Irish
County Down Tartans & Clan
Who Wears County Down Tartan? - Associated Names
First of all to explain why there are so many tartans, way over 2000 in fact. There are an awful lot of Scottish clans to start with and on top of this each clan can have many different tartans and names associated with it.
- Audley
- Campbell
- Colgan
- Comerford
- Coppinger
- Cowley
- Delvany
- Fitzsimon
- Gilmore
- Hanvey
- Jordan
- Kinel
- Lawlor
- Lowry
- Lynch
- McCartan
- McGuinness
- McRory
- