![]() ![]() While not warring with the druids, the Irish developed a formal martial art with the stick fighting named Bataireacht, although the top-heavy clubs are not as favorable as lighter weight woods. Various sizes of shillelaghs have been found, ranging from 1 to 9 feet long! ![]() The wood was then treated, heated, and allowed to cure, giving the knots a brilliant grain finish that would be virtually indestructible. When iron and steel were in short supply, these were nature's answer for a durable weapon that would leave a dent in stone or a skull! Blackthorn is a type of tree common in Ireland, and was the primary wood for a shillelagh, though oak clubs have been found. Especially desirable were knots from the tree branches that had been cut long ago, as the knobs would become rock-hard. Used as both walking sticks and self-defense weapons, shillelaghs were intentionally cut from the base of trees to get the hardest wood possible. Traditionally, these war weapons came from Ireland and some bordering parts of England. Keeping the tradition alive while using modern materials, this solid polypropylene version is ready for battle at a moments notice. Typically as popular as Irish gifts, Shillelaghs also feature prominently in celtic jewelry designs, especially as small replica Irish charms for charm bracelets.Settle disputes in style with this Blackthorn Shillelagh Club, the top choice of the medieval Irish countrymen who needed to smash and bash their enemies into submission. In "The Rocky Road to Dublin" the singer describes how he fashions a shillelagh to use as a striking weapon to defend himself against bandits and highwaymen. The ballad "Finnegan's Wake" is generally considered to have coined the term "shillelagh law" which refers to refers to a brawl. The Shillelagh gained fame through mentions in several well-known Irish folk songs. "Cut a stout, black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins" - The Rocky Road to Dublin Some boys were educated in the ways of the Shillelagh by the local Maighistir Prionnsa or “fencing master”. Fathers taught their sons how to fight and many young boys received shillelaghs as a significant rite of manhood. Tipperary.īy the 19th Century Shillelagh fighting evolved into a martial art. Faction fights remained a common occurrence up until the 1840s and the last recorded brawl took place in 1887 at a fair in Co. While most of these fights were purely for sport they eventually took on a political and violent edge as the years went on. During the 18th century bataireacht was practiced primarily with Irish gangs called "factions" who often fought each other at gatherings and events. The The Shillelagh was the primary weapon used in Bataireacht - a form of traditional Irish stick fighting popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is typically made from a stout knobbly and knotty stick with a knotty head, which can be used for gripping or striking. the Shillelagh was commonly used as a walking cane or walking stick, and can sometimes described as a cudgel. Shillelaghs are usually made from Blackthorn wood with a leather wrist strap joined to the handle. The word Shillelagh comes from the Irish phrase sail éille which translates into English as "thonged willow-stick." The Shillelagh is thought to have originated in the village of Shillelagh, County Wicklow, which was once said to be surrounded by vast oak forests. ![]()
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