# Irish Uniforms

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384 "2003-04-26T20:52:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384/1 "2003-04-26T20:52:07Z")

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I was watching police bagpipers on TV the other day, and it seemed to me that the uniform they wear looks more like something a Scots might wear - something from the Black Watch maybe. Is this simply common to both cultures or is there a more direct and recent reason?

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384/2 "2003-04-26T21:10:54Z")

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There would appear to be a [range of Irish tartans](http://www.men-in-kilts.com/irish-index.html) , organised by counties rather than clans, as in Scotland. According to [this site:](http://www.craftcollections.co.uk/site/sections/collections/eire/default.asp?DepartmentID=757)

> [@](#):
>
> Whilst tartan may be synonymous with Scotland, many believe that the fabric originated with the Irish Celts in the 6th/7th Centuries. The subsequent history of tartan in Ireland is obscure - although a number of tartans were in evidence in the late 19th century. The Irish County Tartans (introduced in 1996) enable those of Irish descent to wear a tartan that links them to their heritage.

It was in the 19th century that many of the Scots tartans were renewed or designed.

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**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384/3 "2003-04-27T14:04:15Z")

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Ah, yes, the so-called “Irish Kilt”. It was introduced by the English: McClintock, H. F., Old Irish and Highland Dress, and that of the Isle of Man, 1 vols., Second and Enlarged edn. (Dundalk: Dundalgan Press (W. Tempest) Ltd, 1950).

The wear of kilts (and belted plaids) among “Irish”-flavored groups is a 20th-century invention.

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**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-uniforms/171384/4 "2003-04-30T11:23:17Z")

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And it’s not done in Ireland. The only time you’ll see a kilt in Ireland is when the Scots are over here for a rugby match and they’re out on the pull the night before the match or there’s a American pipe band in our Paddy’s day parade.