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Gallóglach and Redshank
The photo above is courtesy of the Claíomh blog, which is a very good site to visit to see how the various warriors from the 1450 AD through the 1600s really looked. In the photo above there is a...
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The Kilt In Ireland
Is the kilt Irish…. was the kilt ever worn in Ireland? The answer to this question is a very simple yes, of course, but even simple answers need some explanation. The kilt comes in two forms, the...
View ArticleScottish DNA Project Blog
DNA testing is proving to be a very effective tool for the historian and more universities and independent scholars are taking advantage of the increasing flow of DNA results on Scottish and Irish...
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Grier
above, RR McIan's 19th Century print of a Mac GrioghairGrier is an anglicised for of the Gaelic surname Mac Grioghair, which itself is a variant form of the more common Mac Greagair; both forms means...
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Gallóglaigh, Ulster 1500s
Three Gallóglaigh (said Gall-og-glee) from the 1500s. The photo above courtesy of the Claíomh group that provide Museum-quality Medieval & Early Modern Gaelic-Irish and Scots Military...
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Belted Plaid and Trews from the 1630s
Here is another illustration of Redshank dress, this one from Blaeu's map of 'Scotia Antiqua' from the year 1634. The two forms of dress here are the belted plaid, or filleadh mór on the left and the...
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Ferguson
Duart Castle on the Island of MullFerguson is the anglicised form of Mac Fearghusa; from the root name Fearghus meaning super-choice. Like most Gaelic surnames there are more than one origin for the...
View ArticleThe Laggan Redshanks
Upcoming will be posts on the research on the Redshank settlements along the Foyle River. These were located along the west bank of the Foyle in present day Taughboyne parish and to a lessor extent on...
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Redshank Ethnicity
A watershed moment has taken place in the field of early Western European history. It is a paradigm shift that has totally changed forever how early European history will be taught. It is the concept...
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Redshank circa 1570s
Dave Swift is in the photograph above dressed in authentic attire based off of the illustration by Dutch artist Lucas de Heere circa 1577. Photo courtesy of the lovely and very talented Irish...
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Donnchadh Mór Mac Eáin
burial stone of Donnchadh Mór Mac Eáin of Kilmichael Glassary ArgyllY Chromosome DNA testing is providing a way to research Redshank families. One such case is that of Donnchadh Mór Mac Eáin, who was...
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Article 13
Ludovic Stewart the Duke of LennoxThe Redshanks that settled in east Donegal were part of two distinct groups. The initial settlement were Redshanks associated with Clann Chaimbeul and came from mid...
View ArticleThe Laggan Redshanks
A Short History of the Laggan Redshanks, 1569-1630, was published in July and is now available on the Ulster Heritage website as a Pdf download suitable for Ipad, computers, and will read on a Kindle...
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Redshank in Belted Kilt
Redshank circa 1600Above is archaeologist turned actor Dave Swift who runs the Claíobh historical group and has appeared in several historical productions with the BBC, RTÉ, and other productions....
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MacFarlane in Ulster
Members of the MacFarlane Highland Scottish clan settled in Ulster in the sixteenth century, as did many other families from the Scottish Gaeltacht. The MacFarlane, or more properly, Mac Pharláinn,...
View ArticleThe Redshanks in Donegal and Tyrone
I am working on a supplement to the Laggans Redshanks book that will have an analysis of every Redshank man that appears in the 1630 muster roll for the Portlough Precinct in east Donegal. Where...
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Donnchadh Mór, Redshank Captain
burial stone of Donnchadh Mór Mac Eáin Mhic LachlainnIt is often difficult to link any of the magnificent Gaelic burial stones in Argyll with historical figures, but in the case of the stone above,...
View ArticleRedshank Captain Pay
The Redshanks took service in Ulster and in other places for the money. Being a Redshank soldier was profitable. Most of the Redshanks came from Argyll, Lennox, and the Hebrides, but more than a few...
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Argyll and the Gall Gael
The society in Argyll, and parts of the west Highlands in general, was unique in the Gaelic world, because of the influence of the Norse. The Norse settled in Argyll, they did not replace the...
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Early Example of the Kilt
circa 1603The illustration above was done in 1603 by Hieronymous Tielch. The fèileadh mór, pictured above, was in general use by the mid 1590s, given the popularity of the garment by that time it...
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Redshank Dress in the 1500s and Early 1600s
Mark Hanna is a historical reenactor with an interest in the Redshanks. He is also a skilled textile craftsman who makes accurate reconstructions of Redshank clothing. Below are three photos...
View ArticleRedshank Surnames in the Laggan District
I have been doing research on the 1630 muster roll taken in the Portlough precinct of the Laggan District in east Donegal. This is an important area because it was where the Redshanks of Fionnaula...
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Article 2
Gaelic Lord and warrior circa 1000 AD (c) Ulster HeritageGaelic Lord and warrior circa 1000AD in Argyll. Mid Argyll was the home of the Gall-Ghaeil, or the 'foreign Gaels,' in the early medieval...
View ArticleThe Scots-Irish: Scots-Irish Books
The Scots-Irish: Scots-Irish Books: Three centuries of life in a Tyrone parish. A history of Donagheady from 1600 to 1900, by William Roulston (USD $ 12.95) Format Ebook. ...
View ArticleThe Scots-Irish: Scots-Irish DNA Project Update 13 August 2014
The Scots-Irish: Scots-Irish DNA Project Update 13 August 2014: 442 families are now participating in the Scots-Irish DNA project and the project is growing at a rapid pace. We have enough DNA results...
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