On a wild and remote Irish island in 1923, two men, Colm and Pádraic, once inseparable friends, fall out. One knows why, the other doesn’t. They barter, bicker and stare into the middle distance of the Atlantic and the bottom of their pint glasses inside the island’s single, gloomy pub. One plays the fiddle, the other doesn’t do much, except for pine after his old friend. They both wear great jumpers and coats.
Reuniting Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell and Martin McDonagh, with a great turn from Barry Keoghan, the Banshees of Inisherin is a genius Irish comedy blacker than a badly poured pint of Guinness. A hilarious and occasionally horrifying study of the male ego and Not Talking. It’s also, given the time period, location and meticulous work of the costume department, a great film for menswear. Full of heavy Donegal knits, brushed cotton point collar shirts, worsted blazers, integral collar jumpers, wide leg trousers and heavy work shoes. It turns out that far-flung Ireland is quite a well-dressed place. Early 20th century Aran Island provincial craft by way of Margaret Howell.
“The initial inspiration was the West of Ireland in the 1920s, which was still by and large an Irish language speaking area populated by fishermen and small farmers,” says Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh, the film’s costume designer, whose CV includes The Wind that Shakes the Barley, Brideshead Revisited and the Apple TV series Foundation. “Women still made homespun cloth, and what we now call the Aran sweater was also a staple. But there is a heightened realism to this film, and to the story, so I didn’t want to be a slave to the clothing of the place. All the silhouettes and forms are true, but some of the colour is heightened. We honour the red skirts and shawls worn by the women, but I brought more individualism to the men’s clothing, which at the time could have felt more uniform.”
Despite it’s inherent Irishness, McDonagh took inspiration from old American Westerns for some of the film’s theme and overarching aesthetic, including the long coats and pointed collar shirts in its wardrobe. “Martin had spoken to me about the image of the gunslinger,” says Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh. “I felt this was something that Colm, (Brendan Gleeson) could really pull off. He is an erudite character who has been influenced by the outside world. We see this in his house, which is filled with objects from around the world. There were a lot of folklorists who visited the West of Ireland at this time, to learn the language and document the oral tradition of songs and storytelling. I believe these outsiders would have been fascinated by Colm and sent him gifts on their travels. His long coat and hat should give the sense of the cowboy striding across the landscape.”
Inisherin isn’t a real place, but the film was shot on the actual island of Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands that sits at the mouth of Galway Bay, one of the original homes of the Aran jumper. To create a wardrobe that felt believable and suitably well worn, Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh pored over photos of fishermen and locals from the era, before her and her team created each item of clothing from scratch. No Howell needed.
“There was a lot of work to finish everything and give the costumes a sense of having been lived in. That was crucial. So the dyeing and ageing processes were uniquely important in this film. I tried to use Irish cloth, too. All the shirts are Irish linen. Colm’s coat was made with wool from Donegal. Siobhan’s yellow coat is an Irish wool and linen mix. The Banshee, Sheila Flitton, her costume is all Irish linen, which was dyed and the woven trim on her cloak (it looks like a braid which hangs either side of her head) is actually a 'crios' or a belt that is very traditional to the West of Ireland, and we used a lot of these for the men and women. They are usually tied around the waist.”
For a film that has the best rotation of winter knitwear that I can recall in recent memory (Knives Out had one okay Aran jumper. Come on.) there’s a parallel universe where a Banshees of Inisherin has been released with even more lambswool. Forget the Snyder Cut, give me the Jumper Cut.
“Colin, Brendan and Barry all loved the jumpers and, watching the film, I wish we had used more knitwear!” says Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh. “I love the texture that knitwear can give and also, knitwear is a form of insulation, so we recognise the harshness of the environment. I think to wear an Aran jumper these days is to appreciate craft and tradition and wear something that is classic and timeless.”
Friendships come and go. A good jumper is forever.
