Irish Kilts: solid vs. tartan

[OC Richard]

Attended St Patrick's Day Parade in Sligo town in the West of Ireland today.

Pipe Bands: 6 all in tartan

That agrees with what I've seen (on the internet) of pipe bands in The Republic recently: bands one by one dropping solid kilts and going over to tartan kilts.

Perhaps part of the reason is the explosion in the number of tartans available, including "fashion" tartans that don't carry any previous "baggage" with them, and the general trend in The Pipe Band World for bands to adopt bespoke self-designed tartans.

[dea3369]

Maybe it's the case that the Irish diaspora are more educated about kilts than the Irish are!

Or, maybe that the general population is more educated about kilts than I credit them. If so, I retract my previous comment about them being ill-educated, misinformed, or uncouth.

[dea3369]

Hmmm. After viewing the video, it's apparent they didn't play particularly well, either...

Do you know any more details? Were they jet-lagged?

Give them the benefit of the doubt and consider the live recording methods/media available at the time. Just take a look at the quality of those videos! If I used that, I'd say they were badly dressed, too.

[dea3369]

Wear what you like, the way you like, the Scots have been making it up as they go along for the past 200 years, why shouldn't we.

You know, IMHO that's pretty Steve Ashton's sentiment in his piece about Kilt Kops. http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f99/kilt-kops-68828/

[Blackrose87]

Or, maybe that the general population is more educated about kilts than I credit them. If so, I retract my previous comment about them being ill-educated, misinformed, or uncouth.

I had assumed that it was Americans of Irish descent who had been recognising Irish tartans, but if not, then maybe the general American public are more educated about kilts than us Irish.
I've spent some time in America, but was never kilted, so I can't really judge what people know about kilts there. But from my experience of home, the general Irish public have very little knowledge of them.

[lukeyrobertson]

I spoke with an Irish friend of mine this am about Irish kilt wearing. She grew up in N.Ireland. In the north, she thought that kilts are mostly connected with the regimental pipe band, mostly tartan and with a more highland flavour and awareness. Most men in Ireland (with the exception of pipers) don't wear kilts. And for the most part, she thought the same would be true for rest of the island. Although she added that Irish dancers often were kilted. So, from this conversation and from my friend's experience, it seems the kilt is mostly associated with highland wear. I wonder then, where the market for Irish county tartan kilts and solid colour kilts originated? Seems like there's a regimental/piping tradition. But could the "market" be primarily North American-driven based on a need to give expression of our roots....? Just wondering, that's all. I admit to not knowing much about this at all. But it is interesting to me, especially having just discovered that my maternal grandfather's background is Irish from the county Cavan.

[lukeyrobertson]

Oh, I like both tartan and solid coloured kilts.

[Blackrose87]

Although she added that Irish dancers often were kilted.

All 3 of my sisters used to be Irish dancers, so I was dragged along to many feisanna all over the country, but mostly in the north. I can almost definitely say I've never seen one kilt at these. The boys all wore black trousers. I can't say that no boys wear kilts, but from my experience they must be quite rare.

I wonder then, where the market for Irish county tartan kilts and solid colour kilts originated? Seems like there's a regimental/piping tradition. But could the "market" be primarily North American-driven based on a need to give expression of our roots....? Just wondering, that's all. I admit to not knowing much about this at all. But it is interesting to me, especially having just discovered that my maternal grandfather's background is Irish from the county Cavan.

The 32 Irish county tartans and the Irish national tartan were designed in 1996 by the House of Edgar in Perth. As far as I can tell they were produced specifically for North Americans. To be honest, they're pretty much unknown in Ireland, and are very rarely seen there.

[CMcG]

All 3 of my sisters used to be Irish dancers, so I was dragged along to many feisanna all over the country, but mostly in the north. I can almost definitely say I've never seen one kilt at these. The boys all wore black trousers. I can't say that no boys wear kilts, but from my experience they must be quite rare.



The 32 Irish county tartans and the Irish national tartan were designed in 1996 by the House of Edgar in Perth. As far as I can tell they were produced specifically for North Americans. To be honest, they're pretty much unknown in Ireland, and are very rarely seen there.

I have read that many male Irish dancers used to wear solid coloured kilts but that Riverdance more or less changed the fashion in the early 1990s. If that is true, then it is interesting that the HoE made also those Irish tartans on the heels of the decline of the kilt in Irish dancing.

Does anyone have more specific historical evidence about the use of kilts in Irish dance?

Here's a video from 1987:
http://youtu.be/77y2fAMeKqo

And a slightly more recent one:
http://youtu.be/waIsECbFZFk

[seanachie]

Steve put an admonition in another thread, so while I think I was on the right side of the law with quoting less than full sentences and providing attribution, I am removing this post to be certain.