📖 Ancient Restoration

The word 'Scot' originally refers to Irish people & Gaelic invaders of #Scotland. Boru was called 'Imperator Scottorum': Irish Emperor.

Surnames of Gallowglass ancestry incl. McCabe, McDonald, Sweeney & McDowell. The McCabe family motto: 'Either to conquer or to die'.

Hardened by centuries of warfare in #Scotland, Gallowglass clans returned to Ireland 13thC, where they pushed back & stalemated the Normans.

One of the signature weapons of the Gallowglass was the Highland 'Claíomh Mór', or #Claymore; a heavy two handed great-sword.

The #Gallowglass were elite mercenary warriors descended from the Irish invaders of Scotland. Active in many European armies in the 13-17thC

The #Gallowglass were elite mercenary warriors descended from the Irish invaders of Scotland. Active in many European armies in the 13-17thC

A video of a monolingual Irish speaker. You won't see many of those anymore. From a documentary called "In Search of the Trojan War". 1985.

The ruins of Cong Abbey, Co #Mayo - The last High King once walked these #Gothic halls, and prayed for Éire, amid its holy walls.

Rory O'Connor: "King of Connacht & Ireland, both the Irish & English, died after exemplary penance, victorious over the world & the devil."

Cong Abbey, #Mayo - from where the cross of Cong takes its name. The last High King, Rory O'Connor, lived the last years of his life here.

"By this cross is covered the cross on which the creator of the world suffered." - Inscription on the cross of Cong. #TrueCross #Shrine.

The flowering of 11/12thC. Irish #art was partly due to its sponsorship by provincial kings, as they competed for regal & moral authority.