![]() Perhaps my family would rather enjoy a drink and a good tale of fighting. Instead of a knobby head to do battle, the handle and shaft contain a flask. Then I think about my great-grandfather's walking stick. An example Irish faction fighting can be seen in the movie Gangs of New York. While back in Ireland, often large crowds gathered at religious observations, fairs and wakes consisting of clans or political groups where faction fighting often would occur. His creator gave him a walking stick and made him a master of single-stick fighting. Another example of this is the character Sherlock Holmes. It was not uncommon for Irishmen to carry their stick wherever they went. I had given my cane to my mother-in-law and was. As they grew older, carrying a stick was seen as a rite of passage into manhood. I recently picked up a Cold Steel Irish Walking Stick from Richard at Sword Nation on his Deal of the Day. ![]() Folklorist Padraic Colum asserts that young Irish boys were taught and skilled in the traditions of the bata. It is suggested that our word "bat" and "baton" come from this word.īrilliant! Here is the correlation between a walking stick and fighting stick. Bata, from the Gaelic, means fighting stick. A shorter version, a cudgel or bata, does exist. The length of a shillelagh should be from your wrist to the ground, with a slight bend in the elbow. The wood was placed in manure or covered with butter and cured in a chimney to ensure the wood would not split during drying. The knobby bit with its broken thorns are some of its desired traits. Blackthorn is a more sturdy wood, having thorns and a large root-knob. Both woods have great significance in the Celtic world. Blackthorn then became the preferred material. However, over time, oak had been felled and exported. Traditionally the canes or walking stick were made out of oak. However, shillelagh became a generic term for any Irish walking stick. The name Shillelagh comes from a forest in Co. I hadn't heard this, which means I needed to find out more. Some of her customers had told her shillelaghs, or walking sticks, were used as weapons and did I know this. I was speaking with Jackie the bartender the other day and she said she had a story and question for me. Plus this trail now directly connects to the Wicklow Way and so offers walkers the chance to drop into Shillelagh Village and stay awile."It is extraordinary what a lot of knocking about a sturdy Irishman can put up with, and what whacks he can receive without any apparent damage." R.G. hazel walking stick shanks £12.00 1 bid £12.00 postage 5d 16h Click & Collect Ram Sheep Walking stick handle / Cane / Staff £16.40 Free postage LARGE VINTAGE IRISH HAND MADE SHILLELAGH £8.00 1 bid £3.35 postage 4d 12h Click & Collect 3 Walking Stick Mounts £3.00 1 bid Free postage 4d 19h Rams Horn Handle £48.00 Click & Collect. The estate created its own electricity supply from ater and even had its own fully functioning workshops to fully serve the massive estate. The estate was the largest in County Wicklow stretching 90,000 acres! The trail is 5 miles and visits the beautiful Coollattin Park, Ardeen House, the old railway station and terminus, Tomnafinnoge Woods the courthouse, and many other local heritage gems. This trail essentially explores the former Estate village of Shillelagh and it’s fascinating links to the Fitzwilliam family from South Yorkshire whose Irish home was Coollattin House. The Shillelagh Heritage Trail is now up and running. The blackthorn stick has a long history in Irish culture and folklore and this new sculpture is a testement to the heritage that it belies.įunding for this Shillelagh Stick came from Wicklow County Council under their towns and villages renewal scheme and it was developed by the Shillelagh People’s Property Company being the local trust that arose out of assets bequeathed to it by Lady Juliet Fitzwilliam. And it is hoped it will become an icon for the village. This stunning sculpture designed by artist Joey Burns now sits proudly in the village green next to the playground. ![]() Next to the sculpture, the interprative sign celebrates the fascinating history of the stick from its origins as a fighting weapon, to its current uses as a walking stick or parade gear. The village of Shillelagh has a new carved oak Stick sculpture in the village green.
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