From their appearance in the 13th century to the 16th century wars of the Tudor age the
so-called galloglas determined the manner in which war was waged on Irish soil. While
traditional Irish warfare mainly relied on swift-footed hit-and-run tactics these
battle-hardened warriors stood and fought it out to the last man galloglass often facing
galloglass. The era of the galloglas reached its gory climax in the Battle of Knockdoe in 1504.
Described as huge violent and raw-boned by contemporary sources these warriors represented an
archetypical element of Irish warfare and yet they had their origins in the Hebrides off the
Scottish coast. This book seeks to describe the origins the history and the eventual
disappearance of the galloglas from the battlefields of Ireland. Drawing on the latest
archaeological evidence it sheds light on the outward appearance weapons and equipment pay
organisation and the motivation of these fearsome warriors. The book was written in
cooperation with Claíomh one of the leading Irish reenactment groups reconstructing the daily
life of the galloglas. Apart from numerous photographs of reenactors in reconstructed galloglas
equipment this volume contains detailed photographs of weapons and equipment as well as of
historic locations contemporary illustrations and specially commissioned artwork.
