Donnybrook
Mike from Cadillac,
Michigan, asked about the origin of the word donnybrook. Donnybrook refers to a
brawl or free-for-all. By extension, it can mean a public confrontation or
dispute without fisticuffs.
Originally, it was the
name of a village outside of Dublin, Ireland. From the 13th century
onwards it was the site of a famous annual fair. By the 19th
century, it had acquired a reputation for attracting rowdy, drunken, brawling
visitors.
Walter Bagehot’s The English Constitution summed
it up this way: “The only principle recognized ... was akin to that recommended
to the traditional Irishman on his visit to Donnybrook Fair, ‘Wherever you see
a head, hit it’.”
The weapon of choice would have
been the shillelagh, a club made of blackthorn. It was named after a village in
County Wicklow, Ireland.
Listen to Mike’s program in real
time every Tuesday morning, 9:10 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com
and clicking on Listen Now. You’ll
also find some podcasts there under TheRon Jolly Show.
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