Costume and Irish Identity in Ireland (part 1): The Birth of the Irish Free State

On Easter Monday, 1916, a green, white and orange flag was raised above the General Post Office in the heart of Dublin City and this symbolic act became a defining moment on the road to Irish Independence. For the men and women who stood tall that day, it was an act of defiance against the British and an attempt to create a distinct Irish identity.

Ireland would eventually win her independence with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921, creating the Irish Free State. However, not long after, six Ulster counties wishing to remain subjects of the British Empire were allowed to withdraw, forming Northern Ireland. Many people wanted to see a united Ireland and this made them angry. A bitter civil war ensued in 1922 between those who supported the treaty and would accept the loss of Northern Ireland and those who were against. In the end, the pro-treaty side won and Ireland remains partitioned to this day.

At this point you are maybe wondering what any of this has to do with Irish dance costume. And to answer this, I will ask this question - do you know where your costume came from? Better yet, why do we wear a costume at all? It’s no easy answer and in order to properly understand the issue, we'll have to come back to this idea of national identity.

Today, we may take for granted that we are Irish, but less than a century ago, that idea was a very important one and it impacted almost everything you did, for example, where you lived, what kinds of jobs you could do, and where you went to school. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, it effectively put an end to more than 800 years of foreign rule and oppression. Symbols like the tri-color flag became incredibly important in what was called ‘de-anglicizing Ireland’ or removing what was seen as British in Irish society. Irish people wanted to remember Ireland BEFORE it was invaded by the English in the 12th century and so they sought to create a new Irish identity based on their Celtic past. And that is how the idea of ‘Celtic Costume’ was first introduced. Years later, this 'Celtic Costume' would become the foundation of the costume Irish dancers are wearing today.

Next week...Part 2: The Celtic Revival in Ireland

The General Post Office in Dublin, 1916

The General Post Office today, Irish Flag flying above

Three young women wearing 'Celtic Costume'