It is a shorter, lighter version modeled after an ancient cudgel in lynn c. Read more about irish stick fighting, faction fights in ireland, and shillelagh martial arts. Crafted in the traditional style, complete with gnarled accents to emphasize the knotty quality of genuine blackthorn wood shillelagh sticks, this cane is molded of polypropylene with an impactresistant faux wood cap. In the works of william carleton, is a collection of stories about irish stick fighters, written in the 19th century, by the irish author william carleton. In the works of william carleton, is a collection of stories about irish stickfighters, written in the 19th century, by the irish author william carleton. Antique vtg irish shillelagh blackthorn cudgel war club fighting stick 15. In the centuries that followed, stick fighting became an integral part of irish culture. The shillelagh is an ancient walking stickfighting stick that has been carried by many celtic people for hundreds of years now. In the 1940s there was a popular song, the same old shillelagh, recorded by several irish american including bing crosby and billy murray about such a weapon being passed along from father to son. Page 1 of 5 rough cut on the shillelagh posted in homemade walking sticks. At the olde shillelagh stick makers, an intriguing array of sticks adorn the walls of the newly decorated shop which is often a favourite for tourists.
United cutlery blackthorn shillelagh fighting stick 37. These hardwood battle clubscumwalking sticks made their way over to ireland when england invaded. Doyles irish stick fighting june 15, 2017 cohoes, ny my latest stick ive been working on just need to cut and shape the bottom and few coats of finish and shes ready for a home. Each stick is handsanded, lacquered with a highgloss finish and finished with a copper tip. Looking for a complete and well rounded system that is so much more than just strikes and blocks. See more ideas about irish, walking sticks and walking sticks and canes. This martial tradition has been transmitted from father to.
The shillelagh is still identified with irish popular culture to this day, although the arts of. Mccaffrey irish store blackthorn walking sticks, shillelaghs. In revolt, the irish adopted the shillelagh as a walking stick and secret resistance weapon. If you are irish or have an interest in irish gangs, irish boxing, the shillelagh, or scorceses film, you will. In the old days, most people in rural areas knew how to make a blackthorn stick, but some turned to the service of reputed stick makers. Often combining stickfencing with boxing and wrestling, shillelagh fighting. Cane shillelagh or traditional walking stick, late century, irish. However, rince an bhata uisce bheatha isnt a form of irish dance, its a doyle clans style of irish stick fighting the martial art most irishmen used to settle their disputes in the 18th and 19th centuries so the only dancing you will be doing will be at the party after the brawl. Histories, definitions and perceptions of paintings of everyday life from early nineteenth.
The irish tended to like walking canes that were made from oak, blackthorn, ash and holly. Jul 10, 2010 making shillelaghs by shillelagh grandmaster j. The shillelagh is a devastatingly effective weapon from ancient times and it is still an extremely practical and effective weapon today. Shillelagh or irish stick fighting academie duello learn.
Doyle shillelagh irish stick fighting various bataireacht. And for generations of irishmen, the shillelagh was a. But in the 18th century, english landlords found another use for these oaks. Read more about irish stickfighting, faction fights in ireland, and shillelagh martial. Shillelagh or irish stick fighting academie duello. Patricks day was this week, so lets celebrate the shillelagh, or blackthorn walking stick and its fighting style. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading shillelagh. Irish shillelagh walking stick as a secret weapon duration. According to mother earth news, england banned weapons from ireland. He is also a practitioner of irish stickshillelaghfighting, in both its researched form and under the instruction of glen doyle of newfoundland, canada. Like irish bacon, the piece is smeared with butter and sometimes margarine and placed up a chimney to be cured. In stickfighting, the actual bata or stick used for bataireacht is a sail eille anglicised as shillelagh or, in earlier texts, a cudgel. Methods of shillelagh fighting have evolved over a period of thousands of years, from the spear, staff, axe and sword fighting of the irish.
