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?

or shillala (ʃəˈleɪlə , -lɪ, Irish ʃɪˈleːlə) noun. (in Ireland) a stout club or cudgel, esp one made of oak or blackthorn.

What does an Irish shillelagh look like?

A shillelagh is usually a black stick with a polished wooden knob as a handle at the top. The length of a shillelagh can vary greatly. Some are between 4 feet and 5 feet and others are the length of a walking stick, measured from the floor to the wrist,which is about 3 feet long.

What are Irish walking sticks called?

Shillelagh
The name Shillelagh comes from a forest in Co. Wicklow. However, shillelagh became a generic term for any Irish walking stick. Traditionally the canes or walking stick were made out of oak.

What is blackthorn wood?

Blackthorn is a large bush that grows in the British Isles. The twisted, thorny, dark colored limbs have been used to make weapons, called Shillelaghs, for centuries. Blackthorn is a very resilient wood that is naturally resistant to warping which made it a perfect material to be made into a weapon.

How do you pronounce the Irish word shillelagh?

How do you cure shillelagh?

Curing and polishing

Most commonly, the chosen wood would be placed up a chimney to cure for a duration of several months to several years; the accumulated layer of soot gave the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. The less frequent methods were to bury the shank in a dung pile, or in slaked lime.

Can a shillelagh be used as a walking stick?

The word ‘Shillelagh’ has been used and abused a lot over the generations. As a result, it has become a generic term for any kind of one piece walking stick from Ireland – mostly one with a large knob type handle.

How do you finish a shillelagh?

What kind of wood is a shillelagh made of?

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 a hardwood?

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

How tall is a shillelagh?

The shillelagh itself is a single piece of blackthorn or oak about three feet long. Longer sticks were called wattles and could be six or eight feet long. Shorter ones, about two feet long, would be called kipeen. Generally, the root knob is at one end and some are loaded, that is, impregnated with lead.

How is a shillelagh made?

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. Like Irish bacon, the piece is smeared with butter (and sometimes margarine) and placed up a chimney to be cured. The bark is left on to add to its toughness.

How do you make an Irish Sheleighly?

Shillelagh | Walking Stick
  1. Step 1: Pick Your Stick. Primarily made of a hardwood, the single defining trait is the straightness. …
  2. Step 2: De-bark and Exfoliate. …
  3. Step 3: Smooth and Shape. …
  4. Step 4: Seal the End and Add Designs. …
  5. Step 5: Finishing Touches. …
  6. Step 6: Show It Off.

What color is blackthorn wood?

reddish-brown
The rich reddish-brown color of the shillelagh blackthorn bark is as distinctive as it is appealing. Grown from coppiced wood, blackthorn is an extremely thorny plant. However, the finished product is much admired for its rustic appearance.

When was the shillelagh invented?

The word Shillelagh comes from the Irish phrase sail éille which translates into English as “thonged willow-stick.” Another origination story states that the name came from a king or clan chieftain, Ealach Mac Faelchon who lived in the 7th century AD.

What is an Irish fighting stick?

It’s an Irish fighting stick. Shillelagh comes from the words sail éille, translated into English means thonged willow-stick. In Irish, it translates to “descendants of Éalach,” and the Gaelic know a shillelagh as a bata or fighting stick. Shillelaghs are a popular gift store item in Ireland.

Do all Hawthorns have thorns?

The hawthorn changes quickly with the help of hybridization, so there are many varieties, both wild and cultivated. Nearly all of the trees have thorns and flowers, but there is a small handful of varieties that do not possess thorns.

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.
Common Name:Blackthorn
Irish Name:Draighean
Family Group:Rosaceae
Distribution:View Map (Courtesy of the BSBI)

Is blackthorn good for a walking stick?

Blackthorn has long been used as a wood for walking or riding sticks, and is the material traditionally used to create an Irish shillelagh, or fighting stick. Our Blackthorn Walking Sticks are available in both rustic and modern designs, but all feature this classic wood with its characteristic gnarled surface.

What does hawthorn symbolize?

In Celtic mythology it is one of the most sacred trees and symbolises love and protection. It is also known as the Fairy Tree, as fairies live under the Hawthorn as its guardians, and so was treated with great respect and care.

What is the flower of the hawthorn called?

May-blossom
What to look for in spring/summer. Hawthorn leaves start to appear in March, followed by the fragrant white flowers that come out from April to June, particularly in May. Another name for hawthorn is May-blossom.