In this Irish-language article, JM Synge's writings about the west Kerry Gaeltacht (including the Great Blasket Island) are examined for their value as ethnography. The author argues that Synge had an 'ethnographic eye' and was very observant regarding the material detail of people's lives: he was also perceptive regarding social organisation, while his keen visual sense provides information that would be otherwise hard to access. The second part of the paper concerns changes in the dress traditions of the community during the period in which it was visited by Synge. While it is clear that modernisation of dress was well under way in west Kerry at this time, there were also traditional elements in the dress system which are worth noting, with Synge's observation of 'blue cloaks' a particularly fascinating one for this time and place.