Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich MacDhòmhnaill (1610-13 November 1647), also known as Alexander MacDonald, was a Scottish Gaelic nobleman who fought for Confederate Ireland and the Scottish Royalists during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Biography[]
Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich MacDhòmhnaill was born in Colonsay, Hebrides, Scotland in 1610, and he belonged to Clan Donald, whose regional power and influence was waning at the time of his birth. He and his family remained Roman Catholics, his father having converted from Protestantism. He was in Ulster at the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, and, as his rival Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll was a key supporter of the Covenanters, Mac Colla sided with the Irish Confederates after January 1642. He massacred 60-90 sleeping Protestant soldiers in Portna in January 1642 before going over to Felim O'Neill's rebels, and he was present at the siege of Coleraine before being wounded at Glenmaquin in January 1642. In 1643, he led an expeditionary force to the Hebrides, but his rebels were driven back to Ireland by the Covenanters. In 1644, he led an expedition to the Scottish mainland to aid the Royalist forces there, recruiting Ulstermen from the Marquess of Antrim's estates and Irish veterans of the Spanish Army. He and James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose won a series of dramatic victories against larger, inexperienced Covenanter reserves in Scotland, and his men supported themselves by pillaging Campbell lands. As Montrose moved into the Scottish Lowlands in 1645, Mac Colla focused on regaining Macdonald possessions in the western Scottish Highlands from the Campbells. He ignored King Charles I of England's orders to surrender after the September 1645 Battle of Philiphaugh and continued to battle the Campbells until his defeat at the Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss in May 1647, after which he fled to Islay and from there to Antrim. His father was killed in retaliation for his atrocities in the Campbell country, and Alasdair promptly rejoined the Irish rebels. His Irish veterans and Scottish redshanks were split between the Leinster and Munster armies, with Mac Colla serving as a Lieutenant-General in the latter army. He successfully defended Clonmel while serving as its governor, but his army was devastated at the Battle of Dungan's Hill and the Battle of Knocknanuss. He surrendered at Knocknanuss after being promised quarter, but Major Nicholas Purdon disregarded the oath and shot Mac Colla in cold blood after he was taken prisoner.