Hi Carol, they were mercinaries, believed to be from the Scottish western isles (surnames confirm this), who were brought to Ireland in the later middle ages in huge numbers. They were largely employed by the Irish chieftains though there is plenty of evidence that the English used them as well. The Irish soldier was a small, light, lightly armed fella. These guys were huge, brawly, heavily armed. The sherman tank of their day. In one dynastic marriage 10,000 came with the bride. A number of Irish clans were started by soldiers who settled and married, esp. the McSweenies. The term is Irish for foreign soldier. You can learn more by searching our archives and by reading "Scots Mercenary Forces in Ireland (1565 - 1603) by Hayes-McCoy (first published 1937, reprinted by Edmund Berk in Dublin in 1996). Book includes several genealogies including McSweeney and Clan Donald and the O'Neills of Tir Eoghain. (Needless to say these were Catholics as were all our ancestors (excepting your Jewish and wiccan ones) who spoke Gaelic and assimilated into the Irish Nation before the lowland Scots arrived in Antrim and Down with the Montgomeries and Hamiltons and Randal McDonald.) Linda Merle -------------- Original message -------------- From: Carol Renfro <crenfro@alltel.net> > What are gallowglass soldiers? > Carol > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >No virus found in this incoming message. > >Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.3/296 - Release Date: 3/29/2006 > > > > > > -- > Carol Cole Renfro > 5931 West Avenue > Lavonia, Georgia > > (706) 356-1254 > >