Are Kilts an Irish Thing?
There has always been a debate over where and when did the Irish kilt originate from and whether or not the kilt is an Irish ‘thing’. Some historians say the Irish kilt came into existence back in the 16th century, however many people confuse the kilt with a long tunic. The tunic was a loose fitting gown which began at the neck and finished around the knee and was worn by men and women in Ireland for centuries. More concrete evidence would show that the Irish kilt was adopted from the Scottish highlands in and around about the 19th century. It is believed that Irish Nationalists were the first to wear the kilt in Ireland as a sign of Celtic heritage and defiance against the British Rule in Ireland at the time. The saffron kilt is the traditional kilt of Ireland. It is believed the reason for it being saffron is because the traditional dye used for the tunic was saffron and therefor was used in the kilts. The saffron dye would be extracted from the crocus flower. The kilt would then be worn by the Irish men who joined the British Army and up until this day is worn by members of the Irish Pipe Band. Major figures in Irish history also have a strong connection to the kilt. Padraig Pearse designed a kilt for all boys to wear in his school, St Enda’s, in the early 20th century. Also, it is said that Eamonn Ceannt wore a kilt while playing the uileann pipes in front of the Pope in 1908. Which is possibly the reason why Irish people wear a kilt while playing in a pipe band. So I guess it’s safe to say that kilts are certainly an Irish thing!
Do the Irish have a Tartan?
The Scottish have many different tartan colours which would represent their clan and families. However, historically Irish families mainly chose a single coloured kilt which would represent their family name. Over the last two decades an ‘The Irish National Tartan’ has been created which is green, white and orange in colour which represents the Irish tricolour. Throughout the years, Scottish kilt companies have created Irish family and county tartans to appeal to customers in Ireland, and indeed to people around the world with Irish heritage and a connection to Ireland. The tartans that have been created for the counties of Ireland are not officially recognised by the counties themselves! The strongest case for an Irish tartan would be from a piece of cloth found in a bog in County Derry in Ulster during the mid 1900’s. The bog had preserved the cloth to a certain extent and it is thought that the colours of the tartan were yellow, red and green!
Why do Men Wear Kilts?
As mentioned above in the first section, it is thought that the kilt originated from the tunic worn centuries ago. Men wore this as it was long and comfortable and was taken off at night time to be used as a blanket. Also, when it later developed into the kilt, men chose to wear a kilt made out of wool over long trousers as the wool was woven so tight that whenever it got wet it was able to dry a lot quicker.
Many men in Scotland and around the world wear the kilt to show their Scottish identity. They get to do this at big Scottish events like the Highland Games. The Highland Games are a celebration of Celtic culture and consists of traditional games such as the caber-toss and tug-of-war where men can show off their ‘manliness’ in their kilts. The games also consists of Highland dancing and piping bands and all taking part get to show off their kilts as well.
Men around the world wear kilts at other special events such as at the World Kilt Run - https://vimeo.com/172267098 - where they try break the world record each year for the most people running a race while wearing a kilt. Another example why men wear kilts would be Renaissance Fairs. These fairs are held all around the world but mainly in America. These fairs have attracted over 100,000 people in one season in certain states and cities in America. People gather at these fairs and dress up and re-enact medieval times and many men sport a kilt at the event.
Finally, men even wear kilts to work nowadays in America and Canada. The window cleaners of https://www.meninkilts.com/ have very cleverly grown their brand by the use of the kilt!
If you're interested in finding out more information on kilts for men, have a read of our blog on Reasons You Should Wear a Kilt at a Wedding!