This is the place for you to learn about the styles of the old and new Irish traditional clothing. I'll start you off at the findings buried in the bogs and bring you up to modern Irish wool sweaters. Somewhere in between I will eventually cover Irish family tartans, Irish caps, Celtic costumes, Irish walking capes and more.
There is not a lot written about Irish traditional clothing. Much of what I've found on the subject was written in the 19th century. Although there was a Welshman in the twelfth century named Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) that wrote about Irish dress at that time.
(Update. I've found another excellent book on Irish traditional clothing. If you are lucky you might find it at your local library. It is kind of a rare book even though it was written in 1989. The book is called "Dress in Ireland a History" by Mairead Dunlevy. This is an excellent resource.)
Fashions From The BogSome really cool items have been found in the bogs of Ireland. These items were usually discovered while cutting peat for the fire. They are usually well preserved and make a good window to the past. In 1824 a male body wearing woolen clothing was found in a bog near Sligo. The body was buried six feet down. It was in preserved in perfect condition. It doesn't say in my research what the age of the body was, but from what I found, I think it might be from the Twelfth century.
His clothing consisted of trews a type of trousers in a plaid pattern, loose at the top and close fitting at the leg and ankle.
He also wore a léine (LAY-nah) a type of tunic of soft cloth gored and gusseted extending to the knee. The bottom of the léine when spread out was a full eight feet in circumference. The sleeves were tight to the elbow where they opened up and became very loose fitting.
Over everything was an Irish mantle. It was made of brown soft wool cloth. When laid out flat it was nine feet long. It was cut straight across at the top. At the bottom it was cut in a segment of a circle. Cloaks like this were of such great value at the time this man lived; they were often used to pay tribute to kings. The colors of these cloaks were at one time regulated by brehon law. One color for slaves and servants, two for soldiers and farmers, three for goodly heroes or young lords, four for freeman, five for a chieftain, six for a judge or bard, and seven was for kings and queens.
In 1843 a woman's dress was found buried in a bog near Shinrone, Co. Tipperary. It was believed to be from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It was very well preserved. It was made of a brown woolen cloth. It consisted of a bodice with a long waist that opened in the front. Attached to the bodice was a full plaited skirt. It had 23 gored breadths gathered into small plaits at the top and spread out to wide quilling at the bottom. The bottom of the skirt measured twenty-two feet in circumference with ninety-two plaits in all. It shows the high skill of the tailors of that period.
In 1931 a gown was discovered in a bog near Moy, Co. Clare. This one was believed to be from he fifteenth century. It was made of coarsely woven wool twill. It had a low rounded neckline. Tight sleeves buttoned up to the underarms. The bodice buttoned in the front center. The skirt had a centered double gore in back and on both sides. The front of the skirt was missing. It was deteriorated too much to know if it was full length or calf length. Irish traditional clothing of this period was pretty much the same for both men and women. Both sexes wore this type of gown.
This gown again shows the improvement of the Irish tailors from the previous centuries.
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There is not a lot written about Irish traditional clothing. Much of what I've found on the subject was written in the 19th century. Although there was a Welshman in the twelfth century named Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald of Wales) that wrote about Irish dress at that time.
(Update. I've found another excellent book on Irish traditional clothing. If you are lucky you might find it at your local library. It is kind of a rare book even though it was written in 1989. The book is called "Dress in Ireland a History" by Mairead Dunlevy. This is an excellent resource.)
Fashions From The BogSome really cool items have been found in the bogs of Ireland. These items were usually discovered while cutting peat for the fire. They are usually well preserved and make a good window to the past. In 1824 a male body wearing woolen clothing was found in a bog near Sligo. The body was buried six feet down. It was in preserved in perfect condition. It doesn't say in my research what the age of the body was, but from what I found, I think it might be from the Twelfth century.
His clothing consisted of trews a type of trousers in a plaid pattern, loose at the top and close fitting at the leg and ankle.
He also wore a léine (LAY-nah) a type of tunic of soft cloth gored and gusseted extending to the knee. The bottom of the léine when spread out was a full eight feet in circumference. The sleeves were tight to the elbow where they opened up and became very loose fitting.
Over everything was an Irish mantle. It was made of brown soft wool cloth. When laid out flat it was nine feet long. It was cut straight across at the top. At the bottom it was cut in a segment of a circle. Cloaks like this were of such great value at the time this man lived; they were often used to pay tribute to kings. The colors of these cloaks were at one time regulated by brehon law. One color for slaves and servants, two for soldiers and farmers, three for goodly heroes or young lords, four for freeman, five for a chieftain, six for a judge or bard, and seven was for kings and queens.
In 1843 a woman's dress was found buried in a bog near Shinrone, Co. Tipperary. It was believed to be from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It was very well preserved. It was made of a brown woolen cloth. It consisted of a bodice with a long waist that opened in the front. Attached to the bodice was a full plaited skirt. It had 23 gored breadths gathered into small plaits at the top and spread out to wide quilling at the bottom. The bottom of the skirt measured twenty-two feet in circumference with ninety-two plaits in all. It shows the high skill of the tailors of that period.
In 1931 a gown was discovered in a bog near Moy, Co. Clare. This one was believed to be from he fifteenth century. It was made of coarsely woven wool twill. It had a low rounded neckline. Tight sleeves buttoned up to the underarms. The bodice buttoned in the front center. The skirt had a centered double gore in back and on both sides. The front of the skirt was missing. It was deteriorated too much to know if it was full length or calf length. Irish traditional clothing of this period was pretty much the same for both men and women. Both sexes wore this type of gown.
This gown again shows the improvement of the Irish tailors from the previous centuries.
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