How To Make A Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow, Ireland 1986

In the village of Shillelagh, Jack Ryan who has been making shillelagh sticks all his life just as his father did.
The raw material for a shillelagh must be a hardwood, such as blackthorn, oak or holly. Once Jack Ryan has the right piece of wood for the job, it is prepared, cleaned and sand-papered. Making the shillelagh is hard work, as everything is done by hand, using a rasp, hatchet and saw. The finished shillelagh is then varnished.
The bulk of the work is bought by Americans as a souvenir of their native place. He does not thinks that bringing home a shillelagh gives the Irish a bad name abroad. Not all shillelaghs are offensive weapons and the sticks were originally carried by policemen. People today are more educated and do not need a stick to defend themselves.
They wouldn’t know how to walk now, they wouldn’t know how to handle a shillelagh.
Making shillelaghs is an enjoyable pastime for Jack Ryan as,
"It shortens the long winter nights for you when you are sitting on your own. Just doing up the old blackthorns and tarrying in the daytime and doing them up in the night-time, that’s the only hobby you have."
This episode of ‘Hall and Company’ was broadcast on 16 November 1986. The presenter is Frank Hall.

[@russefrance4869]

The essence of Irish conversation. Two old fellas having a chat over a gate...but not necessarily about the same subject.

[@pocketjohnson1820]

I can imagine asking the Old Fella directions to Tipperary and the old fella would say "well now I wouldn't be starting from here"

[@richsackett3423]

@@pocketjohnson1820 That's a fantastic Irish joke.

[@JoeZUGOOLA]

Hahaha even this sound like an Irish joke

[@valeriy8502]

@@pocketjohnson1820 Oh goodness, I hope I get a chance to say that to a tourist

[@pocketjohnson1820]

@@valeriy8502 🤣

[@nunyabiznez6381]

In 1903 my great grandfather came to Boston on the Carpathia on it's maiden voyage. He brought with him among other things his grandfather's Shillelagh. 60 years later he died and my grandmother ended up with it. My uncle used it as sort of a drum major's baton in the St. Patrick's day parade in Boston for a few years. But my grandmother kept custody of it. When she died in 2000 it ended up with my mother and when she died I ended up with it. According to my grandmother it was nearly 100 years old when it was brought to America. That would make it over 200 years old. My great grandfather, two uncles and my brother have all used it for the purpose for which it was intended. I have used it once to explain to a burglar why he should make better choices in life.

[@aminoto-3]

There’s the story within a story.. i hope that family history gets passed along with the Shillelagh for many years to come.. if that old piece of wood could talk eh.. thanks for sharing its tale..

[@rickcoona]

If that price of wood Could talk you'd never understand it, as it would be speaking Gaelic!

[@aminoto-3]

@@rickcoona asal clister, cen chaoi a bhfuil a fhios agat nach feidir liom Gaelic a labhairt...

[@GodOfVictory501]

I love it! The story of the Irish diaspora in stick form.

[@benji.B-side]

Haha wonderful story!

[@robwal3665]

😂😂 "Any hardwood providing it's blackthorn or oak"

[@williamswhistlepipes]

Then he shows us a holly one

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Bog oak if you have it. Blackthorn root is best. Whatever it is needs to be seasoned and resiliant. We have one well over a century old. More like a cloud or hammer than a walking stick. The interviewer is typically disrespectful.

[@rexmundi3108]

What's that? Holly.

[@williamswhistlepipes]

@@rexmundi3108 it’s a tree or a bush.. as in the holly and the ivy 🎼🌿🌿🌿

[@Roo986]

@@brianmccarthy5557 Thanks, I think I'll have a go at making one. Yep the interviewer was an ass, he could have got a lot more from the guy...

[@Truffle_Pup]

Lads. Where did we go wrong. Two men talking over a gate about everything but the subject. This is pure class. This is television.

[@RaunienTheFirst]

Irish country folk, to the auto subtitles: "you have no power here"

[@masonmorgan4]

*wild and cheerful Irish noises*

[@cigh7445]

Back when a Wicklow regional accent still existed as a seperate entity to Dublin accents. RIP traditional Wicklow and Kildare accents. May the rest of Irelands regional accents hold strong and may they all have increased representation on our national television and radio broadcasting. Amen.

