GALLOWGLASS

Gallowglass: translation

Bands of *mercenaries, foot soldiers, from Scotland, who went to fight the English in Ireland. They wore a light armour, with distinctive helmets, their weapon of choice being a *poleaxe. They were often attended by two squires. Later the word was used of the soldiers retained by the Irish kings or chiefs; a household soldier. [< Gaelic galloclach < gall = foreign + oclach = a young man] -

Cf. Cateran; Hobelar; Kern