Township poets like MacNeacail, whose witty, intelligent repartee was so popular at c ilidhs, composed songs of love and emotion, songs about local history, elegiac songs and biting satires that, without naming names, left no one in doubt as to who was being lampooned. Many of these songs were, of course, exercises in composition, making lain and Aonghas vernacular versions of the court bard. These features, which may seem awkward in a reading context, are typical of oral township poetry. While these songs are about issues and events, they are usually not narrative songs in the Anglo-American ballad sense. There is a story behind each song, as we have seen in Iain's desire to set the scene for each one, but they largely depend on the audience knowing the story and the characters already.
Narrative is important, but it is taken for granted.
According to Somhairle MacGill-Eam, 'all poetry reflects social phenomena,' but to MacNeacail and the older generation of islanders, a song is as much a personal expression of emotion and the need to communicate. It is used, as 6 Madagain says, referring to both Irish and Scottish Gaelic song, 'on occasions when feelings were such that ordinary speech was inadequate'. He goes on to state that this function has 'largely been lost to characteristic Western society'. MacNeacail, however, retains it as part of his everyday life for which it provides 'a vehicle for the expression of ideas and emotions not revealed in ordinary discourse'. If you are interested in ordering you have two options either going through our open book to use a credit card or you can phone or send cash by going here.