The
Council of Finlaggan
In 2003, the High Council of Clan Donald Chiefs
decided to reconstitute the ancient Comhairle nan Eilean (Council of the Isles) which
served as an advisory council to the Lords of the Isles. Given that
the original Council met at Finlaggan on the Island of Islay off the
west coast of Scotland, it was decided that the new Council would be
called the Council of Finlaggan. The role of the Council of
Finlaggan is to provide advice to the High Council on issues
referred to them by the Chiefs. The Council of Finlaggan may also
bring forward for the consideration of the High Council advice on
issues of concern or interest.
The members of the Council function
as the eyes and ears of the High Council; to keep the High Council
informed about issues, concerns, and developments in their
geographical areas. As was the original Council of the Isles,
membership on the Council is restricted to sixteen persons, each
appointed by the High Council, to serve at the pleasure of the High
Council. Appointments must receive the unanimous consent of all the
Chiefs. Council appointments are named after the historical
strongholds of the Lordship of the Isles.
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T�iseach and Castle Duntulm
Councillor: Major (Retd) Bruce Macdonald, South
Carolina, USA. |
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Castle Dunscaith Councillor: Allan Macdonald of Vallay, Auckland, New
Zealand. |
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Castle Dunivaig Councillor:
Audrey (Bonnie) Thompson, San Francisco,
California, USA. |
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Castle Ceapach Councillor: Donald M. Macdonald, Edinburgh, Scotland. |
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Castle Strome Councillor: James A. McDonald, Savannah, Georgia,
USA. |
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Castle Kenbane Councillor: The Honourable Hector McDonnell, Antrim,
Northern Ireland. |
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Castle Mingarry Councillor:
Douglas K MacDonald, New Hampshire, USA. |
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Castle Invergarry Councillor:
William McDonald, Milton, New Zealand. |
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Castle Dunaverty Councillor:
Malcolm C. McDonald, Queensland,
Australia. |
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Castle Ardtornish
Councillor: David Macdonald of Castle Camus, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, USA. |
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Castle Borve
Councillor: Hector MacDonald, Cambridge, England. |
The Original Council of the Isles
The original Comhairle nan Eilean is described by
17th Century historian, Hugh Macdonald of Sleat:
The constitution of the Isles was thus: Macdonald
had his Council at Island Finlaggan in Islay, to the number of
sixteen, namely: four Thanes, four Armins, that is to say Lords
or sub-Thanes, four Bastards - that is squires, or men of
competent estates who could not come up with Armins or Thanes,
that is freeholders, or men that had their land in factory, as
Macgee of the Rinds of Islay, MacNicoll in Portree in Skye, and
MacEachern, Mackay, and MacGillevray in Mull, Macillemhaoel or
Macmillan etc. There was a table of stone where the Council sat
in the Isle of Finlaggan: the which table, with the stone on
which Macdonald sat, were carried away by Argyll with the bells
that were at Iona. Moreover there was a judge in every Isle for
the discussion of all controversies, who had lands from
Macdonald for their trouble, and likewise the eleventh part of
every action decided. But there might be still an appeal to the
Council of the Isles. MacFinnon was obliged to see weights and
measures adjusted; and MacDuffie or MacPhie of Colonsay kept the
records of the Isles.
Donald Munro, Dean of the Isles writing in 1549
described the Council thus:
The Council was composed of four of the greatest
nobles, four thanes of lesser estate, and four great men of the
royal blood of Clan Donald, presided over by the Macdonald as
'Herdsman of the Isles'. The four great nobles were Maclean of
Duart, Maclean of Loch Buie, MacLeod of Harris, and MacLeod of
Lewis. The four thanes were MacKinnon, MacNeil of Barra, MacNeil
of Gigha, and one other. The four great men of Clan Donald were
the Chief of Clanranald, Maclain of Ardnamurchan, Macdonald of
Kintyre, and the chief of the Clan, Alasdair Carrach of Lochaber
(the Macdonalds of Keppoch). The Council was also attended by
the Abbot of Iona and the Bishop of the Isles.
The Modern Political Comhairle nan Eilean
The
British-Irish Council, established in 1998 following the Belfast
Agreement and subsequent devolution settlements in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland is also known as the Council of the Isles. It is an
inter-parliamentary body promoting the common interests between the
various parliamentary bodies in the British Isles,
namely: the States of Guernsey, the States of Jersey, the Oireachtas
of
Ireland, the Tynwald of the Isle of Man, the Northern
Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, the United Kingdom
Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
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