![]() However, in sticks made of blackthorn, the knob was actually the root. Sometimes, the knob on the end was hollowed out and filled with molten lead. Eventually, it became synonymous for any Irish walking stick. In his book on Irish folklore, Padraic Colum quotes John Banim in this description of a mansion from his novel ‘The Croppy’: “solidly wainscoted with Shillelagh oak against which the venomous spider of England durst not affix his web.”Ĭuriously, it was from the pen of an English writer who, on seeing an oak cane and knowing where it came from, coined the term Shillelagh. Sadly, most of them were cut down and exported and, when you see how few trees remain in Ireland, there’s little comfort in knowing that many famous buildings in Western Europe were built with Irish imported oak. The forest was once famous for its massive stands of fine oaks. Known by many names, including ‘bata’ in Gaelic – which means a fighting stick – the original cane gets its name from the Shillelagh Forest in County Wicklow. Their weapon of choice would have been a cane made from oak, blackthorn, ash or holly. Very handy to have – but not something the Irish would have used at that time, or earlier. What has mistakenly been called a shillelagh all these years was once a very popular weapon in 19th-century London. In his very informative book, ‘ Things Irish’, Anthony Bluett writes that according to a leading folklore authority, the short, stubby blackthorn cudgel sold to tourists as the ‘ancient Irish shillelagh’ has no tradition in Ireland at all. The word ‘Shillelagh’ has been used and abused so much over the generations that it has become a generic term for any kind of one piece walking stick from Ireland – mostly one with a large knob type handle. So, I include here some relative reading. Jean McClelland writes about antiques for The Herald-Dispatch.I am regularly asked about an Irish Shillelagh so I feel many would be interested in a little further background to the origins of the word. Headaches from overindulgence are much more preferable to those that result from a wallop of a Shillelagh. Today, as you look down at that green beer be glad that the Irish tradition of engaging your buddies in a contest with a Shillelagh is no longer the fashionable way of celebrating. This ornate special featured Irish cane can be sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars however most Shillelaghs are sold for less than $100.00. The more unusual the cane the more collectible and valuable it becomes. Today’s collectors look for special features in old canes such as hidden swords, camouflaged whiskey flasks or unusual materials forming the head of the cane. Early on this cudgel was whittled leaving the knobs and thorns in place so as to make it a better weapon when giving their adversary a good wallop. Interestingly it was an English writer who first dubbed the bata a Shillelagh due the origin of the wood. The Irish fighting stick came by the name of Shillelagh due to the fine woods most favored in the making of the cudgel that were found in Ireland’s Shillelagh Forest. As time moved on, the fights took on a sportsman type venue at many ale intensive celebrations. From the 17th thru the 19th Century, those fights were most prevalent between political groups called ‘factions’. There were even trainers or fencing masters called “Maighistir Prionnsa” to help them perfect their bata skills. #Irish stick shillelagh how to#As a rite of passage young Irishmen learned how to protect themselves in a fight. ![]()
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