Irish Tartans


Figure 1.--The kilts worn by Irish dancers have little similarity to the kilts worn by the Gaelic people of Ireland. Note the shawl worn over the shoulder. Most boys involved with Irish dancng had solid-colored, not plid kilts like Scottish dancers.

Tatans are normally associated with Scotland. We note that boys who do Irish dancing normally wore solid kilts, although a few boys wore tartans. (Girls ding Irish dance never wear tartan.) There are in fact Irish tartans. Unlike Scotland where there are family tartans, Irish tartans are more commonly county and district tartans. Experts report that the Irish tartans are thortically inspired by each individual County with soft warm colours. There are also a few Irish family tatterns. It is difficult at this time to dertermin when Irish tartans first appeared. We do know that the Celts had a well developed weaving technology. This continued even when the Celts were pushed to the fringes of Europe, places like Scotlands, Wales, and Ireland. The oldest known Irish tartans were discovered in an Irish peat bog during the 1960s. Textiles do not preserve well in the wet Irish climate. Thus few textiles survive from the medieval era. An exception is textiles preserved in bog remains. The earliest is known as the "Ulster District Tartan" which may date the early to mid 1600s. Some believe that it may have been worn by the O’Cahans of Antrim. A reconstruction of this tartan in displayed in the Ulster Museum in Belfast. Despite the stong asssocition of tartans with Scotland, some experts believe that in the late middle ages, ‘tartans’ or ‘proto-tartans’ appeared in Ireland before Scotland. The Irish belted plaid (an early kilt-like garment) was a solid saffron-yellow garment accoring to most historians. This is why saffron kilts are often worn by Irish pipe bands and Itish dancers. The ancient Celts had no written language, but descriptions of their clothing exist from the writtn records of the people they came into contact with, epecially he Greeks and Romans. There are in modern Ireland very few Irish family tartans. This contrasts sharply with Scotland where there are hundreds of established family patterns. As a result, most Irish people who wear tartan clothing, commonly wear the tartan of the Irish county with which they are associated. A few of these Irish family tartans are believed to be of of ancient origin. Many others are of modern origins. Here it is difficult to determin just when many tartans originated. The earliest study assessing Irish along with the better studied Scottish tartans was published in 1880.

Scottish Tartans

Tartans are normally associated with Scotland.

Modern Irish Dance

We note that boys who do Irish dancing normally wore solid kilts, although a few boys wore tartans. (Girls ding Irish dance never wear tartan.) There are in fact Irish tartans. Even boys today wearing kilts less and mor commonly plain black trousers.

District or County Tartans

Unlike Scotland where there are family tartans, Irish tartans are more commonly county and district tartans. There are also a few Irish family tatterns. It is difficult at this time to dertermin when Irish tartans first appeared. One observer has identified 43 Irish tartans. There is even a new national tartan.

Family Patterns

Some ofthefew family patterns include: Bowling, Brooke, Doyle, Keirnan, Lynch, O'Brien, O'Farrell, O'Keefe, and O'Neill.

Colors

Experts report that the Irish tartans are thortically inspired by each individual County with soft warm colours. They tend to be quite destinct from the often brightly colored Scottish tartans.

Historic Origins

We do know that the Celts had a well developed weaving technology. This continued even when the Celts were pushed to the fringes of Europe, places like Scotlands, Wales and Ireland.

Archeological evidence

The oldest known Irish tartans were discovered in an Irish peat bog during the 1960s. Textiles do not preserve well in the wet Irish climate. Thus few textiles survive from the medieval era. An exception is textiles preserved in bog remains. The earliest is known as the "Ulster District Tartan" which may date the early to mid 1600s. Some believe that it may have been worn by the O’Cahans of Antrim. A reconstruction of this tartan in displayed in the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

Written records

Despite the stong assocition of tartans with Scotland, some experts believe that in the late middle ages, ‘tartans’ or ‘proto-tartans’ appeared in Ireland before Scotland. The Irish belted plaid (an early kilt-like garment) was a solid saffron-yellow garment accoring to most historians. This is why saffron kilts are often worn by Irish pipe bands and Itish dancers. There are in modern Ireland very few Irish family tartans. This contrasts sharply with Scotland where there are hundreds of established family patterns. As a result, most Irish people who wear tartan clothing, commonly wear the tartan of the Irish county with which they are associated.

Chronology

Afew of these Irish family tartans are believed to be of of ancient origin. Many others are of more modern origins. Here it is difficult to determin just when many tartans originated. The earliest study assessing Irish along with the better studied Scottish tartans was published in 1880. [Clan Originaux]

Sources

Clan Originaux (J. Claude Fres et Cie.: Paris, France, 1880).






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Created: April 18, 2003
Last updated: 4:00 AM 7/24/2009