Figure 1.--This Irish family in 1905 dresses much as a middle-class English family. Notice the one boy still wearing a pinafore.

Irish boys in the 20th century dressed much as British boys. It is very difficult to tell Ireland and Briain apart because the clothing was so similar. There were some limited differences in the early-20th century. We see the lingering custom for the first few decades when some boys still wore flannel dresses. Also we see boys more commonly going brefoot in Ireland. This was basically a reflection that Ireland was more rural and less prosperous than Britain. Of course Ireland was still part of Britain until after World War I. Irish boys at lest in the cities and towns dressed essentially like British boys of comparable economuc circumstances. In the rural areas some boys were still dressed in traditional frocks, especially in the more isolated western counties. Many Irish youths served with the British Army in France, many of whom had bever before been far from their home. The Easter Rebellion in 1916 began the struggle for independemce. We have little information about clothing trends in the inter-war period. While the World War ended in 1918, the IRA led by Michael Collins led a violent struggle for Independence and the English responded in kibnd with the Black and Tans. Britain finally granted indeoendence to the Irish Free State. Despite the animosity toward England, Irish boys continued to dress in almost ientical fashions that English boys wore. Fran McCord's autobiographical book, Angela's Ashes, has some excellent descriptions in the book on clothes worn in the 1940s by poor Irish boys. I would think that the descriptions would apply to any poor household in those days. HBC has not yet, however, been able to review the book. Both the ordinary everyday clothes worn by Irish boys and their school uniforms have generally followed British school uniform fashions. Boys wore short pants and knee socks through the 1950s. One HBC contributor tells me that through the age of 12 he wore worsted flannel short pants to school and in the summer time "I wore beige cotton shorts which had legs that almost touched my knees". It was some time around the late 1960's that one Irish contributor tells me that he remembers reading an article in the Irish Independent, an national Irish paper, reporting on a childrens' fashions, stating that for 1969 mini-shorts were in for boys. It was almost from that point onwards that Irish boys began wearing shorter shorts. While boys, especially younger boys, began wearing shorter shorts, many older boys in the 1960s began wearing jeans and other long pants.

Early-20th Century (1900-1918)

Irish clothing trends in the early-20th century followed trends in the late-19th century until World War I. Unfortunately our photographic archive which allows us to follow trends is still very limited. The images we have found look a great deal like rural Britain, espcially Wales. Irish boys at lest in the cities and towns dressed essentially like British boys of comparable economic circumstances. Boys from well-to-to city and town families just like boys in England. We do not see significant differences. We see ordinary working-class boys commonly weaing knee pants or cut-down long pant and long pants, commonly going barefoot. The clothing was often heavily patched. In the rural areas some boys were still dressed in traditional frocks, especially in the more isolated western counties. Nany Irish youths served with the British Army in France, many of whom had never before been far from their home. The Easter Rebellion in 1916 began the modern struggle for independemce. This did not affect, however, the pervasive influence of British influences like fashion. Hopefully our Irish readers will provide more information.

Inter-War and War Years (1919-45)

We have little information about clothing trends in the inter-war period. While the World War ended in 1918, the IRA led by Michael Collins led a violent struggle for Independence and the English responded in kibnd with the Black and Tans. Britain finally granted indeoendence to the Irish Free State. Despite the animosity toward England, Irish boys continued to dress in almost ientical fashions that English boys wore. Fran McCord's autobiographical book, Angela's Ashes, has some excellent descriptions in the book on clothes worn in the 1940s by poor Irish boys. I would think that the descriptions would apply to any poor household in those days. HBC has not yet, however, been able to review the book.

Post-War Ireland (1945-69)

Both the ordinary everyday clothes worn by Irish boys and their school uniforms have generally followed British school uniform fashionsd. Boys wore short pants and knee socks through the 1950s. One HBC contributor tells me that through the age of 12 he wore worsted flannel short pants to school and in the summer time "I wore beige cotton shorts which had legs that almost touched my knees". It was some time around the late 1960's that one Irish contributor tells me that he remembers reading an article in the Irish Independent, an national Irish paper, reporting on a childrens' fashions, stating that for 1969 mini-shorts were in for boys. It was almost from that point onwards that Irish boys began wearing shorter shorts. While boys, especially younger boys, began wearing shorter shorts, many older boys in the 1960s began wearing jeans and other long pants.

