Scotch/Irish mix

[OC Richard]

Is the caubeen Irish or British?

Both, as I understand it. They are issued to the Irish regiments of the British army. AFAIK they're not part of the pre-invasion traditional Irish dress.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catego...e_British_Army

According to Wiki they were introduced as the headdress for the pipers of The Irish Guards in 1916.

Looks to me like a Scottish bonnet but blocked differently. (The rest of the pipers' costume for The Irish Guards pipes & drums was borrowed from Highland Dress: kilt, sporran, kilt hose, dirk belt and crossbelt.)

[cbl5257]

The caubeen you are wearing looks good Dollander but I'm confused about the photo OC Richard posted. Is the caubeen Irish or British? What is a good source for one? Thanks in advance.

MOD surplus can be found inexpensively on eBay, including shipping. That is where I got mine. No rosette or ribbons, notch for a hackle.
I'm thinking of ordering a Canadian Irish rifles one in black from Alexis Malcomb kilts, they are not as peaked as the RIR one, and has the rosette.

[OC Richard]

I just looked it up- the pipers of the Northern Irish regiments of the British army wear caubeens, while the pipers of the army of The Republic Of Ireland (Eire) wear Glengarries.

So with the military pipers, yes, caubeens are British.

A pipe band of the army of Eire- all in Glengarries except for one guy wearing a Balmoral-looking thing with saffron binding and ribbons.



Pipers of the air force of Eire- all in Glengarries

[FossilHunter]

I just looked it up- the pipers of the Northern Irish regiments of the British army wear caubeens, while the pipers of the army of The Republic Of Ireland (Eire) wear Glengarries.

So with the military pipers, yes, caubeens are British.

A pipe band of the army of Eire- all in Glengarries except for one guy wearing a Balmoral-looking thing with saffron binding and ribbons.



Pipers of the air force of Eire- all in Glengarries

It seems strange that the republican pipe bands wear the more “Scottish/british” glengarry hat. On the other hand, it seems even stranger to me that they would retain pipe bands at all.

[Dollander]

It seems strange that the republican pipe bands wear the more “Scottish/british” glengarry hat. On the other hand, it seems even stranger to me that they would retain pipe bands at all.

Like I pointed out in least year's thread about Scottish elements in St. Patrick's Day festivities, uillean pipes can't really be played while marching. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who considers their tone more suited for an ensemble with other instruments, than for military (or at least militaristic) ceremonial displays for which the Highland pipes are perfect. As for the choice of hats...perhaps, like many of our own headwear choices, that's just the style the regiments' founders preferred.

[tokareva]

Those of you who wear the flat cap, what materials are they made of for warmer weather? It was 71° here today and way too warm for the one I have, it's a brown/ tan herringbone pattern 50% wool and way too warm, and warm looking to me. I realize the balmoral and glengarry hats are also wool ,but they don't look seasonal. Any suggestions for the coolest option would be appreciated.

[OC Richard]

I've seen flat caps in lightweight cotton, light and heavy denim, etc as well as wool and wool blends. So it should be possible to get any weight you want.

Due to the nagging of my dermatologist I've had to stop wearing hats that don't cover my ears and the back of my neck. So flat caps and baseball caps are out.

What are in are the cotton and cotton blend Tilley hats and the British and Irish tweed hats variously called bucket, walking, Elgin, Trilby, grouse, Eske, and Highgrove hats. (And the huge World Wars bonnet I'm wearing in my avatar.)

Here, a tweed (wool blend) Trilby out at a sunny North Carolina Highland Games



A variety of wide-brimmed hats at a hot sunny California Highland Games

[OC Richard]

Like I pointed out in least year's thread about Scottish elements in St. Patrick's Day festivities, uillean pipes can't really be played while marching. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who considers their tone more suited for an ensemble with other instruments, than for military (or at least militaristic) ceremonial displays for which the Highland pipes are perfect.

As someone who plays the Highland pipes, uilleann pipes, and Scottish smallpipes, I find that each instrument has its own place.

I only had two St Patrick's Day gigs but at both of them I played all three pipes, plus whistles. 18th and early 19th century mentions of piping concerts show that at that time it was commonplace for professional pipers to perform on the Great Highland pipes, Union pipes (what we now call uilleann pipes), and the German flute (what we now call the Irish flute) at the same event.

The music of the TV show Outlander is historically accurate in featuring the Great Highland pipes, the Union/uilleann pipes, and Scottish smallpipes on the soundtrack.

BTW there's nothing specifically Irish about the Union/uilleann pipes. In the 18th century the centres of Union/uilleann pipemaking and playing were Edinburgh, Aberdeen, North Shields, and London, with Dublin bringing up the rear.

The great advantage of the uilleann pipes is the ability to correctly play not only many Tin Pan Alley Irish favourites like Danny Boy and Irish Eyes Are Smiling but also many Robert Burns songs, Scottish folk songs, and Hymns not correctly performable on the Highland pipes.

The Great Highland pipes are unbeatable in several respects: their volume (you never need a PA system) the mobility they give the performer and the iconic look of a piper in full garb.

You march into a room playing the Highland pipes and everyone says "Here's the piper!"

You sit in a corner playing the uilleann pipes and everyone says "what is that thing?"

[The TALL TN Scot]

Here's the king wearing one.

If it's good enough for a king, it's good enough for me...lol

Thank you for the info and photos!

[tokareva]

Dollander, the Caubeen looks great, but I think I like the Papakha more.