![]() It does not make the stick feel heavier as the extra weight is carried in the hand and it is completely invisible. ![]() According to Olde Shillelagh, this “means that the head of the stick is filled with lead to give the stick a better balance and more potency at the point of impact. Moreover, these knobs were often lead loaded. This weapon is used in the Irish martial arts known as Bataireacht or Irish stick fighting.Ī Shillelagh often had a large knob at the end of the stick in order to more effectively strike an attacker. Traditionally, Shillelaghs are made from the wood of a Blackthorn tree because it is less prone to cracking. Some boys were educated in the ways of the Shillelagh by the local Maighistir Prionnsa or “fencing master”.The Shillelagh is an Irish wooden short staff or walking stick that was also used as a martial arts weapon. Fathers taught their sons how to fight and many young boys received shillelaghs as a significant rite of manhood. By the 19th Century Shillelagh fighting had 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. It seems that from the original Irish staff, spear, axe, stick and sword fighting methods originated the later form of Irish stick fighting which came to be associated with the Shillelagh.īataireacht and “Shillelagh Law” The Shillelagh was the primary weapon used in Bataireacht – a form of traditional Irish stick fighting popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, shillelagh became a generic term for any Irish walking stick. And for generations of Irishmen, the Shillelagh was a badge of honor - a symbol of their courage, their martial prowess and their willingness to fight for their rights. The name Shillelagh comes from a forest in Co. There are some historical records and references that say the practice of stick-fighting in ancient Ireland was an analog to help train Irish warriors in broadsword and sabre fencing. For centuries the Irish have been associated with a stick weapon called the Shillelagh. Shillelaghs can be everything from ornamental keepsakes to walking sticks to lethal fighting sticks, especially when fashioned with lead “loaded” heads. Hurley 144 Paperback 19 offers from 8.75 Authentic Irish Blackthorn Shillelagh Stick 16'-18' 68 1 offer from 31.95 Authentic Hazel Walking Stick from Ireland 63 1 offer from 56. Blackthorn has unique properties and it delivers the correct blend of lightness and hardness which follows a process of cutting, seasoning, oiling, fashioning and sealing. Shillelagh: The Irish Fighting Stick (Bataireacht Shillelagh Irish Stick-Fighting Series) John W. It is typically made from a stout knobby 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 be described as a cudgel. Shillelaghs are usually made from Blackthorn wood with a leather wrist strap joined to the handle. 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. His followers became known as the “Siol Ealaigh” meaning the seed or descendants of Ealach. The word Shillelagh comes from the Irish phrase sail éille which translates into English as “thonged willow-stick.”Īnother origination story states that the name came from a king or clan chieftain, Ealach Mac Faelchon who lived in the 7th century AD.
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