Erin Go Braugh!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I thought I'd show you my Irish Shillelagh.

I love it! 

It was given to me by my Mother's side of the family

the Collins. 

This dear old thing was approx 120 years old

when it was shown to me in the 1960's. 

What is a shillelagh some of you may ask?

The internet says...

Sticks have been used as weapons since fighting began, however the skilled use of hardwood clubs by the people of Shillelagh led to these clubs to be called Shillelagh's by Richard II in 1395. With the dispersion of these peoples through the ages the term Shillelagh spread throughout Ireland and the new world in reference to a weighted fighting stick.
When it became illegal for any Irish person to carry a weapon their Shillelagh's were often elongated to appear as a walking stick but were just as effictive  a weapon when the need arose. These irish who emigrated to America enjoyed the right there of all men to carry arms and Shillelagh's became very promenant in the faction fights in the turbulant years of the young United States. 

Because of the length of this one

it would have been a

fighting shillelagh.

Can you imagine being 

boinked on the head with that thing!

I'm afraid my poor old shillelagh

has been banged up in many moves

from Ireland to England to

Manitoba Canada

to British Columbia Canada 

and now down here

to Kansas.

If it could only talk

I bet it could tell us some

wonderful stories

of all it's travels.

These clubs and walking sticks are

still being made today even here 

in the United States.

This one was made in Ireland from a black thorn tree

but originally they were made from oak. 

The bark was left on for added toughness

and to keep them from splitting in the 

drying process they were

sometimes buried

in manure piles or smeared

 with butter and placed in the chimney

to cure. 

I hope mine was done

the latter way!

At least it doesn't stink ;)

While looking up information on

shillelaghs I see there is

a lot of conflicting ideas

on where they came from and what 

they were made from etc.

I really don't care.

All that matters to me

is that my loved ones 

cared enough for this old

piece of wood

to hand it down for over 150 years

and one day my 

children will enjoy it 

and pass it down to theirs.

Since these pictures were taken by

our chicken coop here

on the farm I figured

I would join up

with Amy at

Verde Farm 

for

I hope you'll hop on over and visit 

Amy and Richie

and all the other Farm Friends

taking part this week.

Enjoy!

Maura :)