Irish two-handed Gallowglass sword, 16th century

The gallows originally came from the Norse-Gaelic clans of the Scottish Highlands, Argyll and the Hebrides (off the west coast of Scotland), whose Irish ancestors had intermarried with 10th-century Norse settlers. Dispossessed during the Wars of Scottish Independence, they fled to Ireland, where Irish chieftains quickly recognized their worth and gave them work, land to settle, and rights to supplies in exchange for their loyalty and military services. Many Irish lords also used pitchforks to serve as bodyguards. Over the centuries, the gallows ranks eventually filled with native Irish and 'newer' Scottish mercenaries.

The weapons of choice for the highly skilled gallows troops were a two-handed sparth, ax (presumably a carryover from their Norse heritage), and a two-handed greatsword. The sword often featured a distinctive ring-shaped pommel showing the end of the blade's tang running through its center. This unique open ring pommel was quite typical of 15th and 16th century Irish swords. Many surviving Irish-Gaelic originals with ringed hilts have been found in archaeological digs throughout Ireland and can now be admired in various museums (eg the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin).