Just going through the Family History Website Directory provided with this month's Your Family Tree magazine, and have come across a website which might be of interest to those researching the migration of the Ulster Scots to America, or as they are known in the US, as the 'Scotch Irish'.
The website is www.1718migration.org.uk and concerns the mass migration from 1718 of Ulster Presbyterians, whose ancestors originated in Scotland. With some useful contributions from James McConnell, Linde Lunney, William Roulston and Colin Brooks, the site gives the backgound to the migration, some basic research sources to examine in Ulster, and information on what became of Ulster's lost sons to the new world.
For a general history on the constant migrations from Scotland to Ireland, I also have an article online called The Scots in Ireland which might be of interest, covering the history of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada, the galloglaigh (gallowglass) warriors from the Hebrides, the Ulster Plantations, migration to America and more.
Chris
www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
Scotland's Greatest Story
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Sir;
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your article, but wished to make several points. My family MacDomhnaill Galloglaigh who served the O'Neills in present day Counties Tyrone and Armagh were a distinctly different family from the MacDonnells of Antrim. My family descended from Alaster Durrach MacDonnell who was slain along with his first cousin MacRuardri and Edward the Bruce on the Irish battlefield in 1318. The MacDonnells of Antrim descend from Angus Og' MacDonald, brother of Alaster Durrach.
One other point of clarification. The military method my family employed against the Normans in Ireland were not adopted from the Vikings. The tight military formations, the mail, helmet, the reserve to protect the rear guard were all employed first in Jeruselum and taught to my family from 1307 to 1366.
Colla MacDonnell
Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteChris
Chris,
ReplyDeleteI have been researching my family for over 30 years, expanding on the oral and written history passed down to me. I have often wondered how the term galloglaigh (foreign warriors) was applied to my family since we were part of the Dal Riada. The Irish alway considered the Dal Riada their own kin. I stumbled across a history which listed in full the 1314 inventory of Knights Templar properties and assests in Ireland. This inventory included every sheep, bag of wheat and horse which Edward II seized from the Templars in that year. Because the Templars had vast holdings in Ireland and Scotland, numerous middle aged Templars returning from the crusades in the 13th century came to Ireland to retire. The history which noted King Edward's inventory of Templar assets also noted that these "foreign knight" in 1314 were left in a Ireland not only with no home, but in a country whose language and customs were foreign to them. It is these retired knights of the Templars whom I strongly believe the Irish term galloglaigh was first applied. The term was then applied to my family MacDomhnaill Galloglaigh and our cousins the MacRuardris and the MacSheelys when we took up the Templar styled battle gear and their disciplined military grouping to battle the Normans.
In addition to the hauberk (mail), and padding my family wore, one should also note the spathe (axe) we carried did not resemble the Viking axe (Dutch axe) at all, but rather it closely resembled the gisarme favored by Templar infantry in Jeruselem. The 'battles' of one-hundred galloglaigh carrying sparthes, swords, bows and javalin supported by 200 kerns, is almost an exact description of the tight formations of Templar infantry carrying a gisarme, sword, bow and javalin and supported by squires. These Templar descriptions were 100years previous to those of the galloglaigh and thousands of miles away in Palestine.
Except for the nobles, Viking armour was often leather, they were not noted for being trained in a variety of weapons, and they only had one formation (a V of shields) that could be called a "disciplined" formation.
Colla MacDonnell
Gallowglasses is the anglicisation of 'Gall oglaigh', which means 'foreign warrior' in Gaelic. Gall = foreigner (Donegal - Dun na nGall - fort of the foreigners) and oglaigh = warrior. The terms refers to the 'foreign Gaels', i.e. Norse warriors who settled in the Hebrides and adopted the Gaelic language.
ReplyDeleteChris