Days of the Blackthorn

On town streets or in green fields, at fairs, race meetings and saints' patron days, rival gangs of Irishmen used to meet to battle and beat each other with cudgels and sticks. The practice was particularly prevalent in the 1800s, and involved tens, hundreds and even thousands of men and women at a time. Days of the Blackthorn uses eyewitness descriptions, as well as the oral history of local communities, to provide a visceral sense of this exciting and brutal activity in County Kerry. From the Battle of Ballyeagh between the Cooleens and the Lawlors that left eighteen dead, to the savage combats of various strongmen, such as Seón Burns or 'Big Mick' Foley, this is a fascinating account of a wild and violent time in Ireland's history.

Seán Moraghan has been a bookseller, librarian, and folklore researcher. He has also worked as an editor, indexer and proofreader. Following a visit to Killarney he moved to County Kerry where he has lived for over thirty years. Seán previously published Puck Fair: A History, and a new readers edition of The Ancient and Present State of the County of Kerry.