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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
The '''Gallowglass''' (also spelled '''galloglass''', '''gallowglas''' or '''galloglas'''; from {{lang-ga|gallóglaigh}} meaning "foreign warriors") were a class of elite [[mercenary]] [[warrior]]s who were principally members of the [[Norse-Gaels|Norse-Gaelic]] clans of Ireland and Scotland between the [[Scotland in the High Middle Ages|mid 13th century and late 16th century]]. It originally applied to [[Scottish people|Scots]], who shared a common background and language with the [[Irish people|Irish]], but as they were descendants of 10th-century [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlers who had intermarried with the local population in [[Scottish Highlands|western Scotland]], the Irish called them {{lang|ga|Gall Gaeil}} ("foreign Gaels").<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=McMahon |first1=Sean |title=Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase & Fable |last2=O'Donoghue |first2=Jo |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |year=2004 |isbn=0304363340 |location=London |pages=324 |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Roscommon St. Mary's Priory Choir Tomb 2014 08 28 crop 2.jpg|thumb|Fifteenth-century sculpted figures of Gallowglass<ref>Halpin; Newman (2006) p. 244; Simms (1998) p. 78; Simms (1997) pp. 111 fig. 5.3, 114 fig. 5.6; Halpin (1986) p. 205; Crawford, HS (1924).</ref> as depicted upon the apparent effigy of [[Felim O'Connor (d. 1265)|Feidhlimidh Ó Conchobhair]], [[List of kings of Connacht|King of Connacht]]<ref>Halpin; Newman (2006) p. 244; Verstraten (2002) p. 11; Crawford, HS (1924).</ref> and father of [[Áed na nGall]], victor of [[Battle of Áth an Chip|the Battle of Connacht]].]]
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An early family of gallowglasses was the [[Clan Sweeney|MacSweeneys]], settled by the [[O'Donnell dynasty|O'Donnells]] in north Donegal. These were followed by [[MacDonnell of Antrim|MacDonnells]], [[MacCabe (surname)|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 of [[gunpowder]], and depended upon seasonal
==Name==
[[Image:Norse-Gael Warrior.PNG|thumb|
The [[Irish language]] ''gallóglach'' is derived from ''gall'' "foreign" and ''óglach''; from [[Old Irish]] ''oac'' (meaning "youth") and Old Irish ''lóeg'' (meaning "calf" but later becoming a word for a "hero"). The Old Irish language plural ''gallóglaigh'' is literally "foreign young warriors".(The modern Irish plural is ''galloglagh''.)
According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (OED), the English language singular, gallowglass, is an [[anglicisation]] of Old Irish plural ''gallóglaigh'', <ref name="galloglass">{{cite web|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/76340|title=galloglass |work=[[Oxford English Dictionary]]}}</ref> rather than the singular. The OED, which prefers the spelling "galloglass", provides examples of various English plural forms, dating back to a {{circa|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.<ref name="galloglass"/> (The OED notes that while the modern Irish plural ''galloglagh'' appears to be "etymologically correct", it is recorded later than English gallowglasses.) For instance, [[Shakespeare]] uses the form "gallowglasses" in ''[[Macbeth]]''.<ref name=":0" /> The OED adds that "galloglasses is found ... in our earliest quot
==Origin and description==
The gallowglass were from the western coast of Scotland, principally [[Argyll]] and the [[Hebrides|Western Isles
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".<ref>{{cite book | title = Tracts Relating to Ireland | chapter = A Treatise of Ireland | publisher = Irish Archeological Society | volume = ii | place = Dublin | date = 1843 | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/tractsrelatingto02irisuoft/page/n21/mode/2up | last = Dymmok | first = John | editor-last = Mac Maoilbrighde | editor-first = Cormacan }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = https://celt.ucc.ie//published/E590000-001.html | title = A Treatise of Ireland | first = John | last = Dymmok | date = 1599 | via = celt.ucc.ie }}</ref>
==History==
{{See also|Norman Ireland}}
[[File:Gallowglass gravestone.png|thumb|
The first record of gallowglass service was in [[1259 in Ireland|1259]], when [[Aedh mac Felim Ó Conchobair|Aedh Ó Conchobair]], [[King of Connacht]], received a dowry of 160 Scottish warriors from the daughter of [[Dubhghall mac Ruaidhri]], the [[Kingdom of the Isles|King of the Hebrides]]. They were organised into groups known as a ''corrughadh'', which consisted of about 100 men.
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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) married [[Agnes Campbell|Lady Agnes Campbell]], daughter of [[Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll]], and widow of [[James 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.<ref name="Gallowglass">{{cite web |url=http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-irish-bastard-xix.htm |title=Gallowglass children in battle |access-date=28 February 2012 |archive-date=16 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016083514/http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/nextgen/sword-medieval-irish-bastard-xix.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
They were noted for wielding the massive two-handed [[sparth axe]] (a custom noted by [[Geraldus Cambrensis]], died c. 1223, to have derived from their Norse heritage) and broadsword or [[claymore]] (''claidheamh mór''). For armour, the gallowglass wore a [[mail (armour)|mail]] shirt over a padded jacket and an iron helmet; he was usually accompanied by two boys (like a knight's [[squire]]s), one of whom carried his [[Javelin|throwing spear]]s while the other carried his provisions.
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In the paper "A Description of the Power of Irishmen", written early in the 16th century, the Irish forces of [[Leinster]] are numbered at 522 horses and five battalions of gallowglass (gallóglaigh) and 1,432 [[Kern (soldier)|kerne]], and those of the other provinces were in like proportion. [[MacCarthy Mór|Mac Cárthaigh Mór]] commanded 40 horses, two battalions of gallowglass, and 2,000 kerne; the [[Earl 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.
[[Image:Galloglass-circa-1521.jpg|thumb
In 1517, "when the reformacion of the countrye was taken in hand", it was reported that the Irish forces in [[Thomond]] 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.
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{{Gaels}}
[[Category:Early
[[Category:Gaelic culture]]
[[Category:History of Argyll and Bute]]
[[Category:History of the Outer Hebrides]]
[[Category:History of the Scottish Highlands]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Ireland]]
[[Category:Mercenary units and formations of the Middle Ages]]
[[Category:Scandinavian Scotland]]
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