YOU CAN BE SURE THE IRISH HAD CLUBS LONG BEFORE 1700. WHAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN CALLED BACK THEN WHO KNOWS
CLUBS HAVE A LONG HISTORY IN ALL CULTURES NOTE THAT ONE OF THE FIRST GREAT HEROS WAS HERCULES WHO'S FAVORITE WEAPON AND THE ONE ASSOCIATED WITH HIM WAS A CLUB.
EVIDENTLY THERE WERE THREE SIZES OF SHILLELAGHS A LONG, MEDIUM AND SHORT, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T KNOW THE LEGNTHS OR USES PERHAPS THE SHORT WAS A THROWING CLUB. I HAVE SEEN SOME SHORT ONES MADE FROM A LARGE LIMB FORMING THE HEAD WITH A SMALLER BRANCH FORMING THE HANDLE. THESE RESEMBLE A MALLET AND ARE SOMETIMES ROUNDED BUT OFTEN ARE LEFT FLAT AS WHEN CUT. I HAVEN'T MADE ANY OR THROWN THE FEW I HAVE SEEN SO DON'T KNOW HOW WELL THEY WOULD WORK. THE DESIGN WOULD GIVE GOOD WEIGHT AND LEVERAGE FOR A HARD THROW AND STRIKE AS WITH OTHER THROWN CLUBS. ACCURACY WOULD DEPEND SOME ON THE CLUBS BALANCE BUT MOSTLY ON THE ABILITY OF THE THROWER.
I WILL ADD SOME PIC'S OF FIJI ROOTSTOCK CLUBS JUST FOR A BIT OF SPICE.
THE CONSTRUCTION AND USE BEING SIMULAR TO MANY FORMS OF CLUB INCLUDING THOSE FROM IRELAND. TWO PIC'S ARE OF THE LONG ROOTSTOCK CLUBS AND ONE PICTURE IS OF THE SHORT THROWING CLUB OR ULLA.