From valen@RedBrick.DCU.IE Fri Dec 20 14:50:21 2002 Path: reader.news.heanet.ie!feeder.news.heanet.ie!193.1.198.47.MISMATCH!not-for-mail Newsgroups: intersocs.general From: John Looney Subject: Get a new hobby!! (long) Followup-To: intersocs.general Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Organization: DCU Networking Society Cache-Post-Path: Prodigy!valen@prodigy X-Cache: nntpcache 3.0.0b1 (see http://www.nntpcache.org/) Date: 17 Dec 2002 14:28:07 GMT Lines: 78 NNTP-Posting-Date: 17 Dec 2002 14:28:07 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.206.15.10 X-Trace: 1040135287 reader.news.heanet.ie 181 [::ffff:136.206.15.10]:40030 Xref: reader.news.heanet.ie intersocs.general:705 X-Cache: nntpcache 3.0.0b1 (see http://www.nntpcache.org/) Hey all... I'm a member of a group of Dublin based reenactors who are looking for new members. For those that don't know, Reenactment is showing the public what various aspects of the past looked like. It's done through various forms; combat displays, Living History presentations and pantomime like plays. Our group, Cú Glas are a combat-oriented group that also do some Living History. We generally play Irish mercenaries, so we can get involved in everything from Iron Age spear fighting in a melee to skirmishers backing up English-style pike blocks. We've done all periods from 150BC (Corlea Bog Road, semi-fantasy battle of Moy Tura) to 1690 (Jacobite stuff, pikes & muskets). We do Viking, English, Scottish, Welsh, and of course Irish. We train in a school hall in blanchardstown every sunday from 12:00 to 18:00 (roughly) so we are safe fighting with the slightly-larger-than-life metal weapons that were actually in use. We do archery, spear, axes, sword & shield/buckler, claymore, bardiche, glaive etc. You'll be taught how to fight tough and safe against many types of fighters by one of the best fighters in the hobby. Training is free, though we'ed to get public liability insurance as a group, so a contribution to that would be nice. We try and create our clothing, armour and weapons by the most authentic methods possible. Members are expected to either learn to sew, or buy or barter clothes from those that can (I swap my handmade shoes for clothes). Much simple armour can be made at home (cloth, riveted steel and leather only - no SCA heads with plastic or welded armour). That said, many people buy their stuff, if they have money. It doesn't have to be an expensive hobby - ¤100 will get you a complete set of kit and weapons, though it's easy to spend more...¤3500 on a set of milanese armour, or ¤1200 on a trebuchet etc. Ignoring authenticity for once, we welcome female fighters, in fact anyone over 16 (for insurance reasons) can be trained to fight. The Living History side of things is up to individual members. Some have no interest, some like myself actually have complete displays where I can show the audience how to turn a sheet of leather into a pair of boots. I make our groups footware and leather armour, and have recently started on metal stuff. Other people spin wool, weave and naturally dye their cloth. Others own horses and learn to joust. An art teacher in Cork has made his own trebuchet and knightly armour. It's a wonderful hobby for people that want to "make stuff", as you can get help from everyone. The off-season training is practice for the summer events (may-september), though there are a few training weekends when we disappear into the forests of or the wilds of leitrim, and drink, fight and talk shite for the whole weekend. The Summer Events can be a small group of ten in a museum or village fair, to thousands of combatants and thousands of non-combatants (traders, water bearers, busty wenches, cute children) recreating a massive battle and the festivities afterwards. We usually end up camping with the rest of the reenactors and party all night, or sometimes end up sleeping in a village hall, or a crannog (I've spent many nights in the one in the National Heritage Park just outside Wexford). The social side of the hobby is wonderful - so many friendly crazy people. There are so many stories... some you just couldn't believe. I can't portray the adrenaline you get when you are in a cloud of whirling metal, or the shock of a cannon going off right behind you, when a block of heavily armour knights are charging your position, when you and your line are unarmoured Irish spearmen. And the ability to wear a dress in public, and not be ashamed of it is cool too. BTW, english women love guys in a kilt/fillamór/léine. The pride you feel when you buy your first good sword, or the ego you feel swelling when strutting your stuff in front of a crowd of a few thousand. Best hobby in the world. If you aren't living in Dublin, and are still interested, I can put you in contact with our associated groups around the country. Pass this around to anyone you know that you think may be interested. John -- Does Master Yoda look like a bitch ? -- Mace Windu to Count Dooku