The Irish Apron

The typical Irish apron was worn by housewives up until the 1970s and was of a very practical apron design. One tie pulls through a slot on one side and then ties in the back, so whatever you wore underneath remained protected, even the back!

In our homes, mums, grannies, and young women were rarely seen without an apron. They had maybe one or two dresses and had to save them for church and important occasions. They would wear them for the whole week, then wash them and had a clean one for whenever a visitor was coming to the house.

 

Many of our members have fond memories of the apron worn in their homes and the versatile way it was used. It held hot pots and pans taken from the fire or oven; eggs were collected and packed in the apron pocket as were clothes pegs for hanging out the washing. Sods of turf, kindling wood or ‘cipíní,’ and vegetables from the garden made it into the house by way of the apron lap.

It wiped many a perspiring brow at hay-making time or when they were bent over the open fire or oven, cooking for the family or for the men at work in the fields. A quick dusting with the corner of the apron could be done before company could get to the door. It wiped tears, noses and dirty faces of children and it had a pocket.

One member said this pocket held various treasures known only to her mother and the children loved to know its secrets. It often held little surprises like a boiled sweet or pieces of fruit, or a penny and practical found items like a piece of hair ribbon or clips and slides, perhaps matches or a cigarette, safety pins and maybe a key to the cupboard and all sorts of other things.

 

Aprons have always had their place in the home right up to our own times today. Go into any homeware retail outlet and you will find a huge array of beautifully designed, fashionable aprons in a wide variety of styles, materials, and designs. So, despite technological advances and shifting cultural norms, the apron continues to hold a special place in many households as symbols of tradition, creativity, and domestic pride.