Sword Ownership and Collection in Ireland

Vallare

I'm very interested in starting a historical weapon (swords, daggers, axes, maces etc.) collection but am unaware if there are any legality issues here in Ireland. These weapons wont be for public use, but for historical example and for decoration. I will mostly be ordering from abroad if it proves to be viable hobby here but if anyone knows of Irish retailers that would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

Yellowblackbird

You can have all the swords you want in your house.

Out in public you could have sword in your possession for a lawful purpose.

A lawful purpose would be for example transporting it from a to b.
On route to a duel with your local sworn enemy would not.

nibtrix

Samurai swords (Katanas) are banned since 2009 except for certain martial arts (you would need to be a registered member of an appropriate club) or for collectors - but the sword needs to have been made before 1954 OR "made at any other time according to traditional methods of making swords by hand".

So if it's a cheap knock-off from China that you bought on eBay it's probably illegal, if it's a proper historical katana with provenance then it's fine.


http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0338.html

Vallare

Thanks for the help but I'm not interested in (in my opinion overrated) samurai swords at all. I'm asking about other historical styles of mostly European (but some African) style of weapon.

conorh91

If it has a blade or a pointy edge, it doesn't matter what you call it comes under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.

Private possession is fine, as someone else said. There's no problem with possessing, displaying, importing, leasing, or repairing such an article, unless it comes under one of the following headings

(a) a flick-knife, that is to say—
(i) a knife which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle, or
(ii) a knife which has a blade which is released from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or the application of centrifugal force and when released is locked in an open position by means of a button, spring, lever or other device;
(b) a knuckleduster, that is to say—
(i) a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause injury, or
(ii) any weapon incorporating a knuckleduster;
(c) a swordstick or dagger cane, that is, a hollow walking-stick or cane containing a blade which may be used as a sword or dagger;
(d) a sword umbrella, that is an umbrella containing a blade which may be used as a sword;
(e) any weapon from which one or more sharp spikes protrude which is worn attached to the foot, ankle, hand or wrist (sometimes known when intended to be attached to the foot, as a footclaw and, when intended to be attached to the hand, as a handclaw);
(f) the weapon sometimes known as a belt buckle knife, being a buckle which incorporates or conceals a knife;
(g) the weapon sometimes known as a push dagger, being a knife the handle of which fits within a clenched fist and the blade of which protrudes from between two fingers;
(h) the weapon sometimes known as a hollow kubotan, being a cylindrical container containing a number of sharp spikes;
(i) the weapon sometimes known as a shuriken, shaken or death star, being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more sharp radiating points and designed to be thrown;
(j) the weapon sometimes known as a balisong or butterfly knife, being a blade enclosed by its handle, which is designed to split down the middle, without the operation of a spring or other mechanical means, to reveal the blade;
(k) the weapon sometimes known as a telescopic truncheon or telescopic billy, being a truncheon which extends automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to its handle;
(l) the weapon sometimes known as a blowpipe or blow gun, being a hollow tube out of which hard pellets or darts are shot by the use of human breath;
(m) the weapon sometimes known as a kusari gama, being a length of rope, cord wire or chain fastened at one end to a sickle;
(n) the weapon sometimes known as a kyoketsu shoge, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a hooked knife;
(o) the weapon sometimes known as a manrikigusari or kusari, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at each end to a hard weight or hand grip;
(p) the weapon sometimes known as a sap glove, being a glove into which metal or some other hard material has been inserted or to which metal or such material has been attached;
(q) the broad knife known as a machete or matchet.”

If you have any of the above, then per s.12 of the Act:

(1) Any person who—
(a) manufactures, sells or hires, or offers or exposes for sale or hire, or by way of business repairs or modifies, or
(b) has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire or for the purpose of repair or modification by way of business, or
(c) puts on display, or lends or gives to any other person,
a weapon to which this section applies shall be guilty of an offence.

renas

conorh91 wrote: »

If it has a blade or a pointy edge, it doesn't matter what you call it comes under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.

Private possession is fine, as someone else said. There's no problem with possessing, displaying, importing, leasing, or repairing such an article, unless it comes under one of the following headings

(a) a flick-knife, that is to say—
(i) a knife which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle, or
(ii) a knife which has a blade which is released from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or the application of centrifugal force and when released is locked in an open position by means of a button, spring, lever or other device;
(b) a knuckleduster, that is to say—
(i) a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause injury, or
(ii) any weapon incorporating a knuckleduster;
(c) a swordstick or dagger cane, that is, a hollow walking-stick or cane containing a blade which may be used as a sword or dagger;
(d) a sword umbrella, that is an umbrella containing a blade which may be used as a sword;
(e) any weapon from which one or more sharp spikes protrude which is worn attached to the foot, ankle, hand or wrist (sometimes known when intended to be attached to the foot, as a footclaw and, when intended to be attached to the hand, as a handclaw);
(f) the weapon sometimes known as a belt buckle knife, being a buckle which incorporates or conceals a knife;
(g) the weapon sometimes known as a push dagger, being a knife the handle of which fits within a clenched fist and the blade of which protrudes from between two fingers;
(h) the weapon sometimes known as a hollow kubotan, being a cylindrical container containing a number of sharp spikes;
(i) the weapon sometimes known as a shuriken, shaken or death star, being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more sharp radiating points and designed to be thrown;
(j) the weapon sometimes known as a balisong or butterfly knife, being a blade enclosed by its handle, which is designed to split down the middle, without the operation of a spring or other mechanical means, to reveal the blade;
(k) the weapon sometimes known as a telescopic truncheon or telescopic billy, being a truncheon which extends automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to its handle;
(l) the weapon sometimes known as a blowpipe or blow gun, being a hollow tube out of which hard pellets or darts are shot by the use of human breath;
(m) the weapon sometimes known as a kusari gama, being a length of rope, cord wire or chain fastened at one end to a sickle;
(n) the weapon sometimes known as a kyoketsu shoge, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a hooked knife;
(o) the weapon sometimes known as a manrikigusari or kusari, being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at each end to a hard weight or hand grip;
(p) the weapon sometimes known as a sap glove, being a glove into which metal or some other hard material has been inserted or to which metal or such material has been attached;
(q) the broad knife known as a machete or matchet.”

If you have any of the above, then per s.12 of the Act:

(1) Any person who—
(a) manufactures, sells or hires, or offers or exposes for sale or hire, or by way of business repairs or modifies, or
(b) has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire or for the purpose of repair or modification by way of business, or
(c) puts on display, or lends or gives to any other person,
a weapon to which this section applies shall be guilty of an offence.

do i miss katana in the list ?

nibtrix

renas wrote: »

do i miss katana in the list ?

The Act that that list came from was amended in 2009 to include

2. Article 2 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1991 ( S.I. No. 66 of 1991 ) is amended as follows:

(a) in paragraph (e) by substituting “foot, ankle, arm, hand or wrist” for “foot, ankle, hand or wrist”;

(b) in paragraph (q) by substituting “machete or matchet;” for “machete or matchet.”;

(c) by inserting, after paragraph (q), the following paragraph:

“(r) the sword sometimes known as samurai or katana, other than such a sword—

(i) made before 1954, or

(ii) made at any other time according to traditional methods of making swords by hand.”.