Murdo mcfarlane biography of martin

Murdo Macfarlane (15 February 1901—7 November 1982; Scottish Gaelic: Murchadh MacPhàrlain) known as Bàrd Mhealboist ("the Melbost Bard")^[1] was a published poet, songwriter and campaigner for Scottish Gaelic, especially during the 1970s, when the Ceartas movement was gaining strength.

Life

Born and brought up in Melbost, Isle of Lewis, he was taught Latin, English and French but received no education in Gaelic, his mother tongue. He spent some time working for Lord Leverhulme on various schemes but eventually left to travel to North America in the 1920s and spent many years in Manitoba but did not like the place.

In 1932 he returned to Scotland and went on to national service in World War II during the years 1942–1945.

Murdo mcfarlane biography of martin luther

Following the end of the war he spent the rest of his life in Lewis and never married. He was also a strong campaigner against the enlargement of Stornoway Airport into a NATO base in the 1970s. He is the subject of a BBC doc