[@djseanoduill]

What are you talkin about? Have you ever been pass Cellbridge or Bray? The regional accents are definitely still there.

[@rorstap]

I can tell the difference in accent the minute I drive over the border into Bray. The Bray accent is much more drawn out than a Dublin accent and the Wicklow accent gets much more so the further down Wicklow you go.

[@renewklear]

Carlayyy, Wicklowww, Kildarrre, it’s all still there!

[@cigh7445]

@@renewklear Yerra, tis only very old people that have them now

[@cigh7445]

@@rorstap Bray is Dublin now. It doesn't belong to Wicklow anymore. Sure nobody believes that Katie Taylor isn't from Dublin, God bless her

[@colinh9813]

I asked directions from this guy in August 1984 he's still giving them to me now.

[@Johnconno]

Will you be starting from his place, then heading towards where you want to be? 👌

[@cymro6537]

"And if you go past *that* turning - you'll have missed it"

[@eldricgrubbidge6465]

Take the left five or six miles before the house that used to belong to John. You know John. Yerra you do!

[@cymro6537]

@@eldricgrubbidge6465 🤣🤣🤣

[@brianmccarthy5557]

Wherever you are, there you are.

[@jenkinsrooster7152]

"When all you have is a Shillelagh, everything looks like a protestant."

[@pepelemoko01]

Sure, You'll need more than a Shillelagh when facing those devils.

[@raymaxwell2940]

@@pepelemoko01 were are you from then never heard of the RC church and what the priests and nuns got upto shocking to say the least maybe you liked your priest touching you lol

[@pepelemoko01]

@@raymaxwell2940 I heard something about this the other day, along with some of flu coming out of China.

[@EannaWithAFada]

@@raymaxwell2940 You say it like the Protestant church isn't guilty of the same in other places Maybe they're better at hiding it

[@FunkBastid]

eanna connolly dude, any protestant church pedophilia was/is no where near the scale that the catholic church had/has, neither in terms of the crime itself nor the cover-up involved.

[@stevenc123]

Came for the Shillelagh, stayed for the pocket hoking.

[@donaloregan7481]

A proud Irish man practising an old tradition. Simply lovely.😊

[@vikramad36]

The English, it seems to me, discouraged them from doing that. Did you see how the interviewer demeaned his activity as being too rural and not painting a nice picture to people abroad?

[@biggusdickkus2956]

@@vikramad36 He was just teasing the old bloke and he knew it , just a bit of leg pulling ,too many people ready to take offence on others behalf nowadays.

[@nozrep]

in the 1970’s

[@nozrep]

@@biggusdickkus2956 yep. and it is stupid. AND it is video from long long ago. But it’s the internet, and people are stupid sometimes so… yep.

[@Raasker]

their interpersonal interactions are simply amazing, the quips, the looking away into the distance, it's really a character study.

[@keepinmahprivacy9754]

"Any hardwood, providing it's blackthorn or oak", is like saying "Any hard liquor, providing it's whiskey or rye."

[@robertcronin6603]

Lol 🤣 that's true

[@brottarnacke]

"We've got both kinds. Country AND Western."

[@TheTugtastic]

"...and what's this one then" "Holly"

[@PS1-Hagrid]

The best are made from blackthorn, you sand them, clean them and then you coat them in butter and smoke them in the chimney breast. To finish it off, hollow out the end to fill with hot lead. Once the lead's set and you give it a polish, you'll have a shillelagh as black as soot and can shatter a man's arm in one swing.

[@napper1496]

I doubt hot lead was used as a hardwood end would be heavy enough

[@widowrumstrypze9705]

@@napper1496 We can have BOTH!

[@caahacky]

Ah but can't a swan's wing do that?

[@craigstege6376]

That it could. And the pair on a man what could casually carry about a swan for the purpose of beating people would be more than enough to end the fight before it began. For most folks a stout stick will do.

[@robertcorcoran6220]

My dad use to have a shillelagh and I remember I use to want to take it out of his room so he told me he stole it from an old mans grave and some nights a banshee would come looking for it so I left it alone for sure

[@ErinsProjects]

That is great! My uncle used to tell me stories about black elves and wooley boogers to keep me out of his stuff, when I was little. Love it!

