Barefoot Gossoons

[Anderpaw]

I have been searching for the meaning of the word "gossoons" from Galway Bay. I came across a piece of information that said gossoon is a corruption of Garsiúin (Irish word for young boy.) It makes sense in the song, barefoot boys playing, but is that the true meaning of the word? This enquiring mind would like to know. 

[Maggie]

I have been searching for the meaning of the word "gossoons" from Galway Bay. I came across a piece of information that said gossoon is a corruption of Garsiúin (Irish word for young boy.) It makes sense in the song, barefoot boys playing, but is that the true meaning of the word? This enquiring mind would like to know.  

"Gossoon" is the phonetic spelling for "gosún" in Irish.....a young boy, they would be usually barefoot when playing.


You might also come across "spalpeen" which is the phonetic spelling of "spailpín" in Irish..
...a young man who wanders the country looking for work, a day labourer.

[KerriC]

I had a feeling it meant boys because it sounded similiar to the french word for boy "garcon"

[Maggie]

I had a feeling it meant boys because it sounded similiar to the french word for boy "garcon"

Exactly.
In fact the word was probably brought to Ireland by the Normans, and adapted by the Irish.

[Anderpaw]

Thanks for the confirmation, Maggie. And I thought the same thing Kerri, about garcon. Another mystery solved! 

[lisalover7 (LL7)]

Glad to have that information, I thought she was talking about birds lol