Irish Kilt Advice Needed

[highlander_Daz]

wear it and wear it with pride, as far as macmilans comments go, just remember that the Irish, in my experience are far from tolerant, but wearing a Saffron kilt will endear you to them no end.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

just remember that the Irish, in my experience are far from tolerant

I think you've confused a small minority of the Irish in Glasgow and Northern Ireland with the majority of the four million Irish in the Republic of Ireland. I don't know how long you've lived in Ireland, but in the more than twenty years I've lived here I've found them to be pretty darned tolerant. Perhaps you mis-spoke about Irish intolerance.

[macwilkin]

Gents, we're on strike 2. Let's keep the thread about kilts as much as possible, please.

T.

[fluter]

If you have not seen them, check out Riverkilt's pictures of his USA saffron: Saffron for the solstice. I'll agree that both colors are good, so pick what looks good on you, and what your wardrobe will match. Several members have posted pix of their Stillwater green shadows, which may give you some ideas about the bottle green.

[PiobBear]

The Irish kilt became popularized in the 1880’s by the Gaelic League and Irish patriots like Padraig Pearse, Bernard FitzPatrick, Eamonn Ceannt, Douglas Hyde, and Pierce O’Mahony. The most common and widely recognized is the solid colored saffron kilt as worn by Bernard FitzPatrick and Pierce O’Mahoney while campaigning for home rule in Parliament in the 1880’s, by Douglas Hyde at his inauguration as the first President of Ireland in 1938, and by the pipers of the Irish Defense Forces and the Royal Irish Regiment today. Self-colored kilts in dark greens, blues, and reds used to be popular with male Irish dancers, but have fallen out of fashion since Michael Flatley. While the saffron kilt is considered a form of Irish national dress, keep in mind that was a political choice by Irish nationalists for political reasons, not a historical form of ethnic Irish dress; there actually is no tradition of kilt wearing in Ireland among the general public.

I wear the saffron, but I'd like a rifle green one too someday.

[Panache]

If you are on the fence it might be helpful to email or PM Rocky and ask if you can get a swatch of each color.

Cheers

Jamie

[Celtic Cyclist]

Thank you all for your guidance. I'm definitely leaning towards the saffron. Yes, I heard that the Irish can be a 'tough crowd'.

In all my reading of Irish history, I've run across only one photograph of any one kilted. One of my books has a picture of a young Countess Markievicz, beautiful debutant turned revolutionary, seated among a kilted pipe band. There's no date given, but I think the photograph was taken well before the '16 rising.

[macwilkin]

Thank you all for your guidance. I'm definitely leaning towards the saffron. Yes, I heard that the Irish can be a 'tough crowd'.

In all my reading of Irish history, I've run across only one photograph of any one kilted. One of my books has a picture of a young Countess Markievicz, beautiful debutant turned revolutionary, seated among a kilted pipe band. There's no date given, but I think the photograph was taken well before the '16 rising.

I have seen photos of Eamonn Ceannt, The O'Mahoney and the The O'Rahilly in kilts. In addition, on page 31 of White & O'Shea's The Irish Volunteer Soldier 1913-23 there is a photo of the Cork Brigade, Irish Volunteers HQ Staff that shows a gentleman in a kilt, circa 1915.

Regards,

Todd

[turpin]

Check out some of Beloit Piper's threads about his recent semester in Ireland. I believe he actually wore pants most of the time.

[RakesOfMallow]

Here is a Newsome box pleat in saffron I received last spring. Maybe it will help persuade you.