[@robertcorcoran6220]

@@ErinsProjects I've never heard of a wooley booger but now I'm intrigued to know 😂 I'm glad my dad told me about all these spooky tales and made up legends because now I have ways of scaring the shite out of my nieces and nephews

[@BAGHEAD1995]

There’s clearly an Irish parent tradition of telling terrifying stories to keep you away from things !. My Mum used to say stuff like “Mariah will get you” or “A banshee will come and take it back” scared the shite out of me as a kid!.

[@robertcorcoran6220]

@@BAGHEAD1995 we're fortunate to have been raised in such a way but still fascinating to know I had a similar childhood to people who I havent even met

[@leroyjenkins4811]

He only told you that so you’d leave his stuff alone. Lmao!

[@aidanfarnan4683]

That man has more in his pockets than Bilbo Bagins, he does.

[@Sonlokill]

bilbo only had the ring, gollum

[@TheGreatest1974]

What a lovely old timer. And he really knew his shillelaghs, though you don’t tend to see those hammer style ones these days thankfully. The knob sticks though, and the club shillelaghs of today, are real class. Dried and made properly by McCaffrey and other great makers. Proper sticks.

[@TheSuperintendant]

When a trusty Shillelagh came over their heads, and bad them take that as fair warning!

[@damiendempsey763]

Great song it is

[@ahopefor]

@@damiendempsey763 indeed

[@mikemc7839]

Me and me cousin

[@JohnMac2023A.D.]

Arthur McBride gem 💎 of song👍

[@1dulchie113]

@@mikemc7839 down by the sea side?

[@gard7662]

Tellin a story on telly and rootin through his pockets pullin out bills! 🤣

[@irishcountrygirl78]

Such an old Irish thing 🤣🤣🤣.

[@patmiddleton3947]

He didn’t ask to be interviewed or be on telly.

[@blaircrocker9845]

@@patmiddleton3947 he wanted to say feck off ye we little bastards

[@josephcoyne8786]

@@blaircrocker9845 Irish people don't speak like that, that's more Scottish than irish

[@stubowl1]

i;ve got a long thick blackthorn seasoned out my back garden. been waiting there for about 6 years. its like steel.

[@mrsinn2642]

What a treasure trove of videos you have, thanks as always CR.

[@midnightmosesuk]

My Grandad had a shillelagh he bought with him from Ireland when he settled in London many years ago. It used to be an object of fascination for me when I was little. When he died my nan kept it but it never left the corner of the living room of the Peckham flat where they lived. When she eventually passed, no one could find that shillelagh anywhere. It was simply gone. Meeting me, I seem as South London as they come. I've never even visited Cork, where my grandad came from. I wish I had that shillelagh, it was a physical link to my Irish ancestry. I was raised an Englishman but my roots are of Irish Blackthorn.

[@mixerD1-]

Romantic nonsense. 🤣🤣🤣

[@kevinfiess4494]

Bad'Ass!

[@kathleendaugherty4218]

Makes me proud to be Irish and my heritage

[@user-jb3ip6bi3p]

Agree Sláinte Go raibh míle maith agat

[@biggusdickkus2956]

@@user-jb3ip6bi3p Thats easy for you to say.lol

[@danielmoran9902]

My uncle in Kildare was set upon one night when he was walking home. He ran to get his stick and went back and took them all on. Its still hanging in his house today.

[@Roo986]

I did the same with a length of pipe in Moss Side 😁

[@philipnestor5034]

God bless your uncle! Greetings from New York.

[@davevans54]

@@Roo986 Ah... happy times at Brookes Bar. Everybody piled off a double decker bus to be followed by smoke, then a few flames licked up the side of the bus. Within 5 minutes the whole bus was on fire. No one was hurt. Never saw it in the news. That was in 1976 or so.

[@christschin3708]

@@Roo986 Same here, but in Wythenshawe. 😊

[@biggusdickkus2956]

@@Roo986 I did the same in Nottingham with a sawn off shotgun 😂

[@choctaw6838]

"Boys oh boys" ( Frank Kelly) rip Loved "Halls pictorial weekly" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent video👌

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

Ye mean Frank Hall ?? ... 🤔🙄😂 en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Hall_(broadcaster) 😎👍☘🍺

[@choctaw6838]

@@peterfitzpatrick7032 no I'm only quoting Frank Kelly halls pic' Well I think he said " boys oh boys" 😂 or was it the " minister for hardship" said it 🤔

[@stevenspenneberg7407]

I love the look on his face, when the Reporter says the thing he has dedicated his life too, that his town is named after, actually gives the entire Nation of Ireland, a bad reputation! He’s like “ Yer tellin’ me this on Live Telly, ya bastard?”

