Contemporary rumour suggested (incorrectly) that these distinctive hussar-style uniforms, which gave the unit its nickname, had been found in a cupboard in Dublin Castle in 1932 and dated back to British rule in Ireland. The story was that, rather than throw them out, the uniforms were used to dress up the army unit escorting the legate. While however the designs of the uniforms used were based upon British garments, files in the National Archives of Ireland show that £2,165 was spent on purchasing the seventy uniforms used by the escort. The basic pattern was identical to that of the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, but the bright blue colour differed from the dark blue of British hussar regiments.