‘The Battle of the Yellow Ford’ music video is taken from the latest Cruachan album ‘Nine Years of Blood’, order this plus lots of other merchandise from http://www.trollzorn.de/store

The Battle of the Yellow Ford was fought in western County Armagh, Ulster, in Ireland, near the River Blackwater on 14 August 1598. It was fought between the Gaelic native Irish army under Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone and Hugh O'Donnell and a Crown expeditionary force from Dublin under Sir Henry Bagenal, the commander of the Royal Irish Army. The Crown forces were marching from Armagh town to re-supply a besieged fort on the Blackwater when they fell into an ambush and were routed with heavy losses.

In the video, the battle is over and the Irish are victorious. Two Irish Buannachts, soldiers of Hugh O’Neill, are tracking an English captain and rifleman who have become separated from their company as they fled the battle. The rifleman doesn’t realise it but he is out of gun powder, this will be a fair fight in the wild Irish countryside. Before deciding to attack, the Irish captain reflects on who is waiting at home and the importance of victory for the freedom of his country!

Some info on the historically accurate clothes and equipment featured in the video, various items such as swords and helmets are real – over 400 years old, with that in mind we hope you understand why there was no fake blood used in the video:

Irish Buannacht Captain:
The costume is based on an ensemble from a bog find dated c.1590-1630 from Co Derry including doublet (jacket), trews (hose trousers) and brogues (shoes). This part of Ireland was then ruled by the O’Cahan’s who provided many Buannachts (Gaelic Irish professional soldiers) to Hugh O’Neill’s army throughout the Nine Years War. The yellow linen shirt just visible under the doublet, which was traditionally dyed with saffron, was banned by successive Tudor administrations alongside the long Gaelic moustache (the croimeal) and the distinctive Gaelic hairstyle known as the glib – this latter was composed of shorn sides and back with long top and fringe. The ‘target’ shield made of iron represents an import from Hapsburg ruled Spain. Philip II and Philip III of Spain were O’Neill and O’Donnell’s allies during the 9 Years War. The c.1550 side sword is based on an Italian original and the long scian (traditional Irish fighting knife) is based on an archaeological find of a sheath from Kilcumber Co Offaly. In the scene where the captain takes leave of his wife, the helmet he carries is of the Spanish morion type which bore no comb but rather a ‘pear stalk’ finial.

Irish Buannact:
This set of clothes, like that worn by Keith, is based upon surviving finds from Dungiven in Co Derry. The cabasset helmet is the most frequently seen type worn by Irish Buannachts in contemporary drawings of the Nine Years War. Like the comb morion, its origins are probably north Italian and were frequently copied throughout Europe. The leather covered wooden ‘targe’ is 19 inches in diameter and is tooled in Gaelic style and is a copy of an original in a private collection. The traditional Gaelic sword is of native Irish type with a characteristic open ring pommel. This particular example is based on an archaeological find from the Co Antrim side of Lough Neagh. The fringed leather scabbard is also a traditional Gaelic style recorded in both Scotland and Ireland in contemporary drawings.

Cast and Crew:
Irish Buannacht Captain - Keith Fay
Irish Buannact - Dave Swift
English Captain - Kieran Ball
English Rifleman - Mauro Frison
Irish Captains wife - Rachel Lally

Costume, military equipment and historical advisor – Dave Swift (www.claiomh.ie Instagram: @claoimh_ireland)
Camera and editing – Angel Croitor (www.cosmopalace.ie Instagram: @cosmopalace)