[@peterwilson5528]

Had me in tears laughing. Reminds me of my little Irish mum. God bless her.

[@irishcountrygirl78]

My dad makes them, l never asked him why, he sees a good piece of wood and he makes them, he's 74 now and has a collection of these and walking sticks.

[@johnnytocino9313]

Haha walking sticks you crack open a dude's skull with lmfao.

[@irishcountrygirl78]

@@johnnytocino9313 yeah he made both these yokes and walking sticks 🤣, he would carve a ducks head into the walking sticks.

[@kylethedalek]

Has he thought a making a KZbin channel showing people how to make them? Or could you make a video of him making them? Would live to see them getting made.

[@isaacmcflurry6567]

@@kylethedalek its not very hard to make, go of pictures online to get an idea, I’ve made a few

[@kittredge5167]

My grandfather was Full blooded Irish and he used to make walking sticks. They were very nice.

[@dean4553]

It feels so fuckin good to be able to understand every word of this. Bein a culchie comes in handy sometimes

[@chiburner]

I keep coming back to this. It matters little what they talk about, but what a treat just to hear them chat.

[@alivecoy]

My family owned a few irish pubs in Phillidelphia and New Jersey. You'd see these lined up on the walls of the bar to bring a piece of the old world back to the pub. We'd come over to Ireland and buy one. We'd like the look of and hang it up with the other dozen. It didn't give us a bad name at all. Our tempers and pride did that enough on its own

[@Kynrin22]

Thank you so much for these beautiful wee films.

[@SJM6791]

This is one of the most interesting interviews I’ve ever seen.

[@SpinningSalads]

You must be new to the interview game

[@MarkLynskey]

....brought a smile to my face when he mentioned they weren't eating enough 'stir about' <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="74">1:14</a> My Granny used to make it when we were kids years ago..still no Idea what it was, bread and soup mixed up I think.

[@mixerD1-]

Porridge....oat flakes boiled with salt, water, a dash of milk and sugar.

[@timm5055]

They say he carved it from a slightly bigger stick....

[@patrickcox1313]

That is insanely brilliant. Made me laugh out loud for some time. Is it a quote, or yours alone?

[@ab4n1sg64]

@@patrickcox1313 a twist on a Simpsons quote involving a chilly eating spoon.

[@justinneill5003]

Did I hear that right: "I am old... I'm almost 60." T hat sent a shiver down my spine, I just turned 62.

[@cymro6537]

Lordy ,I thought he was nearer 80!

[@SanTelmo1981]

He said "well over 60"

[@justinneill5003]

@@SanTelmo1981 Ah, so he did. My hearing isn't what it was.

[@SanTelmo1981]

@@justinneill5003 No worries, I'm from close to where he's from so I'm well used to the accent. 62 is no age these days ;-)

[@shamrockshore6308]

@@justinneill5003 ' My hearing isn't what it was.'....That'll be old age.

[@nigefal]

That fella was brilliant must have been some character. 'Maybe someone else would take up the job' - says he. If he if got a belt of Shillelagh.

[@squeek5810]

I have one ,an I love it ,regards to you all, from Australia.

[@fletchkeilman2205]

I still have the ones my grandfather made me. I always walk the trails with one

[@jangomoonstomp]

My big brother inherited my grandfather's one that hung on the wall ever since i can remember. I thought it was some sort of a musical instrument, pretty sure they gave it to him because they knew I'd probably use it on some feckers 😮😂

[@amythompson7700]

Oh, they look like walking canes. I’m going to need one eventually. 😂

[@dw5523]

I got a foreign language credit for listening to this. What a great vid!

[@Tombombadillo999]

When he picked his pocket he just wanted to make sure the one ring was still there

[@julianhastings1547]

I've just seen the date ! We'd be to late to find him and welcome him into our home , what a character and what a pocket!

[@dannygjk]

I have one my dad got in Ireland when he was in the navy in the late 50's.

