The US Marines are famed for their skills in armed combat – but it's unlikely that many of them would choose an Irish walking stick as their weapon of choice.
For one retired Marine, though, that was the situation he found himself in when he chased off a group of burglars with his grandfather's antique Irish stick.
Dan Donovan, an 81-year-old from Chicago, said he grabbed the walking stick when he discovered burglars in the upstairs of his house.
Using the stick as a "persuasive weapon," the veteran managed to deal a clattering to one of the thieves as he ran them off his property, the Pioneer Press reports.
Dan wasn't content to just force the intruders out of the house, though – he followed them to their SUV and delivered a few blows to the windshield and rear window of the car before they made their escape.
Barefoot throughout the escapade, the 81-year-old said he hoped "they got nothing more than a headache and hopefully they pursue another occupation."
His wife, Barbara, said she quickly noticed something was wrong after a utility worker knocked on their door claiming he needed to check their fuse box due to a recent fire in the area.
While they were in the basement with the man, the sharp-eared Barbara heart squeaking floorboards and realised that all was not right.
"I yelled: 'Danny! Somebody’s in our bedroom!'" she said.
The couple made their way upstairs where, lo and behold, they discovered two other men inside – one of whom was holding a pillowcase from their bedroom.
Using his grandfather's trusty stick, Dan wasn't long seeing off the threat.
"I was trying to find some type of persuasive weapon," he said.
"So I picked up the Irish shillelagh, and that turned out to be the equaliser, because I managed to chase them out of the house."
