SHILLELAGH TATTOO HOW TO
SHILLELAGH TATTOO WINDOWS

And all of the species produce clusters of tiny, alluring fruit called haws, which are usually dullish to scarlet red but can also be yellow, black, or bluish. Today they grow abundantly in thickets along woodlands, in deserted fields, in moist ground on the banks of ponds and streams, and even at altitudes up to 8,500 feet!Ĭlassed as members of the rose family and kin to the apple, hawthorns go by any number of aliases, including blackthorn, whitethorn, cockspur, littlehip, thorn-plum, hagthorn, and Mayhaw. You’ll have no trouble recognizing members of the genus Crataegus –whether they’re the knee-high or tree-high variety–because their straight (or moderately curved) single spikes are not shared by any of North America’s other native shrubs or trees.Īmerican hawthorns were originally found only as undergrowth in dense forests, but later–as homes and shopping centers whittled the woodlands away–the small trees were able to hybridize.

You’ll have to be mighty careful, however, when you start to gather your raw shillelagh material, because all of the 100-plus species of North American hawthorn are armed with thorns that grow anywhere from one to five inches long.

Today the shillelagh is a symbolic souvenir of the Irish spirit, and–according to New York City’s largest cane shop–the Gaelic cudgel is one of the best-selling (at prices from $30.00 to $37.50 each! ) types of walking stick. In later years, as more peaceful pursuits prevailed, the traditional club was used primarily as a walking staff, or as a stick to herd cattle. When the British invaded the Emerald Isle, they not only chopped down the great oak forests (which had been considered sacred by the Druids) and shipped off the timber to England, but also imposed strict laws, one of which was a ban on weapons.Īfter that, shillelaghs–far from disappearing along with the oak–simply began to be made from the wood of the Irish blackthorn (a species of hawthorn), and the innocent-appearing “canes” became the Irish resisters’ main weapon in their continuing struggle against the conquerors. Sometimes, however, an extremely strong man would use two shillelaghs: one to fend off attacks, and the other to bash his opponent. On such occasions the shillelagh was seldom swung with just one hand, but grasped in the middle with both fists and brought down with head-splitting force. The traditional walking stick’s name comes from an old Gaelic word meaning “oak club.” Centuries ago these weapons were made of oak, cut from a great forest near the village of Shillelagh in County Wicklow.īefore the eighth century, the sturdy bludgeons were used to settle old family feuds at village fairs (or at least to solve the problem until the next fair was held). In fact, the sturdy, gnarled hardwood wallopers (which the Celts have carried–as canes or weapons–since the days of the legendary Irish giant, Finn MacCool) are really pretty easy to craft.

SHILLELAGH TATTOO HOW TO

Period features -Two large reception Rooms, a wood-paneled dining room, a wood-paneled library, huge kitchen with Aga.You don’t have to be Irish to know how to make a shillelagh (pronounced shih-LAY-lee or shih-LAY-lah). The property is approached off the main road via a long avenue and is private and secluded. The house benefits from being set in the most delightful gardens, which frame the exceptional views over the surrounding countryside to the Wicklow hills.

SHILLELAGH TATTOO WINDOWS

Although once comprising a large tract of land it is thought that Lakeen House was sold at this time on its manageable 4.5 hectares / 11 acres of pleasure grounds and pasturage.ĭating from the 1760’s, the accommodation is arranged over two stories and is typical of the period, with large well-proportioned rooms, fine tall windows and attractive chimney pieces. The estate was eventually broken up after Fitzwilliam's daughter, Lady Juliet de Chair, sold it in 1977. In the late 1940s the eighth Earl of Fitzwilliam died in a plane crash together with Kathleen Kennedy, sister of John F. HistoryĬonstructed by the Fitzwilliam family of Coolattin and retained within the estate until the 1970s, Lakeen House was reputedly used as a training ground for the domestic staff of the main house, with some still residing in the area. Dating from 1760, Lakeen House has 8 bedrooms - 5 large double rooms with King-size beds, 2 large rooms with 2 single beds each. Lakeen House is a charming, privately owned 18th century country house set in 15 acres of stunning gardens.

Shillelagh tattoo