Traditional Irish Attire
History of Irish Attire
The traditional attire of Ireland has remained unchanged since the late 1300s/early 1400s, and it still survives today, albeit among a small number of enthusiasts. Many people are under the false notion that traditional Irish dress died out in the late medieval period, but this is not the case. Certainly, the heyday of Irish dress was indeed the late medieval period, a time when every Irish man, woman, and child wore traditional attire. From the early 1600s, and with the Plantations, there was a decline in its use. The most significant decline occurred during the Cromwellian period, when native garb only survived in the remotest areas, such as Connemara, but it did survive. The traditional attire of the Irish is focused around the Léine (tunic) and the Brat (cloak, mantle). These are the two iconic items in the Irish wardrobe, both for males and females.
The Léine
The iconic male Léine was nearly always of a yellow colour, very rarely white or undyed. The Léine was an ankle-length linen tunic which was then hitched up through a belt to reach knee level; by hitching the tunic up, a large, overhanging bag of material formed around the waist area. The Léine also had large, hanging, bulbous sleeves that usually reached to about the knees, but the more gallant and rich would have the sleeves reach as low as the calves. The arming hole was at the elbow or slightly below. The female Léine was mainly white but occasionally yellow, and it was always worn at full length. Young, unmarried females often wore it alone, but older, married women always wore a Gúna (dress, gown) on top. The arming hole on the female version was much lower at the wrist.
Outer clothes
Due to the large, hanging, bulbous sleeves of the Léine, any outer jacket, coat, or dress had to be adapted by cutting away the inner part of the sleeve to allow the Léine sleeves to hang unencumbered. This resulted in outer sleeves being little more than a hanging strip of cloth on the Ionar (short male jacket), Cóta Mór (a winter garment that provided greater protection from the weather), or the Gúna.
The Brat
The Brat was just as iconic as the Léine and was an item of dress both loved and loathed by the English. The Brat was a large sub-semi-circular cloak, usually made of wool, and fringed all around the edges. The straight edge was worn over the shoulders, and this area had extra thickness of fringing and longer fringing. The Brat, unlike the Léine, came in a variety of colours; in fact, any colour could be used, including stripes, basic tartans, and a variety of curly wool surfaces.
Other Attire
Many other items formed part of traditional attire, such as the Ionar (short jacket), Triúbhas (trews), the Crios (woven wool belt), the Gualachán (body wrap), the Bairéad (beret-type hat), the Bioraid (tall hat), the Lín Caol (large linen headwear, female), various types of shoes, the Cochall (hood), and much more. Apart from the colour yellow, the next most common colour was red. Records show that the survival of all these items extended well into the 1800s, apart from the Cochall, and then continued among a small number of enthusiasts down to the present day.
A Revival of Attire
The English regime in Ireland spent centuries trying to destroy all traces of traditional Irish attire. Various laws were enacted, which brought fines, confiscations, prison terms, and deportations upon the Irish, who resisted intensely. The English viewed the native attire as a fundamental object of Irish desires and did everything in their power to obliterate it. After centuries of cultural abuse from the oppressors, the Gaelic attire started to fall out of use, but was never extinguished. The Council of Irish Clans aims to revive Ireland’s almost forgotten cultural thread and to bring its full colour and glory back to the people. Various aspects of Irish culture, including language, music, dance, and poetry, have gained recognition from both the Irish Government and the general public. We believe the same should be applied to our ancient attire.
Stop with the Kilt
The kilt is not Irish and has no historical significance to Ireland. It was briefly adopted as a ‘National Garb’ by Pádraig Pearse, who openly stated that it was not authentic. This short-lived craze lasted about ten to twenty years and was mostly confined to the pupils of Pearse’s school, St Enda’s, and a handful of politicians and cultural activists. The notion of a traditional kilt is a misunderstanding of the Léine and the Cotún, which was a Gallowglass battle outfit. Therefore, there is no historical evidence to support the claim that the Irish wore the kilt. Any proud Irishman must stop wearing the false kilt if they believe in authentic Irish culture and history.
Irishmen and Irishwomen – please … stop with the kilt.
Proinsias Mag Fhionnghaile