CRIME 81-year-old former US Marine uses ancient Irish walking stick to fight off a trio of burglars

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
A good shellacking with a shillelagh,
he's 81 and it belonged to his grandfather, damn thats gonna be one well aged piece of Blackthorn, I bet it was a properly made one too seasoned in the chimney of a turf fire.
:D


'I picked up the Irish shillelagh, and that turned out to be the equaliser, because I managed to chase them out of the house'

The US Marines are famed for their skills in armed combat – but it's unlikely that many of them would choose an Irish walking stick as their weapon of choice.

For one retired Marine, though, that was the situation he found himself in when he chased off a group of burglars with his grandfather's antique Irish stick.

Dan Donovan, an 81-year-old from Chicago, said he grabbed the walking stick when he discovered burglars in the upstairs of his house.

Using the stick as a "persuasive weapon," the veteran managed to deal a clattering to one of the thieves as he ran them off his property, the Pioneer Press reports.

Dan wasn't content to just force the intruders out of the house, though – he followed them to their SUV and delivered a few blows to the windshield and rear window of the car before they made their escape.

Barefoot throughout the escapade, the 81-year-old said he hoped "they got nothing more than a headache and hopefully they pursue another occupation."

His wife, Barbara, said she quickly noticed something was wrong after a utility worker knocked on their door claiming he needed to check their fuse box due to a recent fire in the area.

While they were in the basement with the man, the sharp-eared Barbara heart squeaking floorboards and realised that all was not right.

"I yelled: 'Danny! Somebody’s in our bedroom!'" she said.

The couple made their way upstairs where, lo and behold, they discovered two other men inside – one of whom was holding a pillowcase from their bedroom.
Using his grandfather's trusty stick, Dan wasn't long seeing off the threat.

"I was trying to find some type of persuasive weapon," he said.
"So I picked up the Irish shillelagh, and that turned out to be the equaliser, because I managed to chase them out of the house."

0_cropped_Chicago_man_walking_stick_Irish_via_ABC_news_still.png


 
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Melodi

Disaster Cat
Believe it or not, there is an entire history involving the use of shillelaghs as weapons, there are even books on the topic and people who do "fighting routines" and make it basically a martial art.

The population was "disarmed" officially under the English in the 16th century and the average person had little access to weapons but anyone of "high or low degree" could carry a walking stick and it didn't take long for it to become THE weapon of choice for the average Irishman.
 

Tweakette

Irrelevant
One of our family heirlooms is a "sawed off " shillelagh that came from one of my Irish ancestors. Its not a full sized walking stick, it looks more like a heavily knurled club (missing the long stick part). It is made of VERY heavy wood.

My dad used to keep it under his side of the bed in case of intruders.
 

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
One of our family heirlooms is a "sawed off " shillelagh that came from one of my Irish ancestors. Its not a full sized walking stick, it looks more like a heavily knurled club (missing the long stick part). It is made of VERY heavy wood.

My dad used to keep it under his side of the bed in case of intruders.

They were often used as a hammer or cudgel, the head would be hollowed out and filled with lead for added weight.
 

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
Olde Shillelagh Stick Makers - Ireland's Ancient East Wicklow
Rt 1:48 mins

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYxn5Li0-8s


Na Chéad Fight Clubs - TG4 Faction Fighting in Ireland Rt 49:46mins

Hard-hitting documentary about one of Ireland’s darkest and most truths- the bloody phenomenon of faction fighting. In the first half of the 19th century, violence amongst organized rural gangs or factions was a way of life in many parts of Munster. Hundreds-strong groups of young men skilled in the ancient martial art of stick-fighting would meet on fair days and fight brutal and bloody battles…..to the death.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrFVW0yO-FE
 

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
There ARE ytube pieces about Shillelagh fighting, from basic moves to sparring and they are VERY impressive.

Dang and there are a couple of them!!!

This ^^

The Shillelagh and Irish Stick Fighting goes back to the ancient Celts of Ireland and tribal warfare.

The Shillelagh became the truncheon then the baton used by cops the world over and Irish Stick Fighting moves are still used today in police baton tactics.

Even our national sport Hurling was based around stick fight and used as a method to settle disputes between clans
 
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bw

Fringe Ranger
When we lived in a neighborhood with some pushy dogs, I carried a field hockey stick on our walks. Nice heft to it.
 

