It was quite the fashion statement during the 19th century for a man to carry a cane. Just as it was trendy for a woman to carry a parasol, the stylish young man had a walking stick as part of his daily presentation. This fad continued until the beginning of World War I. In those days a cane had nothing to do with handicaps or ill health but with the right look in public.
Since March 17 is our St. Patrick's Day celebration, it is fitting to mention the Irish cane often called a bat or a Shillelagh. The Shillelagh, though an item of fashion, meant more than that to the Irish lad of a hundred years ago. Those gnarly walking sticks were often used as a weapon in fights that usually broke out at wakes, fairs and confrontations with the English.
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