Norse–Gaels

The elite mercenary warriors known as the gallowglass (gallóglaigh) emerged from these Norse–Gaelic clans and became an important part of Irish warfare.

[1] The Norse–Gaels often called themselves Ostmen or Austmen, meaning East-men, a name preserved in a corrupted form in the Dublin area known as Oxmantown which comes from Austmanna-tún (homestead of the Eastmen).

They founded long-lasting kingdoms, such as those of Mann, Dublin, and Galloway,[3] as well as taking control of the Norse colony at York.

[4] Annals of Ulster states that the first raid on this island was known as the Loscad Rechrainne o geinntib, otherwise known as 'the burning of Rechru by heathens.

'[5][verification needed] Sporadic raids then continued until 832, after which they began to build fortified settlements throughout the country.

Their roles in Ireland's economy made them valuable subjects and the English Crown granted them special legal protections.

They were called Vestmen (Western men), and the name is retained in Vestmanna in the Faroes and the Vestmannaeyjar off the Icelandic mainland.

[citation needed] A number of Icelandic personal names are of Gaelic origin, including Njáll, Brjánn, Kjartan and Kormákur (from Niall, Brian, Muircheartach and Cormac).

According to some circumstantial evidence, Grímur Kamban, seen as the founder of the Norse Faroes, may have been a Norse Gael:[10] According to the Faereyinga Saga... the first settler in the Faroe Islands was a man named Grímur Kamban – Hann bygdi fyrstr Færeyar, it may have been the land taking of Grímur and his followers that caused the anchorites to leave... the nickname Kamban is probably Gaelic and one interpretation is that the word refers to some physical handicap (the first part of the name originating in the Old Gaelic camb 'crooked' ... another that it may point to his prowess as a sportsman (presumably of camóige / camaige 'hurley' – where the initial syllable also comes from camb).

Probably he came as a young man to the Faroe Islands by way of Viking Ireland, and local tradition has it that he settled at Funningur in Eysturoy.Heinrich Zimmer (1891) suggested that the Fianna Cycle of Irish mythology came from the heritage of the Norse–Gaels.