[@joegrande4848]

My great grandmother came from Ireland an she had a shillelagh that was a family heir loom. When she got older she gave the shillelagh to my grandmother an my grandmother became friends with an Irish catholic priest Mr. Burke. He use to visit my grandparents for tea my grandmother gave him our shillelagh to Mr Burke. When years later Mr Burke got old an passed away he was buried with our shillelagh. I told my mom, go dig up Mr Burke an get our shillelagh back. If we still had that shillelagh it would be well over 100 years old, maybe older

[@sineadconran4964]

Love your old videos❤️

[@angelamcentee1277]

I have one by the front door, that I inherited, it was in the house when I was growing up and when I was on my own it made me feel somewhat safer.

[@therestinghornet6906]

After 5 mins of crying this made me feel a lot better

[@SirDamned]

The two Ronnie's sketch is actually accurate

[@lordvicar1]

Very nice video. Had such chats over the fence at ireland for myself. Just ask for the way i thought. Half hour later i know so much but everything excluding the way. God bless Eire.

[@danielwild.]

He politely corrected'em when he asked about his own personal stick and how it correlated with an offensive weapon lol

[@Smallholdingonashoestring]

While I've been clearing my old cottage, I've cut plenty of blackthorn and am looking forward to making a few shillelaghs in a few years once it's seasoned

[@EaglebeakGaming]

I didn’t understand a word of this... 10/10

[@biggusdickkus2956]

Thats racist 😂

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

Try hitting the "CC" next time.

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

@@biggusdickkus2956 You're stupid.

[@biggusdickkus2956]

@@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164 Yeah that's right someone says they can't understand a word some Irish folk say and I'm the stupid one 🙄

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

@@biggusdickkus2956 For calling someone Racist when they're not, yea, you're the stupid one.

[@msgfrmdaactionman3000]

What a different interview, thanks for the culture from Ireland! Now I want one.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

When I was a very young little boy I went to live with my dear grandmother for 4 or so years, Many years later after returning from a foreign land with my brother we visited and stayed with our dear Grandmother for a few days I explained to my grandmother that we were going to tour around a little and live in our double wheel green transit van that we had bought from the most brilliant rock group Kimberley biscuits also 2 large wafer ice creams as we were about to leave the shop Joe recognised us from the time we went to school nearby, we explained that we were going to drive around a little, visit some relatives and use the van as our accommodation, Joe gave some advice and told us to take care and to watch out for Ruffins who might be around, he said you should have something to protect yourself in case you get challenged. We looked around the shop and bought 2 shovels, 2 spades, 2 billhooks, a left-handed and loaded them all into our van, Sometime later we finally found some use for those shoves and spades for some gardening work, we used the bill hooks for cutting back some wild bushes but the turf cutting never got used and is fixed to the underside of the ceiling in my office, in this far off land from Ireland

[@mizzyroro]

"I'll take a Shellaligh to your head." Barron Ott O'Matic, The Irish Cheapstakes, Tom Slick.

[@raygreen5926]

Ah, poor Frank Hall. From Newry. That is a face from the past

[@serenahm]

I enjoyed this video, but it needs subtitles. I can only catch a few words of what the dear man is saying. My husband and I love watching modern-day Irish films, but always have to turn on the subtitles. His grandmother, by the way, was the child of Irish immigrants, and literally died with a shillelagh within reach from her bed.

[@JohnMac2023A.D.]

Yer man given the interview shows little respect! And belittling the traditional ways of Ireland, I fancy he's a liberalism advocate!!!! God bless Ireland. Erin Go brah☘️🇮🇪

[@biggusdickkus2956]

He was joshing with the old dude and he knew it , people more relaxed then, not taking umbrage at a bit of leg pulling ..not overreacting to being " dissed" like to many do nowadays.

[@JohnMac2023A.D.]

@@biggusdickkus2956 I suppose you could be right , to be fair! We live in a highly over sensitive world these days!

[@biggusdickkus2956]

@@JohnMac2023A.D. See now if more people were like you, considering what some one else suggested and giving them the benefit of the doubt, the world would be a better place for it. Thank you.

[@JohnMac2023A.D.]

@@biggusdickkus2956 Thank you God's Grace on you 🙏👍

[@mixerD1-]

That was Frank Hall, a master custodian of rural Irish life and thoroughly loved by every level of Irish society back in the day.

[@dustinthewind3925]

I made one of those out of a dead spruce leader. Not a hardwood, but the hooked knot turns cinder blocks to rubble in no time.

