Irish warriors and poor men by Albrecht Dürer -1521
Painting depicting 2 gallowglass and 3 kerns. There is no evidence that Dürer ever went to Ireland, so this painting may be based on second-hand information. It is nevertheless a nice portrayal of some elements of 16th century Irish dress. The gallowglass on the left side of the painting wears a cotún, a type of quilted cloth armor. His square-toed shoes are probably English or continental fashion, not Irish. The kern in the center of the painting is wearing a brat (Irish mantle) that is probably trimmed with pile-woven wool. His shoes have the pointed toes and high backs that were common in historic Irish bróga. The 2 kerns to his left are both wearing a short jacket called an ionar. All 3 of the kerns have glib haircuts. The gallowglass and 2 of the kerns have a style of mustache called a crommeal. Both glibs and the crommeal were banned by the British crown in the 16th century as part of British colonialist efforts to eliminate Irish Gaelic culture.
