Irish Brath (Sash/fly plaid)

[Dan R Porter]

SWK has solid plaids that are either 4x4 or 4x8 I was just going to improvise.

[Bart_In_A_Kilt]

Can someone post a pic of the Brath and Fly plaid modeled so us newbies will know what you're talking about?

Bart

Generally speaking, nobody in Ireland wears kilts except pipers. That being said, kilts etc. aren't proprietary to pipers; if you wish to wear a kilt in a solid color or Irish tartan, you can certainly wear the brath. It's symbolic of the mantle once worn with the leine; the ancient ethnic garb of the Irish, and would be much more "correct" with an Irish kilt than wearing it as a fly plaid. I wear one pretty much every time I wear saffron, including black tie.

If you've a fly plaid, fold it four times lengthwise, lay it flat over your shoulder, and pin it to your left breast; somewhat lower than you would a fly plaid. Traditionally braths are pinned with a Tara-style pennanular brooch, rather than a Scottish-style plaid brooch.

As a piper I frequently see folks wearing fly plaids that aren't pipers, I wouldn't view the wearing of a brath any differently, although I would immediately recognize it as Irish.

I would strongly advise against calling it a "sash". In Ireland the wearing of sashes has political implications and social consequences that you might not care for.

[triolamj]

I've posted a photo of a piper in the Royal Irish Rangers wearing the brat (pronounce brot):
http://www.xmarksthescot.com/photopl....php?n=444&w=o

For an alternative to the brat, see the "Photo Archive" for the NYPD Pipes & Drums at:
http://www.nypdpipesanddrums.com

For a wedding, I'd pass on the brat especially if you're going to wear a tartan kilt. Go with a mini-fly plaid pinned on like the NYPD pipers do but make sure you use a brooch with a small-bore pin. You could "plaid" the bride with it at the end of the ceremony.

[triolamj]

Perhaps this sort of coded sectarian comment-- referring as it does to Protestant Loyalists in Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom-- could be avoided in the future?

It's a statement of fact and being part-Irish I don't take offense. However, regarding the law of unintended consequences, "sashes" and "rosettes" are worn by ladies, and gentlemen wear "plaids", fly, mini-fly, or piper's, but not strictly a sash.

[triolamj]

Try Stillwater kilts for this. They have the material and colors, solid bottle green and solid saffron, and they make sashes for the ladies. Find a RenFest cloak pattern at Folkwear and offer to be their guinea pig. Since they sell saffron and solid green kilts this would be win-win for them. And you shouldn't have any trouble finding a Tara brooch, but don't get it confused with a Scottish pennanular. Once you find out the per-meter cost of the material, though, you may change your mind.

[macwilkin]

It's a statement of fact and being part-Irish I don't take offense. However, regarding the law of unintended consequences, "sashes" and "rosettes" are worn by ladies, and gentlemen wear "plaids", fly, mini-fly, or piper's, but not strictly a sash.

Gentlemen do wear rosettes though...I have one for the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS) that identifies me as a member. It is from Dexter Rosettes:

http://www.dexterrosettes.com/

This type of rosette is worn in the buttonhole of a suit.

Officers and NCO's of several Highland regiments also wear rosettes as kilt pins on the front apron of their kilt:

http://calgaryhighlanders.com/tradit.../kiltpanel.htm

Sashes are also worn by gentleman as fraternal regalia. The St. Andrew's Society of St. John, New Brunswick, for example, has sashes for their officers:

http://www.sassj.ca/artifacts.html (scroll down)

Sashes are also worn by Drum Majors and Officers of the Day to denote their position.

Regards,

Todd

[PiobBear]

Can someone post a pic of the Brath and Fly plaid modeled so us newbies will know what you're talking about?

Photos of the pipers of the Óglaigh na hÉireann

[beloitpiper]

Good lookin' uniform, I must say...

[Derek Conley]

Good lookin' uniform, I must say...

I agree.

[triolamj]

Photos of the pipers of the Óglaigh na hÉireann

Refer back to www.nypdpipesanddrums.com. Unless the back of their mini-fly plaids are flared out across their back, it's not a brat regardless of what they're called. Ancient brats were full blown cloaks, not capes and not plaids. They were trimmed in fur and/or feathers and woven in a wide variety of colors and patterns. The brat was pinned with a brooch over just one shoulder in order to leave the sword arm free. The Royal Irish Ranger in the Photo Gallery is wearing a traditional brat. Where the tradition of the mini-fly as a substitute for a brat got started I don't know but it's not the first time that a new tradition crept in under the tent, especially when it comes to the Irish and the kilt. A duck is a duck is a duck.