The irish fighting cultire is referred to as either the shillelagh code or shillelagh law. Jul 15, 2015 doyle irish stick fighting various clips bataireacht shillelagh. The use of the stick, shillelagh, and cudgel in the violent faction fights of nineteenth century ireland is already wellknown through the works of author william carleton 17941869 less known, however, are the historical accounts of such weapons being used in new york city among the street battles of irish catholic and irish protestant immigrants. Doyle irish stick fighting various clips bataireacht. Doyle is the only person on earth currently teaching a living, hereditary style of irish stickfighting. The art of irish stickfighting shillelagh book 3 john hurley. A shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club, or cudgel made from a thick, knotty stick with a large knob on top of blackthorn wood sloe or oak. It is associated with ireland and irish folklore other spelling variants include shillelah. And for generations of irishmen, the shillelagh was a badge of honor a symbol of their courage, their martial. Oct 30, 2010 doyle bataireacht or simply doyle clan irish stick fighting is a devastatingly effective twohanded combative system developed well over 300 years ago by a doyle family in ireland.
Carleton was a stick fighter himself, and this is the first time. For centuries the irish have been associated with a stick weapon called t. Nov 18, 2007 for centuries the irish have been associated with a stick weapon called the shillelagh. The shillalah proper is about four feet long and is usually made of blackthorn, oak, ash, or hazel. A shillelagh is a wooden walking stick and club, or cudgel made from a thick, knotty stick with a large knob on top of blackthorn wood. It provides firsthand accounts of irish gangs and fights, written by a reformed irish stickfighter, and vividly describes irelands fighting culture which was governed by a code of honour hurley correctly calls shillelagh law. In the 1940s there was a popular song, the same old shillelagh, recorded by several irishamerican including bing crosby and billy murray about such a weapon being passed along from. Stay tuned for updates of the bibliography and links.
Create your own shillelagh to show your irish pride or simply as a handy hiking stick. You are correct, a shillelagh was essentially a stout stick preferably cut from a branch of a tree in such a way so that the wider point at which it was attached to the main trunk forms a sort of natural club. Often combining stickfencing with boxing and wrestling, shillelagh fighting was a once a complex mixed martial art. How shillelagh fighting evolved into a irish martial art. Settle any dispute you have like a true irish gentleman with this replica blackthorn shillelagh fighting stick from united cutlery. How to make a shillelagh do it yourself mother earth news. The art of irish stickfighting shillelagh book 3 ebook. Irish stick fighting in old new york martial arts new york. And for generations of irishmen, the shillelagh was a badge of. Unfollow shillelagh cudgel to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The stick has a sister that was carried by englishmen in and around the 1800s.
Shillelagh law dli saileille at various times throughout history, irish people have followed codes of conduct which governed their behaviour when fighting. Doyle clan irish stick fighting lesson 1 shillelagh bataireacht duration. Cold steel blackthorn shillelagh walking stick 91pbsh. 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. Doyle irish stick fighting various clips bataireacht shillelagh. What it is is a compelling history of the use of the shillelagh in 18th and 19th century irish faction fighting. Irish shillelaghs and walking sticks littleshamrocks. The shillelagh bata or the rediscovery of a living irish martial tradition by maxime chouinard, b. See more ideas about walking sticks, walking sticks and canes and blackthorn walking stick. The authoritative guide to using the cane or walking stick for selfdefense sammy franco.
During the 18th century bataireacht was practiced primarily with irish gangs called factions who often fought each other at gatherings and events. This article is a research in the methods, history and culture of the irish martial art of shillelagh bata. Bataireacht is a category of stickfighting martial arts of ireland. Within these categories there are further divisions based on whether or not the stick has a knob or iron ferrules at the end s.