[@msdm83]

Traditionally, they would be covered in butter, and put in the eve of a open chimney for a winter to season.

[@gibbyrockerhunter]

Seriously? I mean that sounds real. I get why. But I have never heard of that style of curing.

[@msdm83]

@@gibbyrockerhunter as far a i know. That was tbe traditional way. It made the hard shell

[@gibbyrockerhunter]

@@msdm83 that’s awesome. Thanks. Are you from the area?

[@msdm83]

@@gibbyrockerhunter yup. Im Irish.

[@Matt-uj6jm]

Excellent video loving the crack wish there were more videos love Francis McCaffertys work also on this front 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@terencegraham4901]

They are a specialty item 4 sure Cool video..

[@Discover-Ireland]

Brilliant

[@ShortFuseFighting]

ALTERNATIVE TITLE : old irish man struggles to pull something out of his jackets front pocked for 2 minutes straight

[@guyg5702]

I have a surplus of American hornbeam on my property so I’m going to have a try with that. It is also known as ironwood or muscle wood so I think it may suffice

[@paulbarker4411]

I've used it on a few projects. Hard as steel and hard on your tools but it is definitely good for making wooden weapons. It's very heavy that's why some call it ironwood. The name muscle wood comes from the ripples in it. It looks like someone flexing a muscle

[@cecilyerker]

The man being interviewed shows his amused disdain for the interviewer all over his face.

[@Leto_0]

For the hypothetical jokes and questions he's throwing out

[@writeract2]

The man in beret has such a great face and great way of talking.

[@randyhodges8782]

I love this guy!

[@2OldGeeksTalking]

I brought one back from Ireland a couple of years ago, my 2 year old grand daughter loves walking with it and pretending she is an old woman.

[@gourdguru]

i got one with the rounded clubhead like the ones at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="189">3:09</a>. i'll tell you what, teddy roosevelt once said "speak softly and carry a big stick", and that blackthorn speaks louder than i do for sure.

[@jayd1974]

Brilliant 👍

[@jan-toreegge9252]

"At a fair or a wake, I could twist my shillelagh..."

[@jimmalley]

My father from county Mayo, Ireland… calls it the ‘convincer’.. that about sums it up!!!

[@prepperinireland2240]

Lovely auld fella. I have a found piece of wood the same as his holly stick there, i was wondering what to do with it (normally I carve spoons etc) so one shillelagh coming up!

[@damiendempsey763]

You have to dress it he said 'dress it' 😉

[@prepperinireland2240]

@@damiendempsey763 I'll give it my best go. :D

[@bullnterrier4829]

My mum is a Dempsey! Her family came to Canada in the early 1800's. Wonder if we're cousins! lol

[@damiendempsey763]

@@bullnterrier4829 lol I doubt it am im adopted but probably somewhere down the line

[@endless2804]

Keep it in the house for a couple of years before using as a walking stick. Good luck.

[@peteredwards338]

Bought my shillelagh at Blarney Castle over 60 years ago, still have it,cost 8/6 ( 42 1/2 P. )

[@biggusdickkus2956]

About £70 to £250 for one now in fishing tackle and out door shops in England

[@walkingwithtamson]

Could be doing with one of them for me 🚶‍♂️. Love the auld lads banter.

[@nevillegriffiths4395]

As long as your stick is straight at the top and the bottom it doesn't matter too much about the wibbly wobbly bit in between from the Blackthorn which is an extension of my arm and my other leg, Me. Endearing delightful film real 'old' life so much more humorous than much of today's twaddle.

[@DryPuntangGang]

Its a good weapon to fight off Father O'Donnel's late night advances

[@bvrcavalera2786]

Proper old school.Brutish sticks the old man makes. 👍

[@fairlanewhip79]

I have watched this all the way through and haven’t the slightest idea what was just discussed

[@nor0845]

Most of those sticks look more like Polo sticks! Remember asking Irish chap the best time (of the year) to cut ash for hurling sticks…….”When you see it.” was the reply 🙂

[@robwilde855]

Meaning, when the leaves were off [and therefore the sap was down], I presume?

[@nor0845]

@@robwilde855 Hi, yes, or that’s what I was expecting anyway 🙂

[@robwilde855]

@@nor0845 Thanks. Yes. Makes sense, and put in that lovely dry way that so many old country folk have. Cheers.

