Bataireacht (pronounced bata-ri-okt) is a modern term used to describe the various kinds of Irish stick fighting styles. It is a term introduced into everyday spoken English by the practitioners of these martial arts and it’s usage is becoming more and more popularised. It is primarily a verbalisation of the word “Bata” which just means “stick” of varying types in Irish and was performed with cudgels and of course, shillelagh (pronounced  shil-ey-lee) made of blackthorn, ash, oak and hazel.

There was no standardised rules for bataireacht, as is so often the case with many aspects of traditional Irish culture. Sticks were of differing sizes and teaching would have been most passed down from father to son. Many Irish people would be unfamiliar with the term bataireacht, more so with shillelagh, and both are more often than not are viewed with an element of distaste. This may be due to the shillelagh’s brutish image and its connection with irish “faction” fighting, large semi-organised violent melees a la Gangs of New York. However many of these melees had political or social causes such as increased taxation, eviction, the rights of tenant farmers and, towards the end of the 19th century, Irish independence. However it was with the arming of the Fenian movement that saw the decline of Irish stick fighting traditions and the introduction of guns and modern weaponry.

Bataireacht today is practiced usually as a means to re-connect with one’s Irish root, preserve Irish traditions and over historical and cultural reasons mostly in Ireland, USA and Canada. There are a few individual styles of Irish stick fighting that survive today, namely whiskey stick dance n Newfoundland and An Maide Mear in Canada, USA and Scotland. We may acknowledge that bataireacht is an old martial art formed out of necessity and practicality and serves little function today, but I would be quick to mention that it is a truly unique part of our heritage. Its association with mob-like behaviour and brutishness is all part and parcel of Irish history, whether we like it or not. What matters is our openness and our willingness to accept that which on the surface is ugly and distasteful, but which may also provide us with a means to understand more about ourselves and in doing so, how to learn from the past and explore our humanness.

Related posts:

1. What The Heck Is A Shillelagh Anyway?
2. Check Out … The Diddlyi Irish Culture Camp
3. BA In Irish And Dance Music
4. Irish Things That Kinda Aren’t
5. Ireland For Sale