Factions and stick fighting in history and culture boland, mary jane. The the shillelagh was the primary weapon used in bataireacht a form of traditional irish stick fighting popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Crafted in the traditional style, complete with gnarled accents to emphasize the. I baged it after the rough cutting in an attempt to keep it from spliting. Here is an update on my future shillelagh i decided to risk some rough cutting and try something that ive heard that those who work on green wood do. Irish stick fighting rince an bhata uisce bheatha shillelagh. Blackthorn, oak, ash and hazel were traditionally the most common types of woods used to make shillelagh fighting sticks. Shillelagh obviously a carefully produced and well presented work on a refreshingly different and original topic of irish history. More often faction fighting seems to have been earnest combat, and the shillelagh was just one of many weapons used to maim and kill the enemy. The shillelagh itself is a single piece of blackthorn or oak about three feet long. Doyle bataireacht or simply doyle clan irish stick fighting is a devastatingly effective twohanded combative system developed well over 300 years ago by a doyle family in ireland. The few references we have of venetian stick fighting from the 16 th and 17 th century shows, at least, a very similar guard, hungarian traditional dances imitating stick fighting also exhibit a similar third or, at least, middle grip.
There is some evidence which suggests that the use of irish stick weapons may have evolved in a progression from a reliance on long spears and wattles, to shorter spears and. At various times throughout history, irish people have followed codes of conduct which governed their behaviour when fighting. It well accounts for the beautiful finish on an antique shillelagh cudgel that i recently acquired. Longer sticks were called wattles and could be six or eight feet long.
In irish martial arts, bataireacht or boiscin are the various forms of stickfighting from ireland. Im well aware of the butter it and chimney hang it method of shillelagh finishing, but i recently came across the following. Todays version of the irish shillelagh is a walking stick or cane but, to the ancient irish, the shillelagh was their weapon of choice. Sometimes faction fighting was sport, in which case the shillelagh was the only weapon used.
Irish stick fighting emerged sometime in the 17th century when the irish were banned from owning formal weapons. Shorter ones, about two feet long, would be called kipeen. Any irishman would walk tall and stand proud with this in his hand. The irish fighting stick kindle edition by hurley, john w download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This unique walking fighting stick is handmade in ireland of blackthorn wood from remote areas of county wicklow, cork and kerry. In modern popular culture, the shillelagh has acquired a less appealing image, one that attempts to declaw the. By the 19th century irish shillelaghfighting had evolved into a practice which involved the use of three basic types of weapons, sticks which were long, medium or short in length.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Always wanted to train in the irish stick fighting martial arts. In the irish folksong finnegans wake, the noholds barred rules governing the faction fight which takes place during tim finnegans wake, are referred to as shillelagh law. Get out of the house and explore the outdoors with a little help from this cool new genuine handmade irish shillelagh. The guard of this venetian bridge fighter is very close to irish 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 and their honor. The self defense experts at night watchman have recreated the traditional blackthorn shillelagh fighting stick in dramatic detail with this stunning shillelagh fighting cane. There is some evidence which suggests that the use of irish stick weapons may have evolved in a progression from a reliance on long spears and wattles, to shorter spears and wattles, to the shillelagh, alpeen, blackthorn walkingstick and short. Nov 26, 2014 the traditional irish stick weapon was the shillelagh, typically made from the branch of the irish blackthorn tree. As jon mills explained in his post, the general irish term for stick fighting is bataireacht.
It was actually an english writer who coined the term shillelagh. Cold steels blackthorn shillelagh walking stick is the little brother to the irish blackthorn walking stick lineup. Apr 02, 2011 the shillelagh is an ancient walking stickfighting stick that has been carried by many celtic people for hundreds of years now. Shillelagh blackthorn walking stick irish culture and. This martial tradition has been transmitted from father to son for several. Carleton was a stickfighter himself, and this is the first time. Bataireacht is a category of stickfighting martial arts of ireland bata is the irish term for any kind of stick. Although i have only read the introduction, it seems to promise an illuminating and entertaining education in matters celtic and i should think it would make a highly original gift for lots of types of people grandads, grandsons, martial arts enthusiasts. Blackthorn shillelagh fighting stick united cutlery united cutlery has recreated the traditional blackthorn shillelagh fighting stick in dramatic detail with this stunning shillelagh fighting cane. Doyle is the only person on earth currently teaching a living, hereditary style of irish stick fighting which has survived since atleast the early 19th century. He is also a practitioner of irish stick shillelagh fighting, in both its researched form and under the instruction of glen doyle of newfoundland, canada. This phrase always struck me as a perfect description for.