[Thom R.]

I have been perusing old victorian period archaeological journals the past couple of weeks on the internet and found this interesting story regarding a two handed claymore in Ireland, unfortunately the two photos mentioned are not in the journal, only the general story, the old journals are full of stories like this where ordinary people were encouraged to bring artifacts to meetings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries and the objects would be examined and duly noted for later publication if warranted.........bold emphasis is mine.

By Mr. 'Geoghegan, Londonderry, on the part of Mr. John
Bold, of Dunloe, in that county : photographs of two ancient
swords, and of a curious fictile vessel, found on the western coast
of Donegal. Mr. Bold's account of them was as follows : — "
No. 1. Broadsword found in the winter of 1798, in a small cave, or
covered way, in the old stone fort of Dun Brennan, townland of Coe,
parish of Lettermacanard, Co. Donegal, by Caher O'Dunlavey (since
gone to America), when on his keeping, after ' being out' on a little excursion
to the county Antrim. With it was found another sword, at
least five feet in length, long since cut up into lagh hooks. For the benefit
of the uninitiated, it is right to mention, that on the west of Donegal,
a lagh hook is formed of a broad curved blade of iron, about eighteen
inches or two feet in length, fastened hook-fashion at the end of a wooden
pole some twenty or twenty-five feet long. The fishermen on the coast
here, standing in their canoes, cut with this implement the branches and
roots of the submarine plants in deep water. The sea weed on being
cut rises to the surface, and is either at once gathered into the cur-
raghs, or is allowed to float to the shore with the tide. This sea weed is
made into kelp, and moreover in ' the Rosses' forms almost the only manure
used for potatoes.

instead of sword into ploughshare we have a case of a sword being turned into a bunch of scythes for cutting seaweed

tr

[Nathan Robinson]

Wow.. really interesting... I'd be curious to know of other instances where such things are written. I'm sure many a sword has been recycled over the years and this would certainly prove to be a fascinating thing to trace.