What is an Irish shillelagh used for?

the Shillelagh was commonly used as a walking cane or walking stick, and can sometimes described as a cudgel. It is typically made from a stout knobbly and knotty stick with a knotty head, which can be used for gripping or striking.

What does shillelagh mean in Irish?

The name shillelagh is the Hiberno-English corruption of the Irish (Gaelic) form sail éille, where sail means “willow” or “cudgel” and éille is genitive for iall meaning “thong”, “strap”, “leash”, “string”, etc.

Why is blackthorn used for walking sticks?

The round berries are used to make sloe gin in Britain, and as the wood burns well with little smoke it is often used for firewood. It is attractive and takes on a fine polish, and has therefore been used to make walking sticks by the Irish.

How do you fight a shillelagh?

To use the shillelagh properly in a fight the club is snapped out at the wrist, not swung like a cudgel, and held towards the middle of the weapon. Advanced fighters grab two sticks and throw down in a Troid de Bata or “two-stick fight”. The stick of the offhand is used as a shield.

How old is the shillelagh?

Since 1975 | Doing Irish Right! John Brady opened the Old Shillelagh in February of 1975. The fact that he was a retired Detroit police officer, proved to make the Old Shillelagh an immediate success. The second floor was added only one year later, on parade Sunday 1976.

Is blackthorn a hardwood?

Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) Plants | British Hardwood Tree Nursery.

What kind of wood is a shillelagh made of?

Blackthorn and oak, especially the root, are commonly used to craft shillelaghs. The wood is honed into the perfect shape and then treated with butter or lard and placed in a chimney to cure. Some shillelaghs have molten lead added to the hitting end to increase the weight of the club.

Is Blackthorn a hardwood?

What is black Thorn fruit?

Early to blossom, blackthorn trees have clouds of snow-white flowers in early spring. They’re best known for their rich, inky, dark fruits used to make a favourite wintry tipple – sloe gin. Blackthorn is famed for its purple fruits called sloes.

Is a shillelagh legal?

As a shillelagh is just a type of stick or walking stick, it’s perfectly legal to walk around with one. Just don’t hit someone with it. That’s assault, and you will definitely be arrested for something like that.

What wood is a shillelagh made from?

Blackthorn
Shillelaghs are clubs or Irish walking sticks crafted from the stout, knobby branches of trees which are shaped into a heavy “hitting” end with varying lengths of handle. Blackthorn and oak, especially the root, are commonly used to craft shillelaghs.

Is blackthorn native to Ireland?

Blackthorn is not easily confused with other wild plants on this web site. This is a deciduous, sometimes dense, thorny shrub which grows abundantly throughout the country….Information on Blackthorn.