 'The Polbain Bard'. Three of his few poems are spoken on the cd in Gaelic by Roddie Macleod.
Several of the Polbain Bard's verses were recited in Gaelic by Roddie Macleod and set to music on the cd "The Braes of Badentarbat", made by Kevin Macleod and Ali 'Beag' MacLeod. These tracks are available to download on the SHOP page here - Shop & Downloads — Kevin Macleod
Two of the Polbain Bard’s poems have been interpreted in a live setting. Freeland Barbour composed an improvisation for ‘Orain Badantarbairt’ which was performed live at the 2016 Celtic Connections launch of his collection of music entitled ‘The Music and the Land’.
A second performance took place in 2022 at Will Maclean’s major retrospective exhibition ‘Points of Departure’. Allan MacDonald of Glenuig recited ‘Am Bata Uaine’, accompanied by his Scottish smallpipes.
James Robertson, Roddie Macleod & Kevin Macleod, Ullapool Book Festival, 2011