HeyJaredThe Virtual Gael
Scholarship and commentary on Scottish Gaeldom in Scotland and the North American diaspora
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
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- Sep 29, 2026
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An Eighteenth-Century Poem In Praise of Gaelic (opens the original)
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Originally written in 2018, updated in 2026This is the third of a sequence of blog posts putting a spotlight on the fabulous treasures of Gaelic literature that were created by Perthshire Gaels.One of the most important poets of Gaelic Perthshire in the late 18th and early 19th century was Iain MacGriogair (called “John MacGregor” in English), known commonly by his nickname “Am Bard Smeatach.” He seems to have been born in Glenlyon and was identified later as belonging more specifically to Tom n
Elegy to Donald MacLaren of Callander (opens the original)
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Originally written in 2018, updated in 2026It is very encouraging to see Gaelic again receiving support and visibility in Perthshire, given that there was a large and thriving Gaelic community there for centuries, only dwindling in the twentieth century. As people in Perthshire work to restore this beautiful language and culture to its proper place on the land and in their hearts, I hope they will look to the many remains left behind by those who nurtured it for so long.I fell in love with Perth
An Athollman’s Bagpipe Song in Defense of Gaelic (opens the original)
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Originally written in 2017, updated in 2026Gaels all over the Highlands, even as far east as Strathardle, managed to cling resiliently onto their language and culture until the tumultuous changes of the nineteenth century. English pushed aggressively against Gaelic during the nineteenth century, but not without some resistance.One of those Perthshire Highlanders who defended his native language and urged others to stand fast in this era was Archibald Farquharson (1800-1878), a native of Moulin (
Angus J. Macdonald: Radical Gaelic Voice (opens the original)
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Originally written in 2013, updated in 2026Every generation or so, someone comes along who claims to come from a family or underground organization that has kept alive the wisdom of the druids, or the traditions of the ancient bards, or some such arcane knowledge. Upon further scrutiny, such claims (and the evidence of such knowledge) turn out to be bogus, but what merits consideration is the motivation of such characters and what may attract people to them, and why. “Savior figures” often appea
Sail to Quebec, Lochaber Warriors! (opens the original)
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Originally written in 2016The following song-poem was one of many excellent Gaelic texts that I could not manage to fit into the anthology Seanchaidh na Coille / Memory-Keeper of the Forest: Anthology of Scottish Gaelic Literature of Canada (see this link) due to lack of space and time. I’m presenting it here as it’s a fine example of Gaelic poetry that has received no previous public or scholarly attention, and it allows us to see the historical value of such texts.The song-poem was composed by
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