Figure 3.--This 1966 picture shows that the older Irish boys mostly wearing jeans and other long pants. Two boyscare still wearing short pants, one with school kneesocks.

Regulations at Irish schools varied widely. Many schools required uniforms, but not all schools specified the type of trousers boys had to wear. Some schools instituting uniform regulations requiring boys to wear shorts, but many schools let the parents decide. Some traditional schools still required shorts through the 1980s. One Irish secondary school even required kilts until the early 1990s. School uniforms are still commonly worn--but now mostly with long pants.

In the 1940's and 1950's it was common for boys to wear short trousers right up to age 14 at least. They were worn not just to school but all of the time. One Irish contributor tells me that that there were two boys in his third year secondary class at age 15 who were still wearing short trousers. Some schools had special uniforms but in many cases "ordinary" clothes were worn to school. Unlike today's more affluebnt times, most boys in the 1940s and 50s had only two basic sets of clothes: A set for school and and play, and a "Sunday Best" suit which was worn only on Sundays and, possibly, other special occasions. Any playacting in these Sunday suits was strictly discouraged in order to preserve them. Every boy got a new suit when he made his Confirmation, usually around 11/12 years of age. This suit became the "Sunday Best" and, because it was worn carefully, it lasted longer than others. The new suit was usually a couple of sizes too big (particularly the shorts) so you would grow into it. So, at 13/14, you were still going to Mass on Sundays in the same suit that your were confirmed in 2 years previously. By this time, however, the boy had grown several inches taller and the short trousers began to feel quite small.

Figure 4.--This picture also taken in 1966 shows boys on a school outing in both short pants and knee socks as well as long pants--includingjeans.

One contributor reports that at age 13 and a half, he was still wearing shorts. He says, "I recall walking/running to Church on Sundays in my Confirmation "Sunday Best" suit which consisted of a light brown jacket with similarly coloured short trousers and fawn knee stockings. At this stage the shorts felt much smaller than when I was 12 and I was becoming somewhat self-conscious about seeing so much of my leg--it made me feel like a little boy. On sitting down in the seat, increasingly I found that my legs were feeling excruciatingly itchy from the woollen stockings and the only way to get relief was to roll them down. This, of course meant that more of my legs were exposed so it was a catch-22 situation. I couldn't understand why the itchyness was suddenly there. Funny thing, though, I don't ever recall even once asking my parents for "longs". I just accepted that wearing shorts was the norm and that my time would eventually come, which it did just before my 14th birthday. However, like many boys who got their first "longs" it didn't signal the end of wearing shorts altogether. For the next few months I alternated between longs and shorts until the shorts were just too little for me to wear anymore." -- Mark

Late 20th Century (1970-99)

One conntributor remembers in the 1970s wearing short pants to primary school. His biggest memory is of cold knees in the winter. It was still quite common for Irish mothers to put their sons in short pants until early teens. Long pants except for school were common in the winter. One HBC contributor says he would wear on the non-school days, but shorts all the time in the summer. It was quite progressive in Dublin, as soon as he began secondary school he only wore short pants in the summer, but the countryside was a bit more conservative. The first time he saw his cousin in long pants he was 15 years old!

It was some time around 1988 that the longer "Bermuda" shorts were introduced and were worn by most young boys. Soccer football shorts did not immediately follow the longer fashion trend, but did begin to appear in the longer lkength in 1992. It was around that time that the clubs started introducing shorts that dangled just above the kneecaps. The Irish have their own brand of football and it is administered by a body called the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is an organisation that is opposed to commercial Soccer and when soccer players wore short shorts GAA members wore long shorts. Now that soccer players wear long shorts GAA players wear shorter football shorts. This shorter style has continued to be popular in the 1990s.

Sources

Dunn, Waldo Hilary. James Anthony Frounde: A Biography (1818-1856) (Ocfotd University Press: Oxford, 1961).