I have long heen fascinated by the curious helmet worn by Irish "Warriors" in Durer's famous print, drawn 1521 (at right). I had dismissed it as artistic licence as I doubted that Durer had actually seen Irish troops.

It looks even more bizarre in colour (reproduced by David Sque in the excellent recent Opsrey THE IRISH WARS by Ian Heath). Can anyone confirm an original for this pattern?

My initial preference was that it is a fancified version of a burgeonet, similar to those seen on English Horse in Derricke's IMAGES OF IRELAND. (and to prove that even with all the sources artists can still be fanciful, I will stick my neck out and suggest that David's version of this (plate F3) looks more late Roman/Byzantine than Late C16th.)

However, 152()'s is fairly early for popular use of Burgeonets by Infantry. - I doubt the Irish would have been that Fashion Conscious!

Perhaps a closer example would be the 'Casquetel' burgeonet from about 1505-1510. This has a fairly long but plain peak and has been claimed for Infantry use. It has a stud holding on the peak.

However, looking again, I wonder whether the stud, combined with the fact that there appears to be a join round the top of the helmet, is more indicative of a helmet with a BEVOR (i.e. the front of the Durer helmet falls forward to rest on the neck, leaving the eyes clear but offering some protection to neck, chin and nose.)

There are German Helmets of a slightly earlier period with small 'lobster' or articulated neck guards and some late C15th Sallets with similar.

I confess no expert knowledge on C16th armour and would be happy to be shot down in flames. I take the opportunity ro use the space to muse, and blatantly plug our new C16th Irish range and the Osprey book.