Irish Kilts and Tartans

[Woodsman]

First of all, thanks to the authors for an enjoyable and well researched article. My favorite part was this:
one William Royce called for the adoption of the kilt by the volunteers, saying that the only objections to such a move would “come from the skinny-legged, knick-kneed type for whose faulty or undeveloped ‘understandings’ the pants as a covering are a veritable Godsend.”



I agree with The Thing. The city I grew up in (and where both my parents were born) was barely more than a fur trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company when the Irish started to wear kilts. That's plenty enough history for me in both cases!

Despite the fact that the kilt is not much worn in contemporary Ireland outside of pipe bands and some traditional dancing, it is worn in the Irish Diaspora. This is a fairly common situation for immigrant communities in multicultural environments: people have to try harder in a new locale to stake out a sense of cultural heritage than they would in the homeland.

What I get out of this is that when one wears a kilt as an Irishman, they should acknowledge their debt to Caledonian origins but try to wear it in a Hibernian fashion. Here is a very apt picture to illustrate the point of style versus origin. Solid saffron kilt with green Kilkenny style jacket, but note the watermark that says scottishkilts.net!

I agree. Those of us of Irish heritage can certainly recognize the Scottish origin of the kilt yet wear it in a style and decor that is recognizably Irish. The adaptation of this dress should be seen as a form of flattery to the Scots and a profession of our historical separations from British rule. Wouldn't it be nice too if now the rest of the world would come to its' senses and adopt the kilt?

[M. A. C. Newsome]

Gentlemen,

Great collection of facts and interpretations of writings. So, now we have the definitive research article to point to and refer the Irish to that they should not wear kilts or have Irish "recognized" tartans.

Just so that I am not misread, I would never in my wildest dreams tell anyone -- Scottish, Irish, American or Indonesian -- that they "should not" wear the kilt or "should not" wear certain tartans.

After all, this is the quote I chose to grace the footer of every page in my blog.

"The Highland dress is essentially a 'free' dress -- that is to say, a man's taste and circumstances must alone be permitted to decide when and where and how he should wear it... I presume to dictate to no man what he shall eat or drink or wherewithal he shall be clothed." -- The Hon. Stuart Ruaidri Erskine, The Kilt & How to Wear It, 1901.

What I do advocate is that people have correct information about what they are wearing, and then make their own decisions accordingly.

[denmcdough]

"The only tartan that could conceivably be a traditional Irish tartan, the Ulster, was worn by a Scot and was likely woven by a Scot as well. The only reason that the Irish tartans are around in for Scottish weavers and kilt makers to sell to plastic patty's."

MrShoe, what gives? Plastic Patty's???? Your remarks are offensive! I'm Irish and love to wear my kilt, no matter how it evolved into an Irish garment. I hope you have a better explanation!

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Well done lads-- an excellent article.

[Riverkilt]

Nice work gentlemen.

Though I own an Ireland's National and a saffron kilt for my four Irish lines I've been most frustrated with the two contemporary tartans for Irish counties. I don't much like either choice for the ones that are supposed to be for the counties of my ancestors.

Course doubt any of my Irish ancestors ever thought of wearing a kilt. Would hope they'd be pleased that I honor them when I do.

[KFCarter]

Thanks for this excellent, informative article and for all the time and effort that went into it. Well done.

[MrShoe]

I apologize, I read it that some Irish, in an attempt to create an identity, copied Scottish Traditional. That the Scottish tradition predated the attempt by a few nationalist by several hundred years.

The pipers have no distinctive features of dress. Just hang a kilt around his middle, and throw a bedgown over his shoulders, and he decomes an Irish piper. Even the traditional Irish caubeen is less that a century only.

The only tartan that could conceivably be a traditional Irish tartan, the Ulster, was worn by a Scot and was likely woven by a Scot as well. The only reason that the Irish tartans are around in for Scottish weavers and kilt makers to sell to plastic patty's.

[slohairt]

deleted by Slohairt.

[DenRugger01]

The only reason that the Irish tartans are around in for Scottish weavers and kilt makers to sell to plastic patty's.

Wouldn't you yourself be considered a "Plastic Paddy"? After all you hav an American Heritage kilt. Not exactly a traditional weave by any means!

[O'Callaghan]

I apologize, I read it that some Irish, in an attempt to create an identity, copied Scottish Traditional. That the Scottish tradition predated the attempt by a few nationalist by several hundred years.

The pipers have no distinctive features of dress. Just hang a kilt around his middle, and throw a bedgown over his shoulders, and he decomes an Irish piper. Even the traditional Irish caubeen is less that a century only.

The only tartan that could conceivably be a traditional Irish tartan, the Ulster, was worn by a Scot and was likely woven by a Scot as well. The only reason that the Irish tartans are around in for Scottish weavers and kilt makers to sell to plastic patty's.

They weren't just any old Irish. They included a couple of the leaders of the Easter Rising and a couple of peers, and that's just the ones actually mentioned in the article.

As for the caubeen, where do you get your information from? AFAIK, use of the caubeen in daily wear actually stopped a couple of hundred years ago, so to assert that it only started to be worn a century ago appears to be nonsense.

Concerning tartan, the article only said that Irish tartan kilts were post-war, not Irish wearing of tartan. In fact, it is now thought that there were celts wearing tartan centuries before they reached the British Isles. Moreover, it is probable that the Irish brat (cloak) was the precursor of the Scottish kilt, and that it may well have been tartan, although historical references only refer to it as striped. The highlanders descended from the Scotii or Dal Riada tribe from Ireland.

None of the above contradicts the article, which appears to be very accurate as far as it goes.

I do have one query about the article, though. It appears to place the British Army use of the saffron kilt (for pipers in Irish regiments) very late, after the Irish nationalists wore it. I have seen many references to much earlier use of the saffron kilt by the British Army in this way, even as early as 1857. Of course, I have no proof. Perhaps a little research into the Tyrone Fusiliers, or Royal Tyrone Fusiliers might either verify or disprove this, and reports of slightly later use by the Inniskillen or Enniskillen Regiment or Fusiliers might also be worth looking into.