Home > Warderobe Accounts > Irish Bard's Leine and Ionar > Conclusion

Conclusion:

Some may say that the woodcuts were inaccurately created by the engraver, or inacurately remembered by Derricke himself, and either case may be true. We were not out to research and prove historical facts, we wanted to create an historical garment for Liam to wear. I will leave the finer points of research to those better at it than I.

While we wanted to be historical in some things, we also wanted to explore making an Irish garment that was different than the rest. Yet it may have answered some of those nagging questions, like how do you wear 30 ells of linen if it isn't in the sleeves? Our garment apparantly used about 18.75 ells³, if my math is right (10 yards long, 60" wide), most of it in the skirting. I am not sure how 30 ells would be done, because this garment was heavy enough as it was. However, Liam reports that for its weight, it is actually a comfortable garment, although better suited to California's colder weather, perhaps like Ireland would have been in the 16th century.

For our purposes of recreating a garment for my friend, based on the woodcut itself, I think we did a job well done. This was an enjoyable exercise in design and construction, which freed me to the possibilities of costume creation from line drawings. While I would make it a little differently the next time, with a better internal structure for the wool & extensive linen pleats, I think we came close to the original woodcut images.

And I believe the best test of a garment is time. Liam's outfit is still in good condition a few years later. The third photo was taken in November of 2002, and last I heard, is still going strong.

After Creation Notes:

• The first two photos of Liam does not show the clasp, as that was not purchased and sewn on until later that weekend. So the fit of the jacket in the back is not as nice, until the clasp was in place. That fitted the front, and pushed the pleats of the ionar into position.
• The plaid trews were created by Liam.
• Liam requested that the leine sleeves be shorter than it appears in the woodcuts, so we cut them to hang at his elbow. However, after wearing the leine for some years, he suggests the leine sleeves should be made to hang at the wrist, as is shown in the woodcuts.

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Bibliography and Internet Sources:

1. Dunlevy, Mairead: Dress in Ireland, 1989 Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-8419-1269-8
2. McClintock, H.F.: Old Irish & Highland Dress, and that of the Isle of Man, 1950 Dundalgan Press Ltd.
3. Reconstructing History, http://www.reconstructinghistory.com. Especially under the Irish subsection.
4. The Image of Irelande, by John Derrick (London, 1581) - Plates. http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk/about/bgallery/Gallery/researchcoll/ireland.html.
   This is a new site, that I didn't have access to when creating the garments. However, several of the plates here were reproduced in the two books mentioned above, including the ones I show in the woodcuts page.

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