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, 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 I have mistakenly 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. "People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors." However, it is never the best tool for these things nowadays, and using it as such risks breaking or damaging the shillelagh.Ĭarrying one around is best used as holding a piece of history and culture in your hands.Site Index | Kids | Kitchen | Shopping | Poetry | Weddings | Travel | Basic Irish | Quotes | Books | Music | Movies | Trivia | Blessings | Jokes | Links | The weight and large handle make it good for hitting things like a hammer or moving things outside of your reach. The shillelagh has some use as a tool outside of being used as a fighting stick, though not a proper one. The shillelagh known as the old stick-fighting sport once served as a great defensive tool, useful for beating off any potential attackers and protecting yourself from wild animals. The Blackthorn Walking Stick is the authentic Irish blackthorn walking stick that does it all. The Blackthorn Walking Stick stands tall enough to help support you as you walk, making it a great tool for many people. The blackthorn bush is known for its thorny branches which make an unique walking stick. The handle is the root base which grows as a root ball that forms a unique beautiful and natural handle. Most will have a strap to hang when not in use or wrap around the hand to prevent it from dropping.Īuthentic Blackthorn Walking Stick come straight Ireland. The top of the shillelagh is a large bulb of wood and striking surface of the shillelagh. The shaft of the walking stick is mostly smooth, but they often keep a few knots in it to give it a different form. The shillelagh fighting stick is usually 18" -22". Blackthorn wood typically makes the shillelagh. What’s a Shillelagh?Ī shillelagh is a type of stick that is usually shorter an not intended for walking, useful for both walking and defending oneself. ![]() This is an older example of what an Irish shillelagh is used for, but there are others. ![]() ![]() Eventually, this became so popular that fathers would teach their children how to fight with shillelaghs as a rite of passage. The most popular use of shillelagh comes from the 1800s, where teams came together to fight each other in stick fights as a sport. The shillelagh has a deep history rooted in sports, and parents even gave it to children as a sign of adulthood.
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