Interesting email from an Irish fellow about Irish kilts.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

As for the kilt not being Irish national dress, it is true on the one hand that it has never been recognised by the Irish government.

This is absolutely true because the Irish Government-- in a rare moment of infinite wisdom-- twigged to the fact that the kilt isn't Irish. Just like they haven't "recognized" the ubiquitious baseball cap which is seen on street corners and on trams throughout the nation.

On the other hand, the main thrust for it's adoption as such was by the Gaelic League during it's early years, and that organisation was founded in 1893, some 19 years before there was any Irish government that could have considered the matter and rendered a decision one way or the other.

Ah yes. The Gaelic League. And let's not forget about Lady Gregory and the Celtic Dawn, either. These folks were in a distinct minority at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th century, and were generally regarded as cranks and crackpots by most of the Irish. Their espousing the wearing of the kilt had nothing to do with Irish history, and everything to do with wanting to look "Irish". Lacking any sort of distinctive native Irish dress, they borrowed the kilt from the Scots-- they could have as easily dressed in knee britches and buckle shoes-- and created the myth of "ancient celtic dress" right there on the spot.

As far as the Irish government "rendering a decision" on whether or not the kilt is "Irish"-- the Irish people are intelligent enough to not need government directives on what to wear or how to dress. I realize that government directives of this sort may be useful in some parts of the world to prevent people from wearing their underwear backwards, or some such, but in Ireland such is not the case.

They know, without need of an act of the Oireachtas, that the kilt isn't Irish.