The 17th century saw two separate, very complicated and very long wars that affected the entire island – the Confederate War from 1641 – 1653, which resulted in the Cromwellian Conquest beginning in 1649 – and the Jacobite or Williamite War of 1688–1691.
As a result of the Cromwellian Conquest, the entire island was brought under the control of the English Parliament. Most Catholic landowners had their lands confiscated and given to settlers from England & Scotland. The remaining Catholic landowners were displaced from the east & south of the island – areas with the best farmland – and transplanted to new, inferior farmland in Connacht.
New laws were passed – the Penal Laws – stating Catholics were not permitted to sit in the Irish Parliament, forbidden to live in most towns & from marrying Protestants.
Alongside the laws & conditions that made it difficult for Catholics to survive, “Irish” clothing was considered disorderly & uncivilized.
Propaganda from the ruling class and even from Catholic clergy pushed the idea that the only respectable way to dress was in the English fashion.
The tight trousers, long léinte or shirts, shaggy mantle cloaks & open-sleeved gowns that had been worn by people across Ireland for several generations were slowly abandoned in favour of fitted jackets with long full petticoats for women, and long close-fitting coats over long waistcoats with knee-breeches and stockings for men.
However, as most people still made their own clothes or had them made by someone in their community, the “English fashions” worn in Ireland often had some local variations – for example, a knee-length coat found in Killery, Co. Sligo was cut to fit the wearer closely, not unlike the “English” style, but with buttons from elbow to wrist to ensure a snug fit to the lower arm that could easily be rolled up while working – a detail not really seen in “English” garments from that time. This coat was found with a pair of tightly fitted tartan trousers that reached to the ankle – they even had a strap to go under the foot, to keep the entire leg & ankle covered. These trousers were very reminiscent of “trews” that Gaelic men had worn in previous centuries, showing that, in some areas at least, a hybrid style had developed.
The wealthy wore clothing imported directly from London, or made to order in Ireland from tailors who were up to date with the latest English fashions.
