A hub for the music, culture, knowledge, and practice of Irish stick-fighting, past and present.
Patrick Jones’ “My Blackthorn Stick” In honour of Saint Patrick’s Day, I’m delighted to have secured permission to share a previously unpublished poem titled “My Blackthorn Stick” by Patrick Jones (c. 1875–1956) of County Cork, Ireland. The text depicts the experience of finding a shillelagh-worthy blackthorn shank, the labour of transforming it into a proper … Continue reading Shillelagh Poem for Saint Patrick’s Day
Irishmen Stick-fighting for Freedom on Christmas Morning. Some versions of the Irish ballad "Arthur McBride" take place on December 25th, so today being Christmas makes it an apt time to share a bit of information about this traditional song. Of key interest here is the use of a shillelagh by two Irishmen to defend themselves … Continue reading Anti-recruitment Shillelagh in “Arthur McBride”
☘️Public Service Announcement☘️ March 17th is Saint Patrick's Day, an Irish holiday celebrated around the world. This blog post provides a few tips on celebrating with aplomb, especially for those who have never lived in Ireland. - St. Pat's or St. Paddy's, never St. "Patty's" - Irish beer is typically black, never green (blonde, brown, … Continue reading How to Saint Patrick’s Day
Archives, Libraries, and Networking to Find the Music and Culture of Irish Stick-fighting. From mid-October to the end of November 2018, I was hosted by the Department of Music at University College Cork (UCC) during fieldwork in Éire for a James M. Flaherty Research Scholarship from the Ireland Canada University Foundation (ICUF). The primary objective … Continue reading Research Update: Fieldwork Visit Report
Podcast: Sound and Music of the Shillelagh. I'm delighted to have been a guest on Freemen Fitness's "Mind Your Movement" podcast. We covered my concept of martial sound, my research on the musical culture of 19th-century faction fights in Ireland, and the state of Irish stick-fighting today. The host of the podcast, Nathan Featherstone, is … Continue reading Shillelagh Studies on the “Mind Your Movement” Podcast
An Overview of Irish Stick-fighting and Its Musical Legacy. A shillelagh is a wooden cudgel, and the word is pronounced “shuh-lay-lee.” More specifically, a shillelagh is an Irish style of stout, knobbed stick that can function as a weapon. In this introductory blog post, I define the word shillelagh is three ways. First, I consider … Continue reading What Is a Shillelagh?
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Shillelagh Studies 