To kilt or not to kilt: A St. Paddy's Day conundrum

[TheSp8]

Here in San Antonio, most of the people wearing kilts will be marching in the parade. Last year I saw two other men in kilts watching the parade. I wore my SWK Saffron and got several compliments from people in the parade.

I say wear whatever. The knuckleheads in plastic green hats and beads drinking green beer don't really count as an authority on things Irish.

I was walking into the Commissary last weekend and a guy in a truck yelled "Erin go braugh" and flashed a thumbs up as I walked past. I smiled, waved, and kept going. Of course, you mileage may vary.

YMOS,
Tony

[macwilkin]

I recall a thread where one member wore a saffron kilt and a young Irishman was offended by it for to him it represented the Orangemen or Unionist. The only history shown of the saffron was a pro-rebublican group adopted the saffron kilt in the late 1800's or early 1900's. This is basically the only instance of an Irish kilt. This is what I remember from a thread months ago so I may well have incorrectly stated things, if I did I appologize.

See my earlier post, Grant.

T.

[ccga3359]

See my earlier post, Grant.

T.

If I recall it was only one particular Nationalist party and not all as one may have understood your post:

A lot of it, I believe, is due to the adoption of traditional Highland attire by Irish Nationalists and the Irish Regiments of the British Army (and odd pairing, to be sure!) at the beginning of the 20th century.

The point I was trying to make was there is very few instances of an "Irish kilt". I may be incorrect and it was more wide-spread that I'm knowledgable about.

[sharpdressedscot]

Shoot, I say go for it.

The Scots were originally from Eire, so it can work.

[macwilkin]

Shoot, I say go for it.

The Scots were originally from Eire, so it can work.

Of course they didn't wear kilts back then.

T.

[slohairt]

So I guess no one is going out barefoot in a léine, ionar, and brát?

[BoldHighlander]

...to wear kilts on St. Patty's or any other day in Ireland, then it's good enough for me


Royal Irish Regiment
http://www.army.mod.uk/royalirish/index.html
&
http://royalirishrangers.co.uk/

"The Great Irish Warpipes carried by the Royal Ulster Rifles pipers and the Brian Boru Pipes carried by the The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers pipers were abandoned in favour of the Great Highland Bagpipe, which thus became standardised throughout the British Army.

The badges of the three regiments were worn on the kilts of the regimental pipers."


St.Laurence O'Toole Pipe Band
Founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1910
http://www.slotpb.com/

excerpted from their history page:
"In 1910 a meeting was organised by the St. Laurence O'Toole Gaelic Athletic Association Club in the CBS school,Seville Place,Dublin.
The main mover in forming the band was Frank Cahill .
Frank was for many years an Alderman of Dublin Corporation,and later a member of the new Irish Parliament ( Dáil Éireann ).
Amongst those present at the meeting were Pádraig Pearse,Thomas Clarke,Sean McDermott,Arthur Griffith,Douglas Hyde ( later to become the first President of Ireland ),and the famous Irish playwright Seán O'Casey.
The first President of the band was Thomas Clarke.
The first Secretary of the band was Seán O'Casey.
Casey acted in many plays staged by the St.Laurence O'Toole Dramatic Society to raise money for the band .
Michael Colgan ( later a Senator ) was the first Pipe Major.

In 1918,the HQ of the band in Seville Place,Dublin were acquired by the band.
During the Irish War of Independence 1918-1922,the HQ was attacked by the military on numerous occasions.
Furnishings,fireplaces,etc. were ripped out and thrown out into the street.
During the Great Strike of 1913 in Dublin ( wherein the Irish Trade Union movement had its origins ) the band was set upon by mounted police in Lombard Street while leading a contingent of workers on a protest rally to Liberty Hall ( Union HQ ).
Some of the band members were injured and their instruments smashed.
The band took part at the funerals of many of the leaders of the nationalist movement of the time including Thomas Ashe,O'Donovan Rossa,Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins.....the man who is credited with winning the War of Independence and with signing the Treaty which established the then Irish Free State .

Following the War of Independence and the subsequent Civil War,the band ceased to have any political affiliations."

[Jack Daw]

So I guess no one is going out barefoot in a léine, ionar, and brát?

Naw, the sleeves will get in the HP sauce fer shur.

[macwilkin]

If I recall it was only one particular Nationalist party and not all as one may have understood your post:


The point I was trying to make was there is very few instances of an "Irish kilt". I may be incorrect and it was more wide-spread that I'm knowledgable about.

Grant,

I'm not aware of a particular party adopting the kilt, but a number of individual Irish nationalists did. Patrick Pearse, for example, adopted the kilt as a uniform for his school for boys. Eamon Ceant reportedly wore a green kilt when he played the Uilleann Pipes for the Pope. I never implied in my post that is wide-spread among the nationalist movement.

There is a great photo in White & O'Shea's The Irish Volunteer Soldier 1912-1923 (Osprey Publishing, 2003) that shows the HQ staff of the Cork Brigade, Irish Volunteers, circ 1915, and one gent is clearly dressed in a kilt with jacket & waistcoat, a bonnet and what appears to be a brat over his shoulder.

After truce & treaty, the Irish Defence Forces would adopt the kilt for pipers; today, pipers in the Irish Army & Air Corps both wear the saffron kilt.

Regards,

Todd