Shillelagh (club) Shillelagh (club) A shillelagh ( or ; , "thonged willow") or blackthorn stick is a wooden walking stick and club or cudgel, typically made from a stout knotty stick with a large knob at the top. It is associated with Ireland and Irish folklore. Shillelaghs are traditionally made from blackthorn (sloe) wood ("Prunus spinosa") or oak. Wood from the root was prized as it was less prone to crack or break during use. The wood would be smeared with butter or lard, and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance. Another method was
Prunus fruticosa the pun are "fructus" or "frux", from "fruor", "enjoy" - a fruit is a result enjoyed - and "frutex", "shrub", adjective "fruticosus", "bushy", from a totally different root. "Prunus" is a grammatical feminine, so "Prunus fruticosa" agrees in gender. However, Pallas says "Haec mihi tantum fructibus suis innotuit, qui distinctam itidem speciem indicare videntur", "It came to my attention at last because of its fruit, which repeatedly seemed to indicate a distinct species." The fruit seemed "fere Pruni forma", "nearly in the form of "Prunus"", especially because "praedita oblongo nucleo", "furnished with an oblong seed." So, Pallas moved it from