My Life with Claire Stack: Our vintage clothing always fascinates people

Claire Stack of Cobh Animation team in period costume at St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

Airport security officers might have panicked at the sight of us as we ran the security gauntlet, dressed from head to toe in historical attire.

The multiple Victorian layers were not exactly ideal for inspection. Fortunately, the staff at Cork Airport couldn’t have been nicer. Anyone familiar with the Cobh Animation Team will know that we often travel in costume. The group was founded in 2012 by Claire Cullinane, who had been my best friend since the age of 10. Her living history initiative was inspired by the Titanic 100 Commemorations in Cobh, which saw people travel to Cobh from far and wide dressed in vintage clothing. Claire had a background, both in fashion and acting, which meant she was more than qualified — and determined — to get this off the ground. The Cobh Animation Team was probably one of her proudest achievements. While everyone was devastated at Claire’s passing a decade ago, it was really important to us that her legacy lived on.

I had been on board with the group from the start and enjoyed capturing the magic with my camera.

Claire Stack of Cobh Animation team in period costume at West Row, Cobh Co Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins

One of my standout memories is travelling to Liverpool in 2015 for a centenary event commemorating the RMS Lusitania sinking. It was a miracle we even made it through security, but Claire could have charmed the birds out of the trees. You can just picture the never-ending sea of hats, coats and hairpieces that flowed through security that day. One member of the group was asked to remove her hat. However, she explained that she was unable to do so, given that there were 44 pins holding it together. She knew that if she took it off, the hairpiece would come off with it.

Our outfits sparked a lot of curiosity at airports. A trip to Belgium in 2015, which saw us dress as First World War-era nurses was no different. Our costumes all looked the same, but some were made from pillow cases while others were fashioned from Penneys T-shirts. We had the signature red capes and aprons, but there was a lot of confusion around what we were doing. One person was convinced that we were part of a hen party which at the time we found quite funny.

We have been lucky enough to meet some very well-known people over the years. Most notable was probably King Charles, who visited Cork in 2022. We had the opportunity to greet him outside the English Market in full costume.

Claire Stack of Cobh Animation team in period costume at St Colman's Cathedral, Cobh Co Cork. Picture; Larry Cummins

I got a photograph of him throwing his hands up in the air after seeing us. “Mummy would love the lace,” he exclaimed. We were joined by the Cork Coal Quay Shawlie group, which pays tribute to iconic female street traders of Cork. King Charles loved hearing about their history too. He was particularly amused by the idea that these women taped any money they took to the inside of their skirts for safekeeping.

While the reactions from people like Charles are very surreal, the feedback we get from the kids is probably the most rewarding. Children are the best in some ways. You’ll often hear them say “look at the princess” or something equally sweet. They love the magic of it all. We’ll try to make the child feel special by giving them one of our bags or umbrellas to hold. They are always so happy that you’d think they were in Disneyland. Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking that because we are dressed up, we are not approachable – this couldn’t be further from the truth. We love to talk and interact with people from the youngest person right up to the very oldest.

In terms of history, we are not just human exhibits. On the contrary, we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the past. We don’t pretend to be historians but this aspect is still important to us. It’s vital that any event we go to is fully researched in line with the period we are depicting.

I think what surprises tourists the most is that we don’t charge for what we do. They are also fascinated by the work and thought that goes into the costumes.

Sometimes we’ll have to get particular items of clothing made, but people usually put their own mark on it. They might add embroidery or lace to it. The materials could be sourced from anywhere, including charity shops. Some people might donate pieces that are close to their hearts for a number of reasons. For instance, one woman donated a handbag that belonged to her mum. It’s lovely to learn the story and history behind a piece. The people who once owned these items were part and parcel of our history and culture.

I suppose it’s important to say that we are always keen to welcome new members. At the moment we have a core group of 11 members aged from 50 upwards. The men tend to be quite shy at times, so it can be difficult to get them involved. The majority are women even though we have had couples get involved. The men tend not to favour the fancy costume as much and often prefer more basic historical attire.