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TheGallowglass (also spelledgalloglass,gallowglas orgalloglas; fromIrish:gallóglaigh meaning "foreign warriors") were a class of elitemercenarywarriors who were principally members of theNorse-Gaelic clans of Ireland and Scotland between themid 13th century and late 16th century. It originally applied toScots, who shared a common background and language with theIrish, but as they were descendants of 10th-centuryNorse settlers who had intermarried with the local population inwestern Scotland, the Irish called themGall Gaeil ("foreign Gaels").[1]
An early family of gallowglasses was theMacSweeneys, settled by theO'Donnells in north Donegal. These were followed byMacDonnells,MacAlisters,MacCabes and several other groups settled by powerful Irish nobles in different areas. The gallowglasses were attractive as heavily armoured, trained infantry to be relied upon as a strong defence for holding a position, unlike most Irish foot soldiers, who were less well armoured than the typical Irish noble who fought as cavalry.
They were a significant part of Irish infantry before the advent ofgunpowder, and depended upon seasonal employment byIrish clan chiefs. An Irish military leader would often choose a gallowglass to serve as his personal aide and bodyguard because, as a foreigner, a gallowglass would be less influenced by the internal feuds over dynastic succession within thederbhfine of theIrish clans.
TheIrish languagegallóglach is derived fromgall "foreign" andóglach; fromOld Irishoac (meaning "youth") and Old Irishlóeg (meaning "calf" but later becoming a word for a "hero"). The Old Irish language pluralgallóglaigh is literally "foreign young warriors".(The modern Irish plural isgalloglagh.)
According to theOxford English Dictionary (OED), the English language singular, gallowglass, is ananglicisation of Old Irish pluralgallóglaigh,[4] rather than the singular. The OED, which prefers the spelling "galloglass", provides examples of various English plural forms, dating back to ac. 1515 use of "galloglasseis". The OED states that the conventional English plural, gallo(w)glasses, is "probably the result" of the duplicate, redundant plural suffix-es being added to the Irish plural.[4] (The OED notes that while the modern Irish pluralgalloglagh appears to be "etymologically correct", it is recorded later than English gallowglasses.) For instance,Shakespeare uses the form "gallowglasses" inMacbeth.[1] The OED adds that "galloglasses is found ... in our earliest quot," even though "in some early instances", a relatively early, alternate English plural form,galloglas, is also used.[4] Hence, English gallowglass is probably a singularised form, which post-dates the plural, gallowglasses.
The gallowglass were from the western coast of Scotland, principallyArgyll and theWestern Isles.[5] Their weapons were swords and axes. Each was usually accompanied by a man to take care of his weapons and armour and a boy to carry provisions.
A description from 1600 speaks of the gallowglass as "pycked and seelected men of great and mightie bodies, crewell without compassion. The greatest force of the battell consisteth in them, chosinge rather to dye then to yeelde, so that when yt cometh to handy blowes they are quickly slayne or win the feilde".[6][7]
The first record of gallowglass service was in1259, whenAedh Ó Conchobair,King of Connacht, received a dowry of 160 Scottish warriors from the daughter ofDubhghall mac Ruaidhrí, theKing of the Hebrides. They were organised into groups known as acorrughadh, which consisted of about 100 men.
The importation of gallowglasses into Ireland was a major factor in containing theAnglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century, as their ranks stiffened the resistance of the Irish lordships. Throughout theMiddle Ages in Ireland, gallowglass troops were maintained by Gaelic Irish andHiberno-Norman lords alike. Even the EnglishLord Deputy of Ireland usually kept a company of them in his service.
In return for military service, gallowglass contingents were given land and settled in Irish lordships, where they were entitled to receive supplies from the local population.
By 1512, there were reported to be fifty-nine groups throughout the country under the control of the Irish nobility. Though initially they were mercenaries, over time they settled and their ranks became filled with both Scots-Norse and many native Irish men.
In 1569,Turlough Luineach O'Neill (the O'Neill) marriedLady Agnes Campbell, daughter ofColin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll, and widow ofJames MacDonald, 6th of Dunnyveg. Her dowry consisted of at least 1,200 gallowglass fighters. Along with two young men as support and friends on top to assist or fight this could easily have numbered over 5,000 current and future gallowglasses coming into the area.[8]
They were noted for wielding the massive two-handedsparth axe (a custom noted byGeraldus Cambrensis, died c. 1223, to have derived from their Norse heritage) and broadsword orclaymore (claidheamh mór). For armour, the gallowglass wore amail shirt over a padded jacket and an iron helmet; he was usually accompanied by two boys (like a knight'ssquires), one of whom carried histhrowing spears while the other carried his provisions.
Shakespeare mentions gallowglasses inMacbeth, although along with other aspects of the play it is an anachronism, as thehistorical Macbeth lived in the 11th century:
The merciless Macdonwald,
Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villainies of nature
Do swarm upon him, from the Western isles
Ofkerns and gallowglasses is supplied
In the paper "A Description of the Power of Irishmen", written early in the 16th century, the Irish forces ofLeinster are numbered at 522 horses and five battalions of gallowglass (gallóglaigh) and 1,432kerne, and those of the other provinces were in like proportion.Mac Cárthaigh Mór commanded 40 horses, two battalions of gallowglass, and 2,000 kerne; theEarl of Desmond 400 horses, three battalions of gallowglass, and 3,000 kerne, besides a battalion of crossbowmen and gunners, the smaller chieftains supplying each their quota of men.
In 1517, "when the reformacion of the countrye was taken in hand", it was reported that the Irish forces inThomond were 750 horses, 2,324 kerne, and six "batayles" of gallowglass, the latter including 60 to 80 footmen harnessed with spears; each of these had a man to bear his harness, some of whom themselves carried spears or bows.
Every kerne had a bow, a "skieve" or quiver, three spears, a sword, and askene orsgian (Irishscian or Scottish Gaelicsgian), each two of them having a lad to carry their weapons. The horsemen had two horses apiece, some three, the second bearing the "knave" or his attendant.
The 16th century in Ireland saw an escalation in military conflict, caused by theTudor conquest of Ireland. Gallowglass fighters were joined by native Irish mercenaries calledbuanadha (literally "quartered men") and by newer Scottish mercenaries known as "redshanks". During theFirst Desmond Rebellion,Lord President of MunsterSir William Drury ordered the execution of 700 captured gallowglasses.[citation needed]
Despite the increased use of firearms in Irish warfare, gallowglasses remained an important part ofHugh Ó Neill's forces in theNine Years' War. After the combined Irish defeat at theBattle of Kinsale in 1601, recruitment of gallowglasses waned, although Scottish Highland mercenaries continued to come to Ireland until the 1640s (notablyAlasdair Mac Colla). They fought under the Irish generalOwen Roe O'Neill at theBattle of Benburb when O'Neill had an overwhelming victory in 1646. The gallowglasses of theMac Cárthaigh Riabhaigh are recorded as having attackedMallow inCounty Cork as late as 1645.[citation needed]
Images of gallowglasses fighting as mercenaries in European mainland armies were sketched byDürer in 1521 and later by French and Dutch artists.[9] Gallowglasses served in theDutch Blue Guards,Swiss Guard, the FrenchScottish Guard, and the forces of KingGustavus Adolphus of Sweden in his invasion ofLivonia during theThirty Years' War.[citation needed]
Millford in County Donegal, historically called Ballynagalloglagh (from Irish:Baile na nGallóglach), is a small town and townland whose Irish name means "town of the gallowglasses".[10] A battle between the Irish (helped by gallóglaigh) and the English took place on a hill in the townland and this is where the name comes from.
the town of the gallowglasses