Squib

Veteran Member
My 83 year old dad bought one of those in Ireland in 1970!

Still has it sitting in his living room!

Yeah, that knot at the end would crack a skull if wielded with enthusiasm by the wielder!
 

Ku Commando

Inactive
A proper shillelagh is made from blackthorn or oak.....there were a coupla-three in granny's house when I was growin' up.....the blackthorn variety.....those would put a hurt on ya when granny got ornery & take a swat at me.

irish cane.png
 

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
Blackthorn with the thorns trimmed to nubs, nasty to get hit with. Expensive these days. For daily carry I'd rather use a $15 feed store livestock cane.

Blackthorn is the same tree (prunus spinosa) whose fruit is the sloe, as in sloe gin fizz. Prunus spinosa - Wikipedia They are usually coppiced or cut back so they send up lots of shoots. Sometimes coppiced blackthorn is woven together to make a living barbed wire fence.
 

Marthanoir

TB Fanatic
Blackthorn with the thorns trimmed to nubs, nasty to get hit with. Expensive these days. For daily carry I'd rather use a $15 feed store livestock cane.

Blackthorn is the same tree (prunus spinosa) whose fruit is the sloe, as in sloe gin fizz. Prunus spinosa - Wikipedia They are usually coppiced or cut back so they send up lots of shoots. Sometimes coppiced blackthorn is woven together to make a living barbed wire fence.

Yep that's how its done here, both with Blackthorn and Whitethorn ( Hawthorn )
 

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Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
A plain wooden feed store stock cane with an added rubber tip will get you a LOT less official attention and can be carried anywhere (including airplanes last I knew, just claim ADA). For $12-15 too.
 

Matt

Veteran Member
nice story but he is lucky they weren't interested in upping the stakes to physical harm. had the thugs been a little hungrier, the ol' devil dog would have had his own wig split with that stick.
 

medic38572

TB Fanatic
Has anybody tried the Coldsteel Polymer Shillelagh

eyJidWNrZXQiOiAiZmlsZXMua25pZmVjZW50ZXIuY29tIiwia2V5IjogImtuaWZlY2VudGVyL2NvbGRzdGVlbC9pbWFnZXMvOTFQQlNILmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogNDE0LCJoZWlnaHQiOiAzMTUsImZpdCI6ICJjb250YWluIiwiYmFja2dyb3VuZCI6IHsiciI6IDI1NSwiZyI6IDI1NSwiYiI6IDI1NSwiYWxwaGEiOiAxfX19fQ==


eyJidWNrZXQiOiAiZmlsZXMua25pZmVjZW50ZXIuY29tIiwia2V5IjogImtuaWZlY2VudGVyL2NvbGRzdGVlbC9pbWFnZXMvOTFQQlNhLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjogeyJyZXNpemUiOiB7IndpZHRoIjogNDE0LCJoZWlnaHQiOiAzMTUsImZpdCI6ICJjb250YWluIiwiYmFja2dyb3VuZCI6IHsiciI6IDI1NSwiZyI6IDI1NSwiYiI6IDI1NSwiYWxwaGEiOiAxfX19fQ==

No but if you will send me one I will be sure to try it out....:lol: WORD can you imagine the news report on that multiple protestors are injured and dead by man swinging a stick in the manor that looked like between Babe Ruth and Bruce Lee. Police reports indicate that a swarm of protestors surrounded a man chanting spitting and heckling him when all of a sudden people started dropping like dead flies. The man was moving in and out so fast no one even realized he was swinging a stick and when it cleared he was gone. The remaining protestors state they have no idea where he went as he fit in perfectly with them, he was dressed in entirely in black had a black stick with with a small black back pack. They were unsure of his race as all they could see were his teeth as he laughed and laughed as he swung the stick.
 
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homecanner1

Veteran Member
I have one, its my lady in waiting for old age if ever needed and joins my wall of lethal but legal toy collection.

I do believe they once used penny rolls drilled in for added weight/brass under your knuckles. Total Jawbreaker.

Knew an old lady in Chicago who ran the Bethel Baptist resale shop on Morse and swore by her footed Irish crystal bowl on her bedside table, that any bed intruders would get a Hawaiian Punch from the back of the head. They are heavy, ouch!
 
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