Irish kilt pics, 1905

[macwilkin]

So do these kilts predate the Royal Irish Regiments wearing their kilts?

Good question. The London Irish Regiment's web site has this to say about saffron kilts for pipers:

When infantry regiments associated with the Irish Free State were disbanded, the War Office decided to approve Irish distinction for the serving regiments, including the approval for pipers to wear saffron kilts and caubeens.

-- http://www.londonirishrifles.com/caubeen.cfm

According to this then, saffron kilts were not approved until after 1922, when the Irish Free State came into being, although in R.G. Harris's "The Irish Regiments 1638-1999", there is a picture (taken in 1919) of HRH Edward, Prince of Wales, presenting Piper J. Fagan, D Coy., 2nd Battalion, Leinster Regiment with his 1914 Star. Fagan is wearing what appears to be a saffron kilt, although the photo is dark. There is also a famous recruiting poster from WWI that shows an Irish piper in full kit, including a saffron kilt.

Other references in Harris:

*pipers were officially added to the Irish Guards in 1916. (103)

*In 1904, a photograph of a full dress parade of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment shows pipers, but they are clad the same as the band, "without any apparent distinguishing dress features". (116)

*The Royal Iniskilling Fusiliers apparently had pipers in 1910, but they were apparently not wearing kilts.

One interesting point comes on page 137, where the Dress Regulations of 1927 discuss a uniform for the Iniskilling's piper. The regs specifically mention "ancient Gaelic costumes" and a "saffron kilt".

So, the majority of references seem to point to the First World War or after as when pipers in the Irish regiments adopted the kilt.

I also have a photo of the Headquarters Company, Cork Brigade, Irish Volunteers in 1915, and there is a gentleman that is wearing a kilt with very "Scottish" accoutrements; ie kilt jacket, bonnet, etc. In addition to Pearse, several Irish Nationalist leaders, such as The O'Rahilly, Thomas Ashe and Eamon Ceannt wore kilts. The latter, if I remember correctly, wore one when he played the uillean pipes for the Pope.

One thing that should be pointed out, though: both Pearse and his Nationalists, as well as the Irish Regiments of the British Army were attempting to create "ancient Gaelic costumes" with no real documentation of the Irish wearing the kilt. The Irish regiments borrowed heavily from the Scots in terms of kit, with modifications to create a more "Irish" appearance.

Matt Newsome wrote a very excellent article on his blog about this; alas, I can't find it right now -- Matt, help!

Cheers,

Todd