THE GALLOWGLASS 'DO YOU BELONG TO A WARRIOR CLAN'

[D J Thornton]

Clans McDonald, McNeill, etc

http://www.irishorigenes.com/content/ga ... rrior-clan

For nearly 100 years after the arrival of the Normans in 1169AD the old world of Gaelic Ireland was in retreat. The Normans brought to Ireland superior weapons, the long sword, lance, Welsh crossbows, and iron helmets, and chain mail protecting much of the body. This was in contrast to the native Irish with their axes and short swords and dressed in linen tunics. To halt the Norman onslaught the remaining independent Irish Chieftains needed a new weapon and they found it in the mercenary warriors from the Western Isles of Scotland. These Gallowglass or ‘foreign Gaels’ had served as elite warriors in the Western Isles of Scotland for over 100 years prior to their arrival in Ireland.