[@TheTugtastic]

That generally means that if you don't cut it when you see it, you might not find it again. That or somebody else might cut it before you come back.

[@railgap]

Funny that I have almost no trouble following this gentleman, yet a British native friend of mine cannot understand some BRITISH accents! So he is utterly lost listening to thick Irish or Scots accents, even if there's no gaelic being thrown in yet I, an American, can decipher them well enough. ^_^ Ah but this is lovely and musical to hear.

[@bradleybrown8428]

Really? That's so interesting, i'm a brit and thought Americans would find this accent hard to understand but that's so awesome!

[@keithking1985]

that was great to see... : ) plus the one difference the cops Shillelagh had(when they used them over 100 years ago) was the longer end at the top was angled downwards(the opposite way) so they could catch a fella behind the neck to give him a few clouts(punches) in the face.. (the interviewer at the start had one the old cops used) FACT!

[@ironwolfF1]

There's something to said about a handy, study stick, that's capable of convincing a rascal he should be elsewhere. God Bless the Irish.

[@infoscholar5221]

Good lord. Most of my old folks were from Tyrone. Omagh. They were very old when I was a lad. The other set was from Swansea. I'm a Celt from Alabama.

[@professornuke7562]

"Ut's hoard wurrk." "Is ut now?" "Aye occashunly hoard." I'm an O'Donnell myself. I think I met this man at Jack Meads in 1992. Actually I met a whole pubfull, and one was an elderly lady. She looked like Brendan O'Carroll as Mrs. Brown and she even sent me a Christmas card for a few years. Her name was Nancy (I'm not giving you her surname) and she was from Wexford.

[@lisaburgess8551]

💖 Love The Irish 🍀🍀🍀 x

[@bigantplowright5711]

Back in 1970 I was in Eire. Shillelaghs were sold as tourist items. Can you imagine that now......

[@samuelatwood9924]

nice video.

[@kirsten2415]

ah what a lovely aul fella he seems, i’m fond of the shillelagh myself. funny little part of our culture :)

[@johnpatrickcryan6182]

We called it a strolling stick, makes one hell of a fighting stick too....

[@joereed7326]

Holy the wood of the druid☘💪

[@jakesells2379]

LOL, I wasn't expecting such a comedy!

[@neilfranklin5644]

My dad had one he made he used it to knock fence posts in with.

[@olekaarvaag9405]

Wait.. in the wide shot at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="204">3:24</a> you can clearly see there's only them and the camera operator, but they have one short clip from behind the blokes shoulder at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="304">5:04</a>. Obviously the over the shoulder clip is from a different part of their filming, it is just such a strange word editing choice. Mans got some smacking smile eyes on him. Brightens even the brightest rooms they do.

[@StreetShots79]

Am I the only one here thinking that gate is a piece of art?

[@mullaleo85]

Nothing beats a good black torn stick aka the Bata stick it is where we get the expression I'll batar ya from.

[@manuelgonzales6483]

I will make one out of manzanilla this summer ❤🔥❤

[@TheCynzrtst]

Mines behind the front door and don't doubt I know how to use it well! My gran taught me well. Hook 'em

[@jefferysmith8824]

This is fantastic! I’m still trying to figure out what language he was speaking 😂

[@owenmcgee8496]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="43">0:43</a>, i'm not sure but i think the only shillelaghs that were ever considered "offensive weapons" were the ones that had led inserted in a club handle. those ones were intended as weapons. but a standard shillelagh was generally a walking stick/carrying stick (for satchel) and potentially a defensive weapon. In RIC/British army hands, it was certainly a baton. if this guy wasn't so alone, would he have put up with an interviewer like this? he talks of offensive weapons but he had offensive manners.

[@seamusburke9101]

You must be easy to offend Owen

[@eldricgrubbidge6465]

Well they were routinely used in faction fights back in the day. I think the point was always to have something to batter people about the head with. Not to help you walk. But people carry sticks for all sorts of reasons, so you can't exactly ban them. And if you do start confiscating them all anyone has to do is wander into the woods for ten minutes and get a replacement. I think technically they get treated like any other normal object. The law takes no interest until you actually threaten someone or clatter then about the head. And then they officially become " an offensive weapon". But that applies to just about anything. If you hit someone with a pint glass or a table lamp or something it's an offensive weapon.