Bill Grennan, all decked out for St. Patrick’s Day 2024. (And Me).
Since our Friday Night Gathering was the nearest date to St. Patrick’s Day that we’d all be together, Bill Grennan took the opportunity to come in full regalia — an Irish Green Kilt with all the accoutrements, including a matching Green Bowler! He looked terrific — a photo op waiting to happen. I was sorry I didn’t have “a kilt o’ me own” but was pleased that Tucker asked me, anyway, to pose with the Kilt Man of the Peninsula!
Though kilts are definitely part of Ireland’s culture (and anyone can wear one). there is a bit of disagreement about when they became popular. Many say the Irish first played the bagpipes, and the Scots first wore kilts. Since they are both Celtic nations, both wear kilts with pride and both remain silent on what is worn underneath. (Though I did read recently that kilt wearers are about “half and half.” Half wear underwear; half go commando. I can’t help but wonder who exactly did that survey. And how.)
Bill in his Kilkenny Kilt, 2012 — and check out those Ghillie Brogues!
While Scottish kilts can be traced back to the 1600’s, Kilt-wearing became common in Ireland during the mid-1800’s, although not long ago, an aged Irish kilt was dug up in a farmer’s field. It was traced to the year 1590. So the discussion continues. Even so, it wasn’t until the early 1900s that kilts became synonymous with Gaelic heritage.
While there are thousands of family or clan tartans in Scotland, in Ireland, there are only a few families with registered kilts, including Murphy, O’Neil, and Fitzpatrick. Kilts in Ireland are tied to a person’s county or region. There is a designated tartan for each of four Irish provinces: Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. A man from Cork would probably wear the Cork Tartan, and so forth. Bill Grennan’s people come from Kilkenny, the county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore, at the center of County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. He usually reserves his Kilkenny tartan for very special occasions.
While I can’t quite image the main drag in Long Beach becoming a woonerf, I must say that on many days in the summer, Territory Road in Oysterville comes close. And my observation is that everyone is more observant and courteous and many of our visitors really take time to enjoy the village — a pleasant change from the usual speed-through at 40 mph!
