Irish Saffron Kilt

[figheadair]

Peter, I understand & agree with your assesment that the first illustration was an "inaccurate, over romanticised representations of Irish Dress", but I'm curious why you consider the above woodcut to also be inaccurate & over romanticised?
Is it because John Derricke was English?
(I'm just curious.)

From Ospery Publishings "The Irish wars 1485-1603" (Man-At-Arms Series #256) by Ian Heath a brief history/description of the woodcuts:
"The best depictions of Irish warfare in the Tudor period are the series of 12 woodcuts to be found in 'Derricke's The Image of Ireland', published in 1581 but portraying events during Sir Henry Sidney's second viceroyalty, 1575-78 --probably his itinerary round Ireland from October 1575 to April 1576."

From what I read a few years ago from varied historical sources, there is speculation that Derricke was a retainer to Sir Henry Sidney & was an eyewitness to the events in Ireland during this period.

In a correspondence I had with Brian Donovan CEO, Eneclann Ltd./Archive CD Books Ireland, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) back in March 2007 regarding these woodcuts, he said:
"There has been much debate in Ireland about Derricke's wood cuts. They are extremely valuable works, but have been sometimes taken out of context. Derricke's main interest was to record what Ireland was like in the context of Sir Henry Sidney (the Lord Deputy of Ireland) and his very military campaign against Gaelic rebels.
So most of his wood cuts show military activity, and Sidney being hailed as the saviour of the country in Dublin, by throngs of adoring public. The truth is that Sidney's regime was very unpopular in Ireland, even among the Anglo-Irish (or descendents of the Anglo-Norman settlers)."

However, by the same token these same historians see the artwork (woodcuts) of the Irish in Derricke's book as "fascinating" / "historically accurate" /& "the best example of Irish warfare from the Tudor period".

Terry,

I'd be the first to admid that this is not my area expertise but there's something about the woodcut that didn't ring true to me and the infomation that you supplied supports my gut feeling.

Are we to assume therefore that the woodcut is supposed to depict Sir Henry? That being the case he'll be the chap in the centre. The one on his left is probably/possibly his squire, and therefore possibly also English and dressed as such, which leaves the chap coming out of the woods whom one supposes represents the Irish. He looks to be wearing some sort of doublet with trews and shoes but whether that's styalised or accurate is anyone's guess.

The reference to "the best example of Irish warfare from the Tudor period" that you mention is not qualified and could easily refer to the weapons and the mix of horse and foot soldiers.

I remain unconvinced that this offers much in the way of defininitive comment on the native dress.