Club swaps shillelagh for Shaolin to fight isolation

Shaolin monks they are not, but a community group has turned to the shillelagh as the latest weapon in the fight against social isolation.

Members of the Shandon Shillelagh Social Club in Cork, practice a form of non-combative martial arts using the blackthorn stick.

Instructor Martin Forrest teaches a programme which combines elements of tai chi and pilates, and involves the use of the shillelagh for self-defence.