Bata, or the Irish Stick

In preparation for the upcoming Gathering, here is some information ahead of time about the Art of the Irish Stick, or Bataireacht.

Disclaimer: although I am a Catholic, I do not hold any prejudices against Protestants of any denomination, and any mention in this article about Catholic or Protestant info is strictly for historical purposes. There are plenty of wrongdoings in history from all peoples in the world, and we do not need to go in search of them.

Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha (pronounced rinkan vawtta ishka vaaha), is Gaelic for Whiskey Stick Dancing, and is a “style” particular to the Doyle family. This system is known for being used by fighters who were protecting whiskey stills from the government agents.

Another well-known style is called Antrim Bata. It has been preserved by the Ramsay family.

These two styles are similar in the handling of the stick, and are probably the best known and most prolifically taught.

The word for "stick" is Bata.  Another term that is used is boiscín (boskeen), although this weapon is usually smaller and lighter than a shillelagh.

The formal name of Irish stick-fighting is Bataireacht (bat-a-rickht).

Throughout the 1600's, Irish Catholics attempted many uprisings and the British were intent on putting an end to them. The Penal Laws were a series of rules launched by the British Crown following the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. These laws removed many of the underlying methods of supporting a rebellion by Catholics:

1) no right to own any land (no way to gather, peacefully or otherwise)

2) no right to own horses of a certain height (i.e. warhorses)

3) could not serve in the military

4) no right to own any weapons

Protestant raiding parties randomly inspected villages in search of hidden weapons. It was then that the Irish simply chose walking sticks that could double as clubs, the famous shillelaghs. They avoided the accusation of possessing weapons. Similar to the people of Okinawa, the Irish started using farm implements when the British forbade their weapons, although the prohibition in Japan mostly concerned swords and firearms.

While the Penal Laws made the shillelagh a popular option for self-defense, Protestants were also known to use it. It has also been said that boiscín (boskeen) was used to train soldiers for potential service in the Wild Geese regiments.

Until 1793 Catholics were banned from serving in the British army. But Irish mercenaries have been known since the Middle Ages to fight in Continental armies, and in the 1700's, it became a common solution for many sons of Irish Gentlemen, to serve in French, Spanish, Austrian, Italian, Polish and even Swedish armies.