In the time of the Irish potato famine, Fergus and his family left for America. But first Fergus cut a branch from a blackthorn tree so that he could take a piece of Ireland with him. On the journey, he whittled the branch into a shillelagh. Each St. Patrick’s Day, Fergus told his story of coming to America and of the shillelagh that he brought with him. Throughout the years, one generation after another passed the shillelagh on along with Fergus’s story, adding their own life experiences. On this St. Patrick’s Day, Kayleigh finds the shillelagh and listens to her grandfather share their history. He then places the shillelagh in Kayleigh’s hands, making her the keeper of the family story.
The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh
- By Janet Nolan
- Illustrated by Ben F. Stahl
