Am recalling another UA-camr pointing out that all melee weapons are variations of sticks. Sword is a sharpened stick, spear is pointy stick, nunchucks are floppy stick.
I'm a very disabled 24 year old.and I use a stick to help me walk and people often accuse me of faking. My grandfather was from rural Cork and made stone walls on the old farm here in Wales with no sealers and are still standing 30 years later. I wish I could have learned more from him before he passed. These videos help me connect to him. Thank you
Maybe the reason we don’t often see “otherworldly beings” is because our ancestors made so much stuff to ward them off that they just decided that we weren’t worth it lol
Don't you let anyone accuse you of paddywackery, you're doing a phenomenal job of keeping an incredibly rich and beautiful culture alive. Thank you for your content.
@@griffinjackson960 Same here. Since I know very little about my mesoamerican ancestors, Eoin inspired me to try making some things they would have seen in everyday life
My grandmother's neighbour made me a shillelagh. He passed away a few weeks after making it for me. This was probably around 17 years ago; I was only a child. I've cherished the shillelagh ever since. Thank you for making this video. It's given me insight into how he may have made my shillelagh.
I visited Ireland about five years ago intent on purchasing a shillelagh. My mother had purchased one ages ago and I'd always loved the look of it. Never found one. Even worse most people I asked didn't even know what it was and I had to describe it every time. Good on you for preservation of the legacy.
I had the exact same problem! Finally found something like one in a tiny store in a tiny town in Northern Ireland. Had to leave it with our daughter (lives there) as it wouldn't fit in either suitcase.
I see them quite regularly in my part of NI. Many seem to be a lot more 'thorny' up here than you see down south. Maybe a nod to it's more regular use as a weapon up here haha
I inherited my grandfather's shillelagh. He did make it himself and I assume it was on one of his trips back to Ireland, the last being about 1926 with his wife and young son. In my mind he cut it from the hedge along the lane leading to the farmhouse he grew up in but I really don't know.
"You don't need me to tell you to be unapologetically who you are. If you want to go walking around a place with a stick, who cares what anyone else thinks? If they've got a problem with it, you've got a stick!" In a world where so many people are so concerned with fitting in with a group of people, or sticking out in an effort to be as 'unique' as possible, these are some really refreshing words to hear, and honestly, ones that more people need to take to heart.
@@DeaDiabola I can't speak for the author but the way I understood it was that people sometimes just try too hard to be "unique". And well as someone whom got pressured into very high expectations and struggling to adjust to the awful amount of time and stress I had to invest to the point where I grew ill in the mind and body I can tell you this - I arrived to the conclusion that I am just fine with being unremarkable. I am actually unapologetically happy after a very long while, in fact. We are all born unique. But "trying to be unique". That's where a lot of trouble may lay for many.
Congratulations this is the only short attached to a longer form video that actually convinced me to watch the longer form video. You're so kind with it, dude, not all advertisey and withholdy like other youtubers. Good on ya.
I'm a simple boy-man. I see a short of my favourite carpenter making a stick, so I venture to watch the long version, like both videos, and make a comment! And what a great stick it has become!
30 years ago I found a vine in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama that was twisted and gnarly with lots of character. I removed some (not all) of the bark and cut it to be a walking staff/stick. Boned it and lightly put the ends through campfire. I’ve had this stick along with me for some of my greatest adventures. From climbing Mount Saint Helen’s to trails on Mount Ranier and also the Cascade mountain range. It has great memories. A man with a stick…is a man who is confident in himself and needs no one else’s approval. Great vid.
@@lorrosdorborin4790 well, y'all have chosen the song that's gonna be stuck in my head for a couple days before my brain got the chance to pick something. Thanks for that, cause my brain can't always be trusted to pick something good.
Coolness aside, the VO and production of the video itself is top notch. Youve got a real knack for this. I sincerely hope you continue these long form videos. Cheers from Kentucky in the US.
lol I’m in Canada, but my roots are from Cork as well ;) hilariously small part of the island, but I’ve met lots of people from there, or with family from there.
6:38 Hi! Occupational Therapist here so I know a bit on ergonomics for adaptive equipment. An ideal length for using the Shillelagh as a walking stick would place the top of the handle at your ulnar style which is the bony bump on the pinky side of your wrist. Thank you for making videos like this! Love to learn about the lost arts of Irish culture!!
Hi Eoin, I'm 15 years old, 16 this month, and for Christmas, I'm getting some woodworking tools. I'd like to say thank you to you for being one of the contributing factors that got me into woodworking and for all the videos you make and hopefully continue to make. You have inspired me and many others to get into woodworking, and i hope you keep up the good work👍
I picked up the bug for the craft at about the same age, a bit earlier at 14, been on at it for about 40 years now. It’s been one of my most important outlets for stress and to bring out some creativity. Welcome!
I'm 52 and I intend on making myself one in this manner as well - but good on you. Entering a world of making what you want - that is worth something indeed.
Your style is classic and timeless, never give up your wool! I mourn the loss of natural fiber in our modern clothing industry. Along with hats for all men, women, and children alike. Artisans like yourself are keeping craftwork alive and preserving it for the next generation and the world is better for it. ❤
When you mentioned a well-made shillelagh being passed down for generations, that instantly reminded me of my grandmother who this day still has the shillelagh of her own great great grandfather. He fled to the US most likely during the Great Famine (I forget the specific year) and served with distinction in the Union Army during the Civil War. Even damn near 200 years later it's still in excellent condition and serves as a real testament to the craftsman who made it Much love for your content and craftsmanship from Chicagoland, slán go fóill
From a young age I've always had a fascination will sticks and making weapons out of them. When I found this video it activated every neuron in the autistic side of my brain and I knew I had to make my own. I'm an American living in the Pacific Northwest so I don't have access to black thorn, unless I grow it myself, so I've taken cuttings from several of the native woods and I will see what works best next year. I have been genuinely inspired by the work you do. My family has been carpenters since we came to America from county Limerick three generations ago. I am the same but I'm always looking for ways to expand my craft from just building soulless American spec homes. I've watched all your videos multiple times trying to glean bits of knowledge and bring a bit of tradition back into my craft. Keep it up! You're only a bit older than me and I feel like I am leagues behind you in experience!
Thank you for the great history lesson. Your tiktoks are always fun but I adore your long form videos even more. Thank you for the hours and hours of amazing content. Really appreciate you!
If they’ve got a problem with you walking around with a stick…. Well, you’ve got a stick. Brilliant. And I love the video. Proper start to finish woodworking.
From Texas, thanks for a nice video. I have a beautiful shillelagh I purchased almost 30 years ago and have carried it many MANY miles. It always gives me great pleasure!
I came here from the short and I was not disapointed! This was a lovely video and I could really hear how you appreciate the history of these. I want a shillelagh now lol, I think I need to start looking for black thorns near where I live
Your gem of a short led me here. I learned so much about the history of the shallelagh and a part of Irish history I never knew. It's so important to share cultural history as so much of it is lost over time. Thank you! 🍀
Got at least one 25-ish fella on a walking stick here! Unfortunately my stick is for necessity, but it was a joy watching you create this shillelagh, and especially wonderful hearing the history and legendry as you showed its creation. Thanks for sharing it all!
Im from the Application area of the USA, we have walking/hiking sticks (probably from our Irish kin) that are used all the time! I loved this video. Im BlackIrish on my dad's side and ScottIrish on my mom's (as well as a ton of other things!lol). Here a good hiking stick can be used for many things: an aid in getting up/down steep inclines, a crutch/splint if injured, a defensive weapon from animals, a hunting weapon (if skilled enough), etc. It's become a tourist favorite as well.
I agree with the oil for the finish. Years ago I picked up a cedar rod in the woods, with the root ball attached. I'm in Canada, and while I knew about heating it, I was never able to get it to straighten. There was no bark left on it, and it has some cracks in it, but it is still sturdy, with a nice shape and weight to the end, fitting into my hand. I bought a rubber cane nob for the end, and with the linseed oil giving it a nice dark patina I loved being able to walk out with it. Unlike young people like yourself, I do have a knee disability, so it isn't just a decorative addition. It is a prized member of my collection of walking sticks and 6 ft staffs.
Some years ago I was a scout master in charge of two small troops at summer camp. Our little orphan split troop over performed that week and was awarded the spirit stick, a six foot hiking stick. I remember carving the numbers of both troops on it and we passed it around as it was s great honor and great achievement! Thank you for reminding me! (There is a lot of power in a stick!)
As someone whose family has completely abandoned their Irish identity and buried their traditions over the past hundred years, I relish in every opportunity to learn something new about the culture of Ireland. Thank you, sir!
my great grandfather came over to america and cut himself a shillelagh out of an american ash tree. i used to just sit in the living room and trace the lines and imagine all the places its been in the hundred or so years its been around. its the only thing ive asked to be left to me from my father, and i ever have kids ill give it to my oldest when i go. heres to a hundred more years.
I have in my hands a Shillelagh that my husband's grandfather brought to Australia from Ireland back in the 1860s. It has a lovely natural sheen. I was intrigued by its 'ugliness', (fret not, I LOVE it); so thanks for this great video about its history and crafting techniques.. Greetings.
There’s nothing quite like a skilled craftsperson talking about their passion, especially when it involves a genuine love of their history and culture. Bravo, lad, and be sure to let us know if you start making shillelaghs to sell!
Madainn mhath mo charaid. This is a breath of fresh air. My grandad was a Journeyman Carpenter in the Clyde Shipyards and a genius craftsman. Now I've retired I've picked up his tools and some nice shiny new ones and started working on wood. It is a fabulous thing. We cut back the wood at the farm last Spring and I have a cracking stick that I'm going to work on. Too late for my travels on the Camino de Santiago but by next June it should be ready to craft. Keep up the brilliant work. Obair-fiodha gu brath! Fraser, Isle of Cumbrae
Being an Aussie, Shillelaghs are just a tad rare down under...so that made watching the process of how they are (Traditionally) made all the more interesting...and the commentary was priceless! Thanks for a look into a fading art!
I enjoyed this video and found it very helpful. I make hiking sticks as a hobby and I can use a lot of the techniques you demonstrated here, particularly the wood bending.
Can't be that hard, it's just a cantrip after all. But seriously, amazing video! Your craftsmanship really shines through, not just with the wood, but with the videomaking too. Great job!
A spell as flavorful as it is niche in uses. Hopefully one day, when we get a proper Druid that isn't just "Mage but furry", it'll be a proper useful ability
It's so sad they nerfed it for 5th edition. In 3.5, Shillelagh was a 1st-level spell that made your humble stick into a potent magical weapon that hit as hard as a greatsword! (+1 to hit and damage, base damage of 2d6) *And* it lasted for 1 minute/caster level!
About the length - I asked a collretor about a short stick of maybe 20-30cm. He told me that for a time, short sticks were fashionable for young men since it showed that they didn't need it for walking. He wasnt an old or crippled man with a cane, but a strong lad with a shillelagh. Also in his collection was a beautiful stick made from heart of American oak by an Irishman in Canada. It had been passed down through the family for a long time, and may have come from the time of the Shiners War - a spate of Irish organized violence in the timber trade during Ottawa's formative years. A good time to have a sturdy stick, in other words.
Thank you for the video. I have made many blackthorn sticks over the past few years. I've begun using black aniline dye and finishing wiith tung oil. Very happy with the results.
Eoin, as an American of Irish and German ancestry, I've made many a stick in my youth. I still have them many of them too! I wouldn't call any a shillelagh. But I'd like to think my ancestors would be happy to know that this sort of woodcraft and tradition, so valued to them in Irish culture, is nonetheless manifest in their descendants. Also, I did use your copper pipe trick to finish of the butt end of a 37-something year old walking stick I hiked trough the Adirondack mountains with, so thanks for that!
My ancestry is Scots Irish. Though there was no real discussion of shillelaghs at length, they were ever present within my family, and I don’t know how far back. I grew up in Kentucky, and we have traced our ancestry all the way back to the boats that brought us here. My grandfather would make them from a certain tree that would twist like a cork screw, and then he would fix the top with a brass handle from an old bridal used on mules and horses. In which he actually used to farm as a sharecropper when my father was little. Fast-forward to 1980, and my brother, who is nine years older than me was making a shillelagh out of a large knot at the head of a tree limb of a cherry tree. This never got completely finished, but it was around our home for years and years. Since I can remember, I have always been an enamored with walking sticks, not knowing truly, the art of truly making/finishing them and their technique & history.. You sir, have inspired me and given me invaluable information here! I’m so excited and happy that I stumbled upon this video, I can’t even really explain it to you. Thank you!
The love of your craft and the history of our culture and folklore shines through in this video. The respect you give to your tools and the wood you use them on is admirable. Your videos deserve to be shown in schools to educate and entertain in equal measure. Keeping up a rare tradition and detailing the iconic symbolism of this wood with your lyrical prose is worthy of awards...
I absolutely adore your videos. The focus on traditional crafts, the educational content even in just simple shorter videos where you make a nice stick, even just the aspect ratio you use. The vibes are immaculate. Thank you for all that you do to keep the rich history and culture of Ireland alive and sharing it with the rest of us. And if anyone gives you crap, remember that you've got a stick!
@@12hunterjake Barely. It makes it wet at most, but it's different to the "moisture" that wood holds naturally, which is what you're trying to get rid of by drying.
@@marcpuckett Imagine a cuttingboard made of wood, if you wash it, it merely becomes wet, but the wood itself doesn't really absorb the water. It'll be dry as a nun a few hours later. Think that's a fair comparison...
Anyone moaning about paddywackery needs a good whack themselves. You’re a delight, and you give off the feeling of somebody who’s comfortable in their own skin- an unfortunately uncommon thing. The wooly jumpers probably help, lol Nothing but authenticity and good times on this channel! 👍
When I tore my Achilles a couple years back, I had a shilelegh made for me. I love it. Awesome history to it and craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing this
what an awesome video!!! loved learning about the history of shillelaghs. i’m from newfoundland, and there’s a lot of irish influence on our customs and heritage. i mention this because we have had a shillelagh in my family for generations!! keep up the wonderful work!!
I think I speak for a lot of us here, please continue making more long form content, I enjoy putting these videos on while I do my own woodworking projects, something about an Irish lad talking about wood while I work my wood gets me all woody 😂
I firmly believe I could listen to you talk for hours about all kinds of Irish culture and heritage and be incredibly captivated the whole way through. I’m a historical fashion buff and a seamstress, and I’ve seen a couple others like me under a couple of your videos, so I figured I’d chime in. History and culture are only kept alive by those who share it, and it is always wonderful to see a person not only proudly celebrating their culture, but also sharing it with the world. Our world today is full of the unintentional (and also quite intentional) erasure of origins and stories, even down to the simplest facets of a past person’s everyday life. Thank you for sharing the history behind these gorgeous sticks, and educating us on not only how to make one, but also what they stand for. I’ve never done wood working myself, but I’m about to go searching for some big sticks to let season in my garage!
So this is where shillelagh law comes from!! I’ve been listening to finnegans wake on repeat all year and I contented myself with just liking how it sounded without understanding what it meant when ronnie drew says shillelagh law was all the rage and a row and a ruction soon began! Thank you for the little history lesson and that is a very beautiful stick but I almost wanted to cry when it got covered in the black plastic, I think because it hid its humble beginnings and the loving craftsmanship that went into fashioning it
By black plastic do you mean the paint? Cus that's also how it was traditionally done, maybe not with our modern paint but it's not a shillelagh without the black on it. Then it's just a walking stick
@@1herotalesyea he said it looked a bit plasticky looking so that’s why I called it that, I did see another comment saying traditional shillelaghs were kept up a fireplace to cure and the soot would turn it black
@@1herotalesgiven the time period the paint would've been made with lead, in America when we make colonial reproductions that would've had lead paint we use milk paint then put linseed oil over it
Wow... I'm sorta speechless. That was by far the best video I've watched in months. The story telling, the craftsmanship, everything from start to finish was incredible.. good work!
"If they've got a problem with it, well, you've got a stick!" Really resonated with me as a disabled guy that needs a cane. Beautiful video!! My father loved woodworking as a hobby and, while I dont do it myself, I've always loved seeing what people can make.
My great uncle immigrated to the US from Ireland and married into our family. He died with his brogue and a shillelagh growing in the back yard. Thanks for keeping the tradition alive.
The humor of an Irishman is legendary, the anger of an Irishman is terrifying. An Irishman is not drunk as long as he can hold a single blade of grass and not fall off the edge of the earth.
I don't often comment but your videos speak to my Irish roots ( maternal great-great grandparents Mahan) and my father's love of woodworking. I spent hours in his workshop! Keep up the wonderful work.
Love the video. The shillelagh still has a place and will always have a place. The stick is the most useful tool and growing up was both a weapon, pointer, art for drawing in the dirt and mud and we would always go find the best stick and would have it for the entire summer. We even called it our shillelagh without even making the connection to our families who came over. Just something we were passed down through conversation.
A true shame there was no rhyme during the time of shaping your Shillelagh. I’m the first generation of my family to never have stepped foot in Ireland, but thankfully by the end of this year or the next, I’ll have a happy place there to call home. Also, I wrote this poem a few months ago, and didn’t know what to do with it, seems like the right place here. Phenomenal video! Tenalach Under hawthorn’s ancient veil, Where Shannon murmurs low, A mother’s voice calls out the window, To where birch buds faintly glow. The peat’s soft breath at day’s dim end, Where shadows gild the land, With nothing between us but tender skin. Beneath rowan’s ancient canopy, Moonlit hush and crackle on the pebble road. My wild rose, softly cupped in a dear friend’s hand.
I like how you answered the concern I think even foreigners watching your video probably have asked. "Is this actually what Irish people do all day?" Paddywhackery or caricature or whatever you might want to call it. Glad you own up to just having an old soul. The younger generations surprise the older ones when they take up traditional things and sometimes that's looked upon as either mockery or just plain doing it wrong, and the way you explained it is perfect. Just. Be. You. :)
We have a shrub in Iowa, the honeysuckle. Following some of your instructions I took off the bark then let it age for a year then worked on it last week. I scraped the inner bark, the “phloem off, sanded it twice up to 200 grit, I put a coating of linseed oil on it and it looks fantastic. THANK YOU for your instructions.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm from the US but of some Irish descent. My grandfather used to make shillelagh as a hobby when I was a kid. He passed on a couple years ago, and this video brought back the memory of the shillelagh he made for me that I no longer have. Just thought about how I never learned that from him. Now I might have to follow your instructions to connect with my grandfather and Irish heritage. Sláinte!
That turned out beautifully. I think the contrast between the black and the natural red tone of the wood looks great, and the pattern of the wood on top gives it a lot of character. Something to be proud of!
I think I may have just watched the perfect VLOG, Calming, relaxing, informative, a little history lesson, from a young inspirational man, who's love for his country and culture is never ending, I don't know you, yet I'm proud of you, you have a great presence on screen, and come across as a nice fella. Can't fault you. Peace and Love ❤️🙏❤️
I love this’s format! So interesting and wholesome. I feel like my faith in human kind has restored while my attention span extended. In my opinion worth the time you put into the video.
Mr. Reardon, I've followed for awhile and I love your channel. I'm trying to get back into woodworking and I've been making walking sticks. I gathered quite a few crepe myrtle and I absolutely love its character. I must say your steamer box is ingenious and I'm going to be building one soon. Thank you for this boon! Please keep bringing true craftsmanship to the world.
Only short in existence that's convinced me to watch the long form video. Your knowledge and enthusiasm, and my desire to know more about history I'm otherwise oblivious to is that brought me here. Thank you for the great video.
The short brought me here "You've been doomscrolling for how long?" got me to laugh and I was here straight away
Same
Me too lol
This worked on me too lmao
Same. He got me. Really good advertising tho.
Literally. Best marketing short I've seen all week.
"If they've got a problem with it, well, you've got a stick!" had me cracking up 😂
Im here from the short.
just a little mildly threatening
Am recalling another UA-camr pointing out that all melee weapons are variations of sticks. Sword is a sharpened stick, spear is pointy stick, nunchucks are floppy stick.
10:40
came to the comments hoping somebody said it lol
I'm a very disabled 24 year old.and I use a stick to help me walk and people often accuse me of faking. My grandfather was from rural Cork and made stone walls on the old farm here in Wales with no sealers and are still standing 30 years later. I wish I could have learned more from him before he passed. These videos help me connect to him. Thank you
Renown for it's protection against 'otherworldly beings'... - An apt description of the English.
U wot
I cackled way to hard at this
Maybe the reason we don’t often see “otherworldly beings” is because our ancestors made so much stuff to ward them off that they just decided that we weren’t worth it lol
An American agrees
😂
Don't you let anyone accuse you of paddywackery, you're doing a phenomenal job of keeping an incredibly rich and beautiful culture alive. Thank you for your content.
luckily, he's got that gorgeous stick now if anyone tries giving him trouble over it
It's amazing isnt it!!
@@cypherx666x certainly inspired me to make traditional indigenous wood working projects
Yo, what the fuck is paddywhackery
@@griffinjackson960
Same here. Since I know very little about my mesoamerican ancestors, Eoin inspired me to try making some things they would have seen in everyday life
My grandmother's neighbour made me a shillelagh. He passed away a few weeks after making it for me. This was probably around 17 years ago; I was only a child. I've cherished the shillelagh ever since. Thank you for making this video. It's given me insight into how he may have made my shillelagh.
10:45 “if they’ve got a problem with it, well you’ve got a stick” brilliant line 😂
Took the words out of my mouth (or thumbs, I suppose since I am watching on my phone.) 😂
@@lornacy
That sent me as well.
I visited Ireland about five years ago intent on purchasing a shillelagh. My mother had purchased one ages ago and I'd always loved the look of it. Never found one. Even worse most people I asked didn't even know what it was and I had to describe it every time. Good on you for preservation of the legacy.
I had the exact same problem! Finally found something like one in a tiny store in a tiny town in Northern Ireland. Had to leave it with our daughter (lives there) as it wouldn't fit in either suitcase.
I see them quite regularly in my part of NI. Many seem to be a lot more 'thorny' up here than you see down south. Maybe a nod to it's more regular use as a weapon up here haha
Just like all the Belgium's conveniently not knowing what absinth was when I visited Amsterdam.
They knew.
I inherited my grandfather's shillelagh. He did make it himself and I assume it was on one of his trips back to Ireland, the last being about 1926 with his wife and young son. In my mind he cut it from the hedge along the lane leading to the farmhouse he grew up in but I really don't know.
My parents bought me one from Blarney castle. Nothing close. It's honestly a disgrace
"You don't need me to tell you to be unapologetically who you are. If you want to go walking around a place with a stick, who cares what anyone else thinks? If they've got a problem with it, you've got a stick!"
In a world where so many people are so concerned with fitting in with a group of people, or sticking out in an effort to be as 'unique' as possible, these are some really refreshing words to hear, and honestly, ones that more people need to take to heart.
Thanks for outing yourself for the rest of us, bigot
So if someone is too unique, you want them to fall in line and be the acceptable amount? Lol
@DeaDiabola that wasn't what he said and you know it
@@DeaDiabola I can't speak for the author but the way I understood it was that people sometimes just try too hard to be "unique".
And well as someone whom got pressured into very high expectations and struggling to adjust to the awful amount of time and stress I had to invest to the point where I grew ill in the mind and body I can tell you this - I arrived to the conclusion that I am just fine with being unremarkable. I am actually unapologetically happy after a very long while, in fact.
We are all born unique. But "trying to be unique". That's where a lot of trouble may lay for many.
Congratulations this is the only short attached to a longer form video that actually convinced me to watch the longer form video. You're so kind with it, dude, not all advertisey and withholdy like other youtubers. Good on ya.
😅 got me with the " it's only 12 min long, you've been doom scrolling for how long now?"
And then stayed for the whole video. Lot of checkmarks on these boxes here
That's why I'm here 🤙
Ditto!
Me too…. Touché
I'm a simple boy-man. I see a short of my favourite carpenter making a stick, so I venture to watch the long version, like both videos, and make a comment!
And what a great stick it has become!
Agreed
@@dashockpixle4140 concurred
A fine stick indeed!
And now when i visit ireland next fall i know the exact gift I'm looking to ship back to canada 😂😂😂
Nice
30 years ago I found a vine in the Talladega National Forest in Alabama that was twisted and gnarly with lots of character. I removed some (not all) of the bark and cut it to be a walking staff/stick. Boned it and lightly put the ends through campfire. I’ve had this stick along with me for some of my greatest adventures. From climbing Mount Saint Helen’s to trails on Mount Ranier and also the Cascade mountain range. It has great memories. A man with a stick…is a man who is confident in himself and needs no one else’s approval. Great vid.
“Off to reap the corn, leave where I was born, Cut the stout blackthorn, to banish ghost and goblins”
I also heard this song repeatedly in my head.
Exactly this!
"A brand new pair of brogues, rattlin o'er the bogs, frightn'in all the dogs, on the rocky road to Dublin"
@@lorrosdorborin4790 well, y'all have chosen the song that's gonna be stuck in my head for a couple days before my brain got the chance to pick something. Thanks for that, cause my brain can't always be trusted to pick something good.
@@lorrosdorborin4790 whack fa lo li raaaaa.
Coolness aside, the VO and production of the video itself is top notch. Youve got a real knack for this. I sincerely hope you continue these long form videos. Cheers from Kentucky in the US.
Agreed. The only thing I found myself wanting was text inserts for the dialect words. Auto captions were a dismal letdown as usual.
Thank you Kentucky for both good whiskey and chicken
Hey! Fellow KY! Making any of your own sticks?
lol I’m in Canada, but my roots are from Cork as well ;) hilariously small part of the island, but I’ve met lots of people from there, or with family from there.
6:38 Hi! Occupational Therapist here so I know a bit on ergonomics for adaptive equipment. An ideal length for using the Shillelagh as a walking stick would place the top of the handle at your ulnar style which is the bony bump on the pinky side of your wrist. Thank you for making videos like this! Love to learn about the lost arts of Irish culture!!
Thank you
Isn't the bone bump the pisiform bone?
Hi Eoin, I'm 15 years old, 16 this month, and for Christmas, I'm getting some woodworking tools. I'd like to say thank you to you for being one of the contributing factors that got me into woodworking and for all the videos you make and hopefully continue to make. You have inspired me and many others to get into woodworking, and i hope you keep up the good work👍
Best of luck lil dude!!
I picked up the bug for the craft at about the same age, a bit earlier at 14, been on at it for about 40 years now. It’s been one of my most important outlets for stress and to bring out some creativity. Welcome!
Good luck young man. I think you can make a good extra income from this and preserve an ancient art.
I too am just picking it up at 20. Loving it so far
I'm 52 and I intend on making myself one in this manner as well - but good on you. Entering a world of making what you want - that is worth something indeed.
The ‘knee and see’ technique?
nailed it.
Shin for the win
No way, I came to the comments to comment this!
There we have it.
That’s a winner
Your style is classic and timeless, never give up your wool! I mourn the loss of natural fiber in our modern clothing industry. Along with hats for all men, women, and children alike. Artisans like yourself are keeping craftwork alive and preserving it for the next generation and the world is better for it. ❤
"She can dry when she's swinging." Really tickled me.
When you mentioned a well-made shillelagh being passed down for generations, that instantly reminded me of my grandmother who this day still has the shillelagh of her own great great grandfather. He fled to the US most likely during the Great Famine (I forget the specific year) and served with distinction in the Union Army during the Civil War. Even damn near 200 years later it's still in excellent condition and serves as a real testament to the craftsman who made it
Much love for your content and craftsmanship from Chicagoland, slán go fóill
I for one would like to hear about a woman serving in the Union Army. Could you please tell us more?
@@hotn.bothered3167 read it again. "...her own great great grandfather. He fled ,,,"
@@hotn.bothered3167 read it again, his grandmother's grandfather served in the union army...
@@William-Morey-Baker lmao how could their _grand_ mother have served in that war?? funny
@caramelldansen2204 his grandmothers great great grandfather...ya dope
From a young age I've always had a fascination will sticks and making weapons out of them. When I found this video it activated every neuron in the autistic side of my brain and I knew I had to make my own.
I'm an American living in the Pacific Northwest so I don't have access to black thorn, unless I grow it myself, so I've taken cuttings from several of the native woods and I will see what works best next year.
I have been genuinely inspired by the work you do. My family has been carpenters since we came to America from county Limerick three generations ago. I am the same but I'm always looking for ways to expand my craft from just building soulless American spec homes. I've watched all your videos multiple times trying to glean bits of knowledge and bring a bit of tradition back into my craft.
Keep it up! You're only a bit older than me and I feel like I am leagues behind you in experience!
Seeing indigenous cultures reclaim their heritage is always a good thing. It’s something the world should do more to encourage.
That's why they are filling Ireland with Muslims.
Thank you for the great history lesson. Your tiktoks are always fun but I adore your long form videos even more. Thank you for the hours and hours of amazing content. Really appreciate you!
Thank you for supporting me to keep doing what I love.
Always wanted to see you make one of these, thanks for the videos, I find them endlessly soothing
Thank you Richard!
If they’ve got a problem with you walking around with a stick…. Well, you’ve got a stick.
Brilliant. And I love the video. Proper start to finish woodworking.
Logical...
I just wasted 12 minutes of my life LITERALLY watching a guy polish his knob....
And it was worth every second. Great video.
😂😂😂😂😂
He also told you how to polish your own knob.
Probably not the first time.
Another lonely tuesday night
Time you enjoy wasting, is never time wasted
I love the aspect ratio and depth of field, it makes the entire video feel like an indie film.
From Texas, thanks for a nice video. I have a beautiful shillelagh I purchased almost 30 years ago and have carried it many MANY miles. It always gives me great pleasure!
Giggity
...what do you mean by that?
I think we all (many of us) came here from your unique short. Thank you for sharing a piece of your culture with us.
I'm here 100% because of the short. I'm not at all upset about it.
I came here from the short and I was not disapointed! This was a lovely video and I could really hear how you appreciate the history of these. I want a shillelagh now lol, I think I need to start looking for black thorns near where I live
I dont know if my currency means anything to you but this video was a true piece of art in storytelling. Thanks lad, keep up the good work!
Thank you lad. Appreciate it,
Good handling Eoin well done me buddy
Ah Glen you Gent. been working on this one for a while. hope you enjoyed it.
@EoinReardon it's a beautiful walking stick me buddy and do love the black with the natural on the top
@@EoinReardon.
Wre can you buy this?@@EoinReardon
GLEN YOUR MY GOAT
Your gem of a short led me here. I learned so much about the history of the shallelagh and a part of Irish history I never knew. It's so important to share cultural history as so much of it is lost over time. Thank you! 🍀
What?! You're only 23 yrs old? That blew me away, because I think that you have such a beautiful old soul!
Same here
Evident in his craft, creativity and honor for the past. Old soul, indeed.
Second
This took me by surprise too!
This feels like those wonderfully cosy documentaries from the seventies about local culture, what an absolute delight.
This was a really relaxing video, thank you! You come across very charismatically in your videos, the short was a great way to hook people in.
Got at least one 25-ish fella on a walking stick here! Unfortunately my stick is for necessity, but it was a joy watching you create this shillelagh, and especially wonderful hearing the history and legendry as you showed its creation. Thanks for sharing it all!
I would buy some of the items you make - you ought to start selling. Videos are certainly entertaining as well! 👍👍
Thank you so much! I’ve had so many requests to buy these sticks! I should have collected more last year, they would be dry by now!
Im from the Application area of the USA, we have walking/hiking sticks (probably from our Irish kin) that are used all the time! I loved this video. Im BlackIrish on my dad's side and ScottIrish on my mom's (as well as a ton of other things!lol). Here a good hiking stick can be used for many things: an aid in getting up/down steep inclines, a crutch/splint if injured, a defensive weapon from animals, a hunting weapon (if skilled enough), etc. It's become a tourist favorite as well.
I agree with the oil for the finish. Years ago I picked up a cedar rod in the woods, with the root ball attached. I'm in Canada, and while I knew about heating it, I was never able to get it to straighten. There was no bark left on it, and it has some cracks in it, but it is still sturdy, with a nice shape and weight to the end, fitting into my hand. I bought a rubber cane nob for the end, and with the linseed oil giving it a nice dark patina I loved being able to walk out with it. Unlike young people like yourself, I do have a knee disability, so it isn't just a decorative addition. It is a prized member of my collection of walking sticks and 6 ft staffs.
Some years ago I was a scout master in charge of two small troops at summer camp. Our little orphan split troop over performed that week and was awarded the spirit stick, a six foot hiking stick. I remember carving the numbers of both troops on it and we passed it around as it was s great honor and great achievement! Thank you for reminding me! (There is a lot of power in a stick!)
As someone whose family has completely abandoned their Irish identity and buried their traditions over the past hundred years, I relish in every opportunity to learn something new about the culture of Ireland. Thank you, sir!
I really want to see more of this, it really helps me relax by playing it in the background.
my great grandfather came over to america and cut himself a shillelagh out of an american ash tree.
i used to just sit in the living room and trace the lines and imagine all the places its been in the hundred or so years its been around.
its the only thing ive asked to be left to me from my father, and i ever have kids ill give it to my oldest when i go.
heres to a hundred more years.
I have in my hands a Shillelagh that my husband's grandfather brought to Australia from Ireland back in the 1860s. It has a lovely natural sheen. I was intrigued by its 'ugliness', (fret not, I LOVE it); so thanks for this great video about its history and crafting techniques.. Greetings.
That’s such a cool family treasure! Thanks for sharing. 😊
There’s nothing quite like a skilled craftsperson talking about their passion, especially when it involves a genuine love of their history and culture. Bravo, lad, and be sure to let us know if you start making shillelaghs to sell!
Thank you!
I’ve been loving all your content, this long form video is class
Cheers lad. Thanks for the support.
Hope to see more stuff from you for year's to come ive enjoyed your story telling and the love you put into each video=)
Thanks Jeremiah. I’m glad you enjoy. More like this to come!
Madainn mhath mo charaid. This is a breath of fresh air. My grandad was a Journeyman Carpenter in the Clyde Shipyards and a genius craftsman. Now I've retired I've picked up his tools and some nice shiny new ones and started working on wood. It is a fabulous thing. We cut back the wood at the farm last Spring and I have a cracking stick that I'm going to work on. Too late for my travels on the Camino de Santiago but by next June it should be ready to craft. Keep up the brilliant work. Obair-fiodha gu brath! Fraser, Isle of Cumbrae
Being an Aussie, Shillelaghs are just a tad rare down under...so that made watching the process of how they are (Traditionally) made all the more interesting...and the commentary was priceless! Thanks for a look into a fading art!
Yo another Aussie!
We gather!!!
Aussies Assemble
No other content creator do I immediately RUN to their long form. You sir I will SPRINT to any long form. Thank you.
I'm inclined to agree there. Never have i seen a short say, "i have a longer video" ZOOM
I enjoyed this video and found it very helpful. I make hiking sticks as a hobby and I can use a lot of the techniques you demonstrated here, particularly the wood bending.
The script for this video is bang on. You make some very valid points Eoin. Man yourself.
I watched a 12:30 minute video! Yay! And I learned stuff too.
I hike with one. It's pretty impressive what it will to a wayward dog.
I just came from TikTok, because I heard funny word and a man told me to go watch and learn something 😄
the saddest thing i read this week
Good job! I know the struggle.
Thank you for keeping the old Irish culture alive and well! Much respect Sir 🙏
Can't be that hard, it's just a cantrip after all.
But seriously, amazing video! Your craftsmanship really shines through, not just with the wood, but with the videomaking too. Great job!
I saw the title and thought “I can’t wait to learn how it’s actually pronounced and what it really is” 🫣 I only knew it as the cantrip 😅
A spell as flavorful as it is niche in uses. Hopefully one day, when we get a proper Druid that isn't just "Mage but furry", it'll be a proper useful ability
@@chrismanuel9768good luck. Almost as rare as hens teeth.
It's so sad they nerfed it for 5th edition. In 3.5, Shillelagh was a 1st-level spell that made your humble stick into a potent magical weapon that hit as hard as a greatsword! (+1 to hit and damage, base damage of 2d6) *And* it lasted for 1 minute/caster level!
@@MapleShrimp ah was it back in 2nd edition like that?
About the length - I asked a collretor about a short stick of maybe 20-30cm. He told me that for a time, short sticks were fashionable for young men since it showed that they didn't need it for walking. He wasnt an old or crippled man with a cane, but a strong lad with a shillelagh.
Also in his collection was a beautiful stick made from heart of American oak by an Irishman in Canada. It had been passed down through the family for a long time, and may have come from the time of the Shiners War - a spate of Irish organized violence in the timber trade during Ottawa's formative years. A good time to have a sturdy stick, in other words.
Do you mean inches ?
Thank you for the video. I have made many blackthorn sticks over the past few years. I've begun using black aniline dye and finishing wiith tung oil. Very happy with the results.
10:16 do you bro, I was imagining myself wandering the Irish planes this whole video. “Er’body ain’t gone like you”
Eoin, as an American of Irish and German ancestry, I've made many a stick in my youth. I still have them many of them too!
I wouldn't call any a shillelagh. But I'd like to think my ancestors would be happy to know that this sort of woodcraft and tradition,
so valued to them in Irish culture, is nonetheless manifest in their descendants.
Also, I did use your copper pipe trick to finish of the butt end of a 37-something year old walking stick I hiked trough the
Adirondack mountains with, so thanks for that!
My Grandfather used a .50 cal shell my father brought back from the range. So those work also lol
@@jhnshepsounds a bit long, but quite the conversation starter.
@@pillager6190 well he cut it to length, he didn't use the whole shell, the neck would have been too narrow.
My ancestry is Scots Irish. Though there was no real discussion of shillelaghs at length, they were ever present within my family, and I don’t know how far back. I grew up in Kentucky, and we have traced our ancestry all the way back to the boats that brought us here. My grandfather would make them from a certain tree that would twist like a cork screw, and then he would fix the top with a brass handle from an old bridal used on mules and horses. In which he actually used to farm as a sharecropper when my father was little. Fast-forward to 1980, and my brother, who is nine years older than me was making a shillelagh out of a large knot at the head of a tree limb of a cherry tree. This never got completely finished, but it was around our home for years and years. Since I can remember, I have always been an enamored with walking sticks, not knowing truly, the art of truly making/finishing them and their technique & history.. You sir, have inspired me and given me invaluable information here! I’m so excited and happy that I stumbled upon this video, I can’t even really explain it to you. Thank you!
1:02 um, your work shop is charmed.
Yea it’s his ghost buddy, the ghost opens doors for people
@@MR.BONE_I_LOVE_SPAGETI i wish mine did that all he does is close doors behind me
@@masonmp1889oh sorry man I'll stop doing that
The love of your craft and the history of our culture and folklore shines through in this video. The respect you give to your tools and the wood you use them on is admirable. Your videos deserve to be shown in schools to educate and entertain in equal measure. Keeping up a rare tradition and detailing the iconic symbolism of this wood with your lyrical prose is worthy of awards...
I absolutely adore your videos. The focus on traditional crafts, the educational content even in just simple shorter videos where you make a nice stick, even just the aspect ratio you use. The vibes are immaculate. Thank you for all that you do to keep the rich history and culture of Ireland alive and sharing it with the rest of us. And if anyone gives you crap, remember that you've got a stick!
Shillelagh is so fun to say
Isn’t it just
@@EoinReardon Does the wood not take in any water when steaming? I mean steam is just wet air right?
@@12hunterjake Barely. It makes it wet at most, but it's different to the "moisture" that wood holds naturally, which is what you're trying to get rid of by drying.
@@necorV I wondered about this myself. Thank you.
@@marcpuckett Imagine a cuttingboard made of wood, if you wash it, it merely becomes wet, but the wood itself doesn't really absorb the water. It'll be dry as a nun a few hours later. Think that's a fair comparison...
Anyone moaning about paddywackery needs a good whack themselves. You’re a delight, and you give off the feeling of somebody who’s comfortable in their own skin- an unfortunately uncommon thing. The wooly jumpers probably help, lol
Nothing but authenticity and good times on this channel! 👍
“If they’ve got a problem with it, well, you’ve got a stick!” Best line I’ve ever heard, an inspiration.
Want you to know the short saying "It's only 12 minutes and you've been doomscrollin fer how long?" really got me here. Class marketing.
When I tore my Achilles a couple years back, I had a shilelegh made for me. I love it. Awesome history to it and craftsmanship.
Thanks for sharing this
Love the fact you are keeping traditions alive. Ireland as well as Scotland lost a lot through colonisation so it's nice to see it coming back.
what an awesome video!!! loved learning about the history of shillelaghs. i’m from newfoundland, and there’s a lot of irish influence on our customs and heritage. i mention this because we have had a shillelagh in my family for generations!! keep up the wonderful work!!
I think I speak for a lot of us here, please continue making more long form content, I enjoy putting these videos on while I do my own woodworking projects, something about an Irish lad talking about wood while I work my wood gets me all woody 😂
I firmly believe I could listen to you talk for hours about all kinds of Irish culture and heritage and be incredibly captivated the whole way through.
I’m a historical fashion buff and a seamstress, and I’ve seen a couple others like me under a couple of your videos, so I figured I’d chime in. History and culture are only kept alive by those who share it, and it is always wonderful to see a person not only proudly celebrating their culture, but also sharing it with the world. Our world today is full of the unintentional (and also quite intentional) erasure of origins and stories, even down to the simplest facets of a past person’s everyday life.
Thank you for sharing the history behind these gorgeous sticks, and educating us on not only how to make one, but also what they stand for. I’ve never done wood working myself, but I’m about to go searching for some big sticks to let season in my garage!
