Bataireacht is the term used in Irish martial arts traditionally applied to various forms of Irishstick fighting. Today the word bataireacht is being used among both Irish and English language speakers to distinguish between traditional and non-traditional stick-fighting styles.
Bataireacht is a term used to describe the various stickfighting martial arts of Ireland. The term is found in most large format Irish language dictionaries - such as those published by An Gum and by Dineen. Researcher and author John W. Hurley attributes the reintroduction of the term into modern usage among English speaking practitioners of Irish stick-fighting to his works, as these are where the term first appeared in modern popular culture before being popularized.
"Bata" is a general term which can mean any kind of stick. The actual bata or stick used for bataireacht is often referred to as a Sail-Éille or phonetically in English as "shillelagh". The word "cudgel" is also used in period texts as a word for shillelagh. Traditionally, blackthorn, oak, ash and hazel were the most common types of woods used to make shillelagh fighting sticks.
In the 19th century bataireacht became associated with Irish gang or "faction" fighting. Some evidence exists which indicates that, prior to the 19th Century, the term had been used to refer to a form of stick-fencing used to train Irish soldiers in broadsword and sabre techniques.
