A question for our Irish kiltie brothers

[Erisianmonkey]

Because this is 2007, and a history of the kilt being worn that dates back into the late 1880's/90's or so is long enough of a tradition for me and for a lot of Irish Americans that I know. (Including some first generation Americans.) As to current opinion on Erin herself, I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you is that I was taught growing up was that a solid color kilt was Irish, and a tartan kilt was Scottish. It may not quite be accurate, but it is what my family believed when I was growing up. Indeed, I'm about to start on a solid black kilt for my brother-in-law, who is very Irish.

[Ayin McFye]

Ayin, You actually gave me a thought out intelligent answer. Thank you. Your ancestors creating the Riley tartan is quite a connection. The fact that they were kilt wearer too is quite a connection as well. Kilt wearers in Ireland weren't too common. You must have a strong family.

Please post a swatch of the Riley tartan. I've been unable to find it. A sur-name search directed me to the Tara tartan, which is quite handsome. Is this the same?

I thank you for that, and I do apologize if I came off too defensive. Here is a swatch of the Riley Family Tartan that I found. I hadn't seen the Tara Tartan before, so i just looked it up for a quick look. I plan to go back and read more on it, is it the same as the Murphy tartan?

[flairball]

It looks similar to the Tara/Murphy, but the colors are a bit different. This could be because of my computer.

http://http://www.tartansauthority.c.../home/home.asp

I found it at the above site.

[PiobBear]

Why is saffron distinctly Irish??

"From the middle of the thigh to the foot they have no covering for the leg, clothing themselves with a mantle instead of an upper garment and a shirt dyed with saffron" John Major, 1521

"As for their Apparel; next the Skin, they wear a short linnen Shirt, which the great men among them sometimes dye of saffron colour." Robert Gordon of Straloch; 1594

"The first place at table is that of the mother of the family, wrapped in a tunic reaching to the ankles, often saffron-coloured and long-sleeved." Richard Stanihurst, 1584

"An act of Henry VIII forbade any person in Ireland after 1 May, 1539 to dress their hair in the Irish fashion or to: ...weare any shirt, smock, kerchor, bendel, neckerchour, mocket, or linnen cappe coloured, or dyed with Saffron...that also no woman use or weare any kyrtell, or cote tucked up, or imbroydered or garnished with silke, or courched ne layd with usker, after the Irish fashion, and that no person or persons, of what estate, condition or degree they be, shall use, or weare any mantles, cote, or hood, made after the Irish fashion." From a Collection of all the Statutes of in use in the Kingdom of Ireland, Dublin 1678, McClintock, 1948

"Frankly I should prefer to see you arrayed in a kilt, although it may be less authentic...You would, if you appeared in the latter (léine & trews), run the risk of leading the spectators to imagine that you had forgotten to don your trousers and had sallied forth in your drawers." Patrick Pearse, 1890's

If it's good enough for the likes of Patrick Pearse, it's good enough for me.

[Chef]

What I have picked up on in this thread is that as far as the Kilt in Irish culture I think what you really have is a tradition in certain Irish families or groups rather than in Ireland as a whole (many of those groups have Scottish roots by the way). That doesn't mean that the tradition is any less valid just not universally held. I don't believe most in Ireland consider the kilt part of their heritage but as is obvious from the thread quite a few groups and families of Irish ancestry do and they feel strongly about it.

So be proud of or your families traditions but please don't make the leap that it is a universal symbol of Irish culture.

[Zardoz]

http://www.somebody.to/irishkiltclub.htm

[Chef]

All we will venture to say is that the modern Irish Kilt is as "traditional" as any other modern kilt - no more and no less.

A nice sentiment but not valid since the kilt is not representative Irish history but it is of Scottish history.

This is an interesting group, but I think rather small and not very active. The last update on the home page is dated more than three years ago. If anything this website lends credence to the argument that the kilt is not considered an Irish garment by your average Irishman.

[porrick]

Here is a swatch of the Riley Family Tartan that I found. I hadn't seen the Tara Tartan before, so i just looked it up for a quick look. I plan to go back and read more on it, is it the same as the Murphy tartan?

Here is the Murphy/Tara tartan (and my brown Freelander):

[Ayin McFye]

I really like that plaid. It has very bold colors in it. Thanks for sharing!

[scmx5driver]

I'm a Texan of Scottish descent, I often wear my kilt to the Irish functions we have in the DFW area. Early on I didn't want to wear my kilt on St. Patrick's Day and so on because I didn't want to blur the lines between Irish and Scots and more than they where. (Scots make up the 3rd largest cultural group in Texas, but 80 percent of them think they are Irish)

I go to Irish functions to support Celtic music, dance and culture because as of yet there are very few Scottish celebrations of size in Dallas, And I wear my kilt to help remind everyone that there are Scots Texans as well. (and I like the attention I get from the ladies) lol