Annotation:Gallowglass (The)
Tune properties and standard notation
GALLOWGLASS, THE (An Gallóglach). AKA and see "Niel Gow's Lament for His Brother," "Niel Gow's Lament for the Death of His Brother," "Lumps of Pudding (2)," "Lumps of Puddings (2)." Irish, Double Jig. A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (O'Neill/1850): AABB' (Breathnach, O'Neill/Krassen). A 'gallowglass' was the name for a mercenary soldier, often Scottish, who in ages past fought in Ireland. The Gaelic word is Galloglach which is a combination of two words: Gall, a foreigner (usuallly a Scot), and Oglach, a soldier. The term is also taken to mean a warrior who is so loyal to the clan that he is willing to die protecting his chieftain, either on the battlefield or in court. Harry O'Prey and Caoimhin Mac Aoidh explain that descendants of these warriors typically have the anglicized surname Gallogley or Gallogly, derived from Mac Gallóglaigh, and is quite common to the north-western counties of Ireland, especially Donegal and Derry. O'Prey writes: "Strangely enough another rendition of Foreign help(er) is found in the description gall-chabhair. This has also become a common surname in the same two counties. In Irish it is Ó Gallchabhair / Gallchóir anglicised variously as Gallagher/Gallaher etc. The original surnames of these soldiers have long since been forgotten."
The melody was originally written by the Scots fiddler and composer Nathaniel Gow, sometimes attributed to his father, Niel, as "Neil Gow's Lament for the Death of his Brother," published in 1792, and was later reset by the Irish as a somewhat less sombre jig. Brendan Breathnach thought that Gow himself might have been influenced by the old jig "Lumps of Pudding." Paul de Grae relates that "The Gallowglass" was the jig Cork accordion player Jackie Daly was playing in a pub in the mid-1990's when he collapsed with a serious medical problem. After a period of convalescence Daly fortunately recovered and quipped that he'd have to go back to the pub and play the whole tune, in case they thought he only knew the first bit of it! The tune was recorded by fiddle player Frank O'Higgins in 1937, probably the first time on sound recordings.
Source for notated version: fiddler Bobby Casey (County Clare, Ireland) [Breathnach].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 21, p. 11. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; p. 55. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1023, p. 191. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 236, p. 53.
Recorded sources: Bellbridge Records, Bobby Casey - "Casey in the Cowhouse" (1992. Originally recorded 1959). Gael-Linn Records CEF 130, Kevin & Seamus Glackin - "Na Saighneain" (Northern Lights). Mulligan LUN 018, Bobby Casey - "Taking Flight" (1979). Topic TSCD 669, Willy Taylor, Joe Hutton & Will Atkinson (et al) - "Ranting and Reeling: Dance Music of the north of England" (1998. Appears as "Gallowglass Rant." Atkinson {b. 1908} of Crookham, Northumberland, was an harmonica player, Taylor a fiddler and Hutton a Northumbrian small-piper).