5/15/2023 0 Comments Combat shillelagh![]() ![]() During that time, over a million Irish people died, and another two million emigrated to avoid starvation. This was mainly due to the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s. It gave meaning to people’s lives at a time when they really needed it.īy the 20th century, bataireacht had all but died out. It was about the ability to defend loved ones and their honor. Bataireacht became popular out of widespread necessity. It was a time when the working class people of Ireland were downtrodden, and swathes of British aristocrats controlled their land. Bataireacht’s popularity boomed from the 17th to 19th centuries for a reason. People didn’t put their lives on the line for nothing. Of course, calling these brawls recreational is simplifying things just a little bit. There is even a plaque still sitting today in the seaside town of Ballyheigue, County Kerry that remembers some 35 people killed in a brawl in 1834. According to Carolyn Conley from the University of Alabama, an expert on Ireland’s crime in the 1800s, over 40% of murders in Ireland between 18 were linked to these recreational brawls. They simply had nothing better to do than beat each other silly with sticks. These brawls were really only filling an entertainment void in rural Ireland. That is quite a cost to pay for something that was only a recreational activity. The spirit of so-called Shillelagh Law was to go out and fight and die if necessary in order to protect the reputation of your family or faction. It was mainly men who took part, but women would get involved as well, carrying stones in their aprons for the men to throw at each other. During these brawls, rocks were hurled, shillelagh were swung, and sometimes guns were even fired. They were usually held at festivals or funerals, although this certainly wasn’t the only time they were held. The brawls were illegal, but that didn’t stop them from happening regularly. These were massive brawls organized by different rival factions bound by family, parish, or geography, which could include hundreds, or even thousands, of men. Bataireacht and Faction Fightsīataireacht was a wild and deadly martial art that was primarily used in faction fights. The men who felt wronged would often fight the people loyal to the landlords. A regular reason for disputes was the abuse of power by British landlords occupying Irish territory. This resulted in many Irishmen settling disputes outside the court system using faction fights involving bataireacht. The British legal system’s mistreatment of Irish people created mistrust in the system. The martial art of bataireacht wasn’t just used to fight against the occupying British forces either. Shillelaghs came in assorted lengths and styles, but they all packed a serious punch during bataireacht (Samuraiantiqueworld / CC BY SA 3.0 ) Venetian Bridge Wars: The ‘Fighting Spirit’ of Renaissance Venice Shillelagh were indeed walking sticks, but they also doubled as clubs, thanks to the large knobs located at the top. In response, Irish people resorted to protecting themselves using walking sticks which were actually shillelagh. In an attempt to reduce and prevent uprisings and rebellions, the British banned Irish people from carrying weapons. A large reason for the rise in its popularity was the occupying British forces. ![]() Bataireacht is a blend of fencing, boxing, and grappling in which fighters punch, jostle, and strike each other with sticks. ![]() The Origins of Bataireachtīataireacht has its origins in the 16th century, although it wasn’t until the 18th century that it really boomed in popularity. It goes by the name bataireacht, meaning ‘stick fighting,’ and it has a fascinating history. Few people would ever associate Ireland with any kind of martial art, but Ireland is actually home to a 500-year-old martial art that is being revived today. Kung-fu and China, Tae Kwon Do and Korea, and Muay Thai and Thailand. Many countries have martial arts that are closely associated with their national identity. ![]()
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