Introduction to the Irish Pike

This is arguably one of the most culturally significant items of Irish rebellion and uprising. This is an introduction video to what I hope will be a long series on this topic.
Ben Millers book - Irish Swordsmanship
www.amazon.com/Irish-Swordsma...
Bens blog post on the pike
outofthiscentury.wordpress.co...
My School and social media:
ramblingkern.simplybook.it/
/ kernschoolofcombat
/ theramblingkern
/ theramblingkern
My Patreon if you want to support my work:
/ ramblingkern

[@CephalopodsRock]

When John Brown stormed Harper’s Ferry he brought nearly a thousand pike heads to distribute to slaves who he thought would rise up in mass rebellion. If you wanted to equip a lot of people who don’t have a lot of arms training, a pike would be a great choice

[@ramblingkern]

For sure they pack up small and allow for a lot of people to be armed for a low cost.

[@EricDaMAJ]

The were cheap but they were hopeless against percussion rifles. Even flintlock muskets with their considerably shorter range and inaccuracy made the pike obsolete.

[@stephena1196]

​@@EricDaMAJthat and the introduction of the bayonet. In the American Revolution a type of pike called a "trench spear" was sometimes used until they could get enough bayonets.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

Pointed sticks were the greatest invention since the blunt stick.

[@conlethberry1236]

As tye song goes, "and our pikes must be together at the rising of the moon..." or something like that.

[@theboyoofoly]

...A thousand pikes were flashing by the rising of the moon...

[@CDKohmy]

Some of those look like fire pokers and pikepoles associated with pole fishing, log driving, and firefighting.

[@ramblingkern]

Interesting I was not aware of those.

[@MasterPoucksBestMan]

Definitely, the ones with a single hook on the side look like old style spear fishing gaffs or big "fire pokers". I've seen Chinese examples of that shape spear, so you might look for them in Chinese weapon sources for possible reproductions that could serve your needs. I googled "Chinese hooked spear" and a few examples popped up immediately.

[@fredonline1]

​@@MasterPoucksBestManJi, j think they're called.

[@TheIrishvolunteer]

I just found your channel and you have earned a new subscriber! These videos are awesome!

[@ramblingkern]

Thank you for the support

[@VTPSTTU]

Thanks for the video. I would expect a pike to be effective for any army of those times.

[@GallowglassAxe]

I wonder if the hooks on the pikes were inspired by the legends of Cu Chuliann and his Gae Bolg spear. Though his spear is a bit different than an Irish pike but the pike design could have been inspired made for people without superhuman strength.

[@ramblingkern]

I think a lot of them come from agricultural and manual labour tools I know there are various boating hooks that look very similar but obviously both are uniquely specialised.

[@tombearclaw]

This seems like a chance to get Tod of Tod’s Workshop involved or to collaborate with someone like scholagladiatoria

[@ramblingkern]

I don't know if they would have much interest in my work but you never know.

[@deargamadaun]

I've been after a decent replica of an Irish hooked pike for ages. There was a blacksmith in Northern Ireland I believe his name was Andrew Smythe who made gorgeous examples but the Facebook page for his smithy disappeared during the first wave of Covid. Huge bummer because I had been saving money with the hope of commissioning one. I still have some photos I pulled of one of the last pikes he made before his page went missing.

[@Irish0wl]

I'd bet money on pikes being widely used at the battles of Kilala & Ballina in 1798.

[@ramblingkern]

The 1798 rebellion was famous for the use of pikes.

[@evangannon5394]

Tricele forge in tipperary. He is a high class blacksmith

[@ramblingkern]

Thank you I shall give them a look.

[@michaelmcbride1204]

I just ordered it. Thanks.

[@ramblingkern]

It's a brilliant read.

[@seanforney8028]

Been hoping you’d make videos on Irish pikes. Looking forward to it. I’ve been wondering if the pike tactics of Hugh O’Neill were different to those used in continental Europe, like by the Spanish of the same period for instance.

[@cormacmcquillan828]

They were radically different from continental tactics, as the restricted terrain in Ireland warranted smaller formations and more flexibility. Heres an memoir from an English informer in Dungannon at the time "Thomas Douglas ( a scottish merchant) watched a Spanish officer drill Tyrone's pikemen in Dungannon. Surprised that experienced troops didn't use tight formation the Spanish officer replied that close order would 'avail them nothing' in constricted Irish terrain."

[@seanforney8028]

Thanks!

[@ramblingkern]

Yes I plan on doing a number of videos on him and the important battles he was involved in.

[@matthewbarry376]

Not that different as Spanish officers trained the Irish in Ireland. From what I read the Irish utilised more men equipped primarily with firearms than pikes. This is compared to the English who if I'm correct used roughly half and half.

[@cormacmcquillan828]

@@matthewbarry376 Untrue, the pike tactics used in ireland were totally different from continental, scroll up to my comment above. One of the reasons for the disaster at Kinsale was that the Irish Pike couldnt fight in close tericio formations. Less than 20% of Tyrones infantry were pike because of this. O'Neill used ditches and forests to deter english cavalry more so than pike.

[@WarriorAttributes]

Excellent, cant wait to see what you get up to with experimenting with this. Could you recommend how to get my hands on a copy of the treatise, as gaeilge, you mentioned?

[@ramblingkern]

I will get a video on that together for you asap it's only a few paragraphs I will try to figure out where they were found I have the screenshots saved on my work computer.

[@WarriorAttributes]

Awesome, would love to play with translating it. I guess there is some specific terminology

[@420JackG]

Great video, glad I found your channel.

[@ramblingkern]

Welcome aboard mate.

[@Irish0wl]

Is there anything about bata in the Irish Swordsmanship book?

[@ramblingkern]

No the book primarily focuses on swordsmanship there is no book on bata techniques really.

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Cheers for that it was great

[@raphlvlogs271]

the spear was the king of all historical weapons and the pike is a type of spear

[@danmorgan3685]

Nifty.

[@Taffer-bx7uc]

Pike fooder!