His Images of Ireland, dedicated to Sidney and his son, was written in 1578, the year he left Drogheda, and published in 1581. The woodcuts were made after he left Ireland, presumably by an English woodcutter to whom the outfits were described. The Englishmen are rendered well in these woodcuts, but less care is taken with the Irish forms. Nevertheless, these are our earliest first-hand accounts. Taking into consideration other extant examples of women s dress, we can come to some conclusions about what they are supposed to be wearing.
Women appear in two of the twelve woodcuts.
In one, kern are setting fire to a house. The Lady of the House is standing outside with her hands raised in protest. Though simplified, she wears a garment similar to the front-laced gowns in de Heere s prints. A few horizontal lines represent the lacing. She appears to have hanging sleeves with full chemise sleeves hanging down.