Hey, thanks for the info! The pronunciation, while not unknown in other locations, definitely seems to emanate from the general area of Illinois. As I think I wrote much earlier, I believe that is because Irish emigrants who arrived there with the pet form of the surname O'Gallchobhair (O'Gallagher) spelled O'Gallchu (and pronounced roughly GAWL-hew). Irish-Americans tacked an "r" onto the pronunciation (like they did with the word 'idea' to render 'idear'), and the pronunciation GAWL-yer or GAWL-ee-yer was born.

Part of this, of course, is conjecture, but I base it on known facts, such as the pet form of the name known in certain parts of Donegal, and that Irish emigrants with the surname GOLLAHER (yes, one or two even spelled it that way!) are to be found in census records of the time.

Thank again for the post!
Michael