Township: Cornaigmore

Map Reference: Cornaigmore f

Name Type: house

Meaning: House belonging to Fiona the daughter of Alan

Other Forms: Cidsin Phì - called this by an old man who lived opposite her - Mrs Chicken, Cornaigmore, 4/1995

Taigh Fionnghala - HC.

Taigh Fionnghala nighean Ailein - Iain Chaluim MacKinnon, Kilmoluaig, 6/1996

Related Places:

Information:Eilidh worked there for three years, from 1930-3, until Fionghala died aged 93. Eilidh was paid £2 a month. Fionghala's brother was a minister at St Columba's in Glasgow and she had a sister called Mairi. The sea came into the house at spring tides and Eilidh had to sweep it out. Fionnghala remembered the potato famine in 1846. Her father had kept a sack of potatoes which he would not allow the family to eat because they were being kept for planting the next year - EK.

The old schoolhouse was on this site - HMcP.

The old schoolhouse is just south of this site - WMcP.

This was the first house on Tiree to be roofed with corrugated iron. It lasted more than 100 years - Willie MacPhail, Clachan, 12/1994.

Fionnghala had a huge man working for her, Iain mac Dhmhnaill, who was the second cousin of Hugh Garra-fail’s father. He went to work there when he was 14 and stayed until he died when he was 92. He only ever saw a doctor 10 days before he died. He stayed a small bothy on the north side of the main house called Cidsin Phi. He doesn’t know how it got its name. Willie MacPhail, Clachan.
Taigh Fionghala was to the north of the school. She had a huge man working for her, Iain mac Dhòmhnaill, who was the second cousin of Hugh Garra-fail’s father. He went to work there when he was 14 and stayed until he died when he was 92. He only ever saw a doctor 10 days before he died. He stayed a small bothy on the north side of the main house called Cidsin Phi. He doesn’t know how it got its name. Ceann Taigh Fionnghala is a small part of the shore just to the north of the house. His father ‘s uncle, Lachlan MacPhail, was a deep sea captain and piper. It was he that wrote Captain Lachlan MacPhail’s Farewell to Gibraltar. He was home at the end of the First World War and they lit a bonfire at Bothag Chòrnaig as it is the highest point in the township. They got permission to burn an old 20 foot boat of the Kennedy’s from Port a’ Bhata and Lachlan cut in two. They were hauling it up to the Bothag with Iain mac Dhomhnaill at the front when the others stopped pulling and they were amazed to see that Iain could pull it by himself - WMcP.

Local Form:

Languages : Gaelic

Informants: Eilidh (bheag) Kennedy, Balevullin, 10/1993

Informant 2: Hector MacPhail, Ruaig, 4/1994

Informant 3: Hugh Campbell, Garraphail, 6/1995