Gallowglass Origins

[finnobreanan]

Finn,

I am sorry to hear about your blacksmith. I'd like to suggest you check out the two Galloglass axes offered by Nick Johnson in the UK, as described on his "Knives by Nick" website. One is a version of the Hebridean war axe, the other based upon the clonteevy axe.

jeff

Thanks Jeff, I will be contacting them very soon!

[kevin714]

I received my copy of the new galloglass book from Osprey today.

[the_power]

Bah. I just ordered mine

John

[finnobreanan]

Got the Osprey book on Gallowglass in the mail yesterday and the art work is great! I'll start reading it today and put aside the book I was reading on John Mitchell.

I also ordered an axe from Nick Johnson, very nice stuff he makes!

[finnobreanan]

I just finished the new Osprey book on Gallowglass and I can't recommend this book highly enough. The author has exhausted every source of information possible on Gallowglass and I found new information that I had not seen anywhere else. Many of the illustrations are the same as in other publications, but there are some new ones also, which I was unfamiliar with. The author also writes in a very lively manner and takes the reader through what life would have been like for the average Gallowglass. I had trouble putting the book down, once I started reading. O'Brogain's artwork is great and the most authentic I have ever seen. I would have preferred to see footnotes, but the author was very good about quoting his sources within the text.

[the_power]

It is a rather lovely book. Much better than the "Irish Wars" Osprey book.

Though I can't help thinking I need to make myself a new acton. A nice dark red one, as some of the illustrations mention. I have a leather one today, but it's a) not something I can wear under my gorgeous mail, b) not something you'd wear socially, which the author seems to make a case for, given the number of people who moaned about gallowglass going shopping etc. in acton + weaponry.

john

[jaspergreen]

Hello to all;

I was wondering if I could prevail upon you guys for help on a couple of points, pertaining to the subject of the galloglach axe. Firstly, can anyone enlighten me on the archetype for the now-discontinued Albion "Hebridean War Axe?" I have heard several things, that it is modelled upon axe from Ballina, Co. Mayo, or.... the Donegal axe in the NMI.

Secondly, I am desperate to obtain copies of Hayes-McCoy's and Mahr's articles on the Galloglach Axe. I cannot access JSTOR; and I have given up after several aplications to the JGAHS website attempting to obtain the Hayes-McCoy article.

CAn anyone help me? I would be more than happy to provide reimbursement for any and all expenses.

Thanks,

jeff

[finnobreanan]

Finn,

I am sorry to hear about your blacksmith. I'd like to suggest you check out the two Galloglass axes offered by Nick Johnson in the UK, as described on his "Knives by Nick" website. One is a version of the Hebridean war axe, the other based upon the clonteevy axe.

jeff

Well, I ordered my axe from Nick back in March, and he seems to be having problems. Here's the last message I got from him. Can anyone help? I just sent him Hayes-McCoy's article and another one. Funny thing is, he told me he has made several of these and he also has them listed on his website.

"Hi Scott,
I have been trying to find out some info from Museum of Ireland but nothing yet I also got a copy of Fergus Cannan's
Galloglass 1250-1600 hoping there might have been some info, interesting book but not what I wanted.
The main things I am after is the size of the eye and if it's parralell or if it tapers and also some idea of the weight.
Any info would be handy as I like to try and get things as authentic as I can which is sometimes not that easy with
the limited amount available.

Regards Nick."

[jaspergreen]

Scott;

Nick posed essentially the same question to me before completing my order. I ordered his axe which is very similar to a non-ornamented Clonteevy axe. The best I could do was inform him that my information on the Donegal axe was that the eye walls are parallel...i.e. they do not taper. My Albion "Hebridean War Axe" has such a non-tapered eye socket. Despite information put out by Albion back when this axe was available, their product was much closer in form to the Donegal axe than the Ballina axe.

jeff

[finnobreanan]

So, I finally finished my Gallowglass impression. Here are the images (Where's my G'Dam Axe!)