7:54 your barn door is open.
I've watched this 6 times and this was the first I noticed that.
I ran to the comments as soon as I saw it
Some guy: Is that a weapon?
Gandalf: Oh no, it’s merely an old man’s walking stick.
Gandalf also: *prepares to beat the guy with stick*
i had no idea a video about a stick could be so excellent
3:13 -- I, too, often find that when I shove my shillelagh into a hot, moist prism it will soften after about an hour. Sláinte!
So this is where shillelagh law comes from!! I’ve been listening to finnegans wake on repeat all year and I contented myself with just liking how it sounded without understanding what it meant when ronnie drew says shillelagh law was all the rage and a row and a ruction soon began! Thank you for the little history lesson and that is a very beautiful stick but I almost wanted to cry when it got covered in the black plastic, I think because it hid its humble beginnings and the loving craftsmanship that went into fashioning it
By black plastic do you mean the paint? Cus that's also how it was traditionally done, maybe not with our modern paint but it's not a shillelagh without the black on it. Then it's just a walking stick
@@1herotales in fairness, Eoin says himself in the video that a shillelagh with no paint is grand too. That's probably what I'd want personally tbh.
@@1herotalesyea he said it looked a bit plasticky looking so that’s why I called it that, I did see another comment saying traditional shillelaghs were kept up a fireplace to cure and the soot would turn it black
@@1herotalesgiven the time period the paint would've been made with lead, in America when we make colonial reproductions that would've had lead paint we use milk paint then put linseed oil over it
“If they’ve got a problem with it well you’ve got a stick” great quote
Love that the door of his workshop opens on its own when he arrives, like its welcoming in an old friend.
Wow... I'm sorta speechless. That was by far the best video I've watched in months. The story telling, the craftsmanship, everything from start to finish was incredible.. good work!
"If they've got a problem with it, well, you've got a stick!" Really resonated with me as a disabled guy that needs a cane.
Beautiful video!! My father loved woodworking as a hobby and, while I dont do it myself, I've always loved seeing what people can make.
My great uncle immigrated to the US from Ireland and married into our family. He died with his brogue and a shillelagh growing in the back yard. Thanks for keeping the tradition alive.
The humor of an Irishman is legendary, the anger of an Irishman is terrifying.
An Irishman is not drunk as long as he can hold a single blade of grass and not fall off the edge of the earth.
I don't often comment but your videos speak to my Irish roots ( maternal great-great grandparents Mahan) and my father's love of woodworking. I spent hours in his workshop! Keep up the wonderful work.
Been waiting on a new long form video for a while now! The craftsmanship Eoin show's is really impressive.
Love the video. The shillelagh still has a place and will always have a place. The stick is the most useful tool and growing up was both a weapon, pointer, art for drawing in the dirt and mud and we would always go find the best stick and would have it for the entire summer. We even called it our shillelagh without even making the connection to our families who came over. Just something we were passed down through conversation.
A true shame there was no rhyme during the time of shaping your Shillelagh. I’m the first generation of my family to never have stepped foot in Ireland, but thankfully by the end of this year or the next, I’ll have a happy place there to call home. Also, I wrote this poem a few months ago, and didn’t know what to do with it, seems like the right place here. Phenomenal video!
Tenalach
Under hawthorn’s ancient veil,
Where Shannon murmurs low,
A mother’s voice calls out the window,
To where birch buds faintly glow.
The peat’s soft breath at day’s dim end,
Where shadows gild the land,
With nothing between us but tender skin.
Beneath rowan’s ancient canopy,
Moonlit hush and crackle on the pebble road.
My wild rose, softly cupped in a dear friend’s hand.
I like how you answered the concern I think even foreigners watching your video probably have asked. "Is this actually what Irish people do all day?" Paddywhackery or caricature or whatever you might want to call it. Glad you own up to just having an old soul. The younger generations surprise the older ones when they take up traditional things and sometimes that's looked upon as either mockery or just plain doing it wrong, and the way you explained it is perfect. Just. Be. You. :)
Аз съм от България.
Браво, майсторе, за историята и съвършенството.
We have a shrub in Iowa, the honeysuckle. Following some of your instructions I took off the bark then let it age for a year then worked on it last week. I scraped the inner bark, the “phloem off, sanded it twice up to 200 grit, I put a coating of linseed oil on it and it looks fantastic.
THANK YOU for your instructions.
Brainrot is real man. I read this as shillaleghmaxxing twice before I realized my mistake reading it a day later
That short was the best sell I've ever seen on a long form video - I'm glad I came through! Thanks for sharing the craftsmanship and the history!
Thank you so much for this video. I'm from the US but of some Irish descent. My grandfather used to make shillelagh as a hobby when I was a kid. He passed on a couple years ago, and this video brought back the memory of the shillelagh he made for me that I no longer have. Just thought about how I never learned that from him. Now I might have to follow your instructions to connect with my grandfather and Irish heritage. Sláinte!
That turned out beautifully. I think the contrast between the black and the natural red tone of the wood looks great, and the pattern of the wood on top gives it a lot of character. Something to be proud of!
The first long form content I've seen from this channel and I love it. Great work
I think I may have just watched the perfect VLOG,
Calming, relaxing, informative, a little history lesson, from a young inspirational man, who's love for his country and culture is never ending,
I don't know you, yet I'm proud of you, you have a great presence on screen, and come across as a nice fella.
Can't fault you.
Peace and Love ❤️🙏❤️
Now this.. is education
I love this’s format! So interesting and wholesome. I feel like my faith in human kind has restored while my attention span extended.
In my opinion worth the time you put into the video.
Mr. Reardon, I've followed for awhile and I love your channel. I'm trying to get back into woodworking and I've been making walking sticks. I gathered quite a few crepe myrtle and I absolutely love its character. I must say your steamer box is ingenious and I'm going to be building one soon. Thank you for this boon! Please keep bringing true craftsmanship to the world.
Only short in existence that's convinced me to watch the long form video. Your knowledge and enthusiasm, and my desire to know more about history I'm otherwise oblivious to is that brought me here. Thank you for the great video.