Gallóglaigh/gallowglass

Poststructural Pub
1

I was doing some searching for one of my families names from the North of Ireland(Amagh).
It seems like that name is strongly associated with a group of Scots/Viking decended
mercenary warriors who played a role in Irish history.
Interesting reading;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallowglass

Here is a list of some of those names;
Mac Cába (McCabe) from Arran
Mac Domhnaill (MacDonald / McDonnell) from Kintyre and Islay
Mac Dubhghaill (MacDougall / McDowell) from Lorne
Mac Ruairí (MacRory) from Bute
Mac Síthigh (MacSheehy / Sheehy) from Kintyre
MacSuibhne (MacSweeney / Sweeney) from Knapdale
Mac Aodha (McCoy) from Kintyre

2

Don’t forget Rodney d’Armand, also known as Rod Gallowglass of Gramarye, of course that’s centuries from now. I guess I’m getting ahead of myself, never mind.

3

Interesting topic! Here is a depiction by Albrecht Dürer of five Irish soldiers, presumed to be gallowglasses and attendant kern:

Note the hairstyle of the two kern at right: short-cropped but for the long bangs in front, and called glib. These days I would call it Emo. :wink:

4

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6

Gallow has been making some very good wine in the last decade or so.
It used to be heavily discounted, and we consumed much.

7

From what I’ve read in the past the Gallowglass were more typically from the Hebrides, whose main clans have Norse and Northern Irish (as in north of) decent. Here’s one interesting article http://www.scotch-irish.net/

8

Thanks Bogman!

9

Based on the painting of Thomas Lee, and some others, and some documents, I’d guess that the shift under the central gentleman’s cloak was a sop to German modesty.

10

German_ic_, in any case: apparently Dürer came upon those five in the Low Countries. The Dutch might have been aghast and wouldn’t even let 'em off the boat otherwise. Or else yer man with the greyhound skirt is in a gentleman’s summer attire.

In Dürer’s drawing the 2nd guy from the left has really big feet.

11

Sir Bigfoot also has an interesting array of arrows, just about every representative of types from that time plus one type I can’t identify.

12

That’s because they’re not arrows. They’re BBQ skewers with patented Feath-R-Grip™ comfort handles. And Mr. Concealed Carry had better hope that Mr. Bigfoot hasn’t been eating greasy spare ribs with his right hand and doesn’t have to sneeze.

13

A really big foot, rather. T’other is much like all the rest.

14

Maybe his foot is like the anamorphic skull in Holbein’s The Ambassadors. You’re supposed to look at it cross-eyed and sideways.

15

Mr. Bigfoot may also be the first clear evidence of the Birkenstock sandal: anybody seen an earlier one?

16

Hmm. I see what you’re getting at, and yer man might have actually had mismatched feet (or Dürer was hitting the perspective juice a little hard), but something about that rearward foot makes it also look proportionately larger than the others…aha: both of his insteps appear bizarrely flattened. I realise it could be a false appearance caused by his footwear, but I’m not convinced of it. Weird. Flappy.

I take it you mean the uppermost head shown. That’s a tranquiliser dart, for bagging live captives who could command a fat ransom. That technology died out with the Gaelic Order, only to be (re-) “discovered” in our time. Trust me on this. :wink:

17

Early birkenstocks had yet to evolve the instep hump.

Which really should have been the name of a dance craze.

18

I think it’s already the name of a paraphilia. Ahem.

19

Oh! You think so do you? Well you’ll get no quarrel from me. BTW lugging a big ole claymore and chain mail around all day will give anyone flat feet after awhile.

20

If you read the link, you’ll note that each GG had two boys around as designated luggers. Which might be the lads with the chelsea fringe.