Gallowglasses Weaponry and the armed Irish foot soldier

A great deal of this change in the fortunes of the Irish was due to the impotence of the Crown of England, and to the feuds and weakness of the Irish Normans, as will be pointed out in the next section. But it was chiefly due to a change in the military methods and organisation of the clans themselves.

They still despised the use of armour, and at Downpatrick and Athenry they fought without it. But they were improving in the building of castles and in military tactics. Most important, however, was the introduction of permanent military forces into the clans. Hitherto, as has been remarked, the Irish clans were not organised on a military basis as were the Normans.

 The fighting men were called from their occupations when their services were needed, and to these they returned when the immediate fighting was over. Now, however, the continued warfare made it necessary to have permanent troops devoted especially to warfare and always ready for it. Most of these were recruited from the Gaelicised Norse of Argyll and the Scottish islands. These, known as ” gall-6glaigh,” or ” gallowglasses,” had been employed by many of the northern and western chiefs in the preceding period, but from this time forward they were an established feature in every clan.

Under their own officers, who were called ” constables,” they were ready to serve any chief who employed them, but frequently bodies of them settled down as the permanent followers of one special family. In addition to this ” standing army ” of gall-oglaigh, Irish troops were also permanently employed, and were supported by a subsidy called ” buanacht” or ” bonnaght.”