County Cork tartans and Arsenal tartan

[O'Callaghan]

Under brehon law multi-coloured clothing was restricted to the chiefly class, which is probably why tartan never really caught on in pre-1600 Ireland in the same way as it did in Scotland. Thus, even though the kilt never figured in Irish history, if you are going to wear one a solid colour would at least be giving a nod to classical Irish traditions.

The Brehon law would also have limited red to chiefs or minor kings, which is another reason not to get a red kilt.

It depends what you mean by history. Kilts were worn in Ireland to some extent during the celtic revival in the late 19th and early 20th century, albeit mostly by the intellectuals of the Gaelic League and by pipers and dancers. Pipers still wear them (and bagpipes in Ireland are old enough to have been banned in the 14th century, should you choose to go there). You can choose to view the celtic revival as bogus, but solid coloured Irish kilts originated in that period, not in your suggestion on this forum today!

I keep editting this post, but I will stop! I just wanted to add that you might have argued in 1890 that there are no kilts in Irish history, had you been around, but that no longer holds water because that period itself is now part of history.