"Speaking of Irish... Shield designs for Medieval Irish?" Topic

I am painting an Anglo-Irish or Medieval Irish army for a friend for Historicon.
The Galloglaich are easy. No shields!
But, what about the shielded cavalry? What sort of designs were favored?
I am not talking about Irish heraldry. I am more interested in the cavalry that looked like barefoot Goths or "normal" barbarian Dark Ages cavalry.

It's almost traditional to do elaborate Celtic knots, with the occasional harp. A Guinness logo might be nice, though.

John;
His MJS-ness beat me to it…

That being said, a Yuengling logo wouldn't be too bad, either.

And a banner that says "Semper in faecibus summus sed solum profundum variat", which I'll let you know I've shamelessly stolen from Issue 316 of Wargames Illustrated.

Eric

I've not done Irish but have faced the same question with Welsh and Scots. I keep them very simple. Oiled leather or plain wood, or block colors. On a very few of the figures I may make a simplified equilateral Celtic cross; a boat; a raven or wolf or something on that order. For those, I look at manuscript illuminations and simplify those greatly.

Irish and Welsh and to a lesser degree the Scots relied on low profiles, swift movement and surprise. I think their appearances would be subdued, homespun and practical.

It is largely guesswork.

I am pretty certain wargamers worry a lot more about this sort of thing than the generally illiterate and impoverished dwellers in stone walled , dirt floor, peat burning cottages ever did.

Indeed but this is about medieval Ireland when the Irish were as literate and wealthy as most of their counterparts. Not quite the treasure house of learning it had been before the Vikings but still in the game.

As has been said oiled leather and block colours are good. Knot work on the leather is possible. Islemen are recorded as having red shields.

A scholarly lad in Slingshot thought that elaborate decorating of shields was frowned upon as they tended to be destroyed in combat thus breaching the nemed nature of craftmanship. Not sure if I buy that but he made a good case.

Its possible too that the sumptary laws would have applied to shield colours.

I still think wargamers worry more about it than..etc

Yes well that's part of the hobby and the market TMP serves.

If someone asks about the British Army uniform in the Boer War we don't often see replies about the slums soldiers came from or TB and Rickets and malnourishment.

Its not that people don't care rather it does not answer the question posed.

I think I'll use bunnies rampant!