Shillelagh An Irish Walking Stick

Methods of Shillelagh fighting have evolved over a period of thousands of years, from the spear, staff, axe and sword fighting of the Irish

The traditional Irish shillelagh is still identified with popular Irish culture to this day, although the arts of bataireacht are much less so. The sticks used for bataireacht are not of a standardised size, as there are various styles of bataireacht, using various kinds of sticks

In the 18th and 19th century "Irish Stick Fighting" was more associated with Irish gangs or "faction" fighting that had class and political overtones as well as groups of men banding together based around a family to settle disputes, wedding and funeral brawls

Not all stick fights occurred between factions. Some of them were sporting events and some were provoked just for fun. These were usually rough but friendly contests