Irish Fashion in 1600
To some people in English society in 1600, Irish people were thought to be rough, violent and without morals. This was not true, as many visitors to Ireland at that time told of exotic clothes and hairstyles, poets and musicians and complex laws and traditions.
Irish fashion in 1600
These are examples of Irish clothing in 1600. Fig. 244 are the clothes of a Lord and Lady. Fig. 245 are the clothes of a middle class man and woman, and Fig. 246 shows the clothes of Irish peasants. Do you think there is a big difference between how the rich and poor dressed in Ireland?
Irish fashion in 1600
Irish fashion in 1600
These are examples of Irish clothing in 1600. Fig. 244 are the clothes of a Lord and Lady. Fig. 245 are the clothes of a middle class man and woman, and Fig. 246 shows the clothes of Irish peasants. Do you think there is a big difference between how the rich and poor dressed in Ireland?
Fashions varied from county to county, especially in hats e.g. beaver hats with velvet and lace in Kilkenny and furred caps in Waterford.
The look at the time was long hair, large colourful jewellery and flowing clothes (a bit like hippies in the 1960s!). Unlike the English ladies who wore tight corsets and layers of underclothes, Irish women wore flowing dresses without underclothes which was seen to be outrageous by English society!
An Irish Banquet 1581
This is a picture of what a tradtional Irish banquet would have looked like in 1581. Notice how the food is being prepared on the left? What do you call the man playing the harp?
An Irish Banquet 1581
An Irish Banquet 1581
This is a picture of what a tradtional Irish banquet would have looked like in 1581. Notice how the food is being prepared on the left? What do you call the man playing the harp?
Irish Food
You might be surprised to learn that the diet of Irish people back in 1600 was actually healthier than our diet today! The variety of their diet was good e.g. pork, lean beef, milk-foods such as curds and buttermilk, mutton, griddlecakes, raw salads of watercress, cheese and sweetmeats.Although their diet was varied enough, amazingly they hardly ever ate animals or fish common to Ireland (venison, phesant, herring and salmon). This was because Irish peasants were not great hunters and also because the fishing around Ireland was being overrun by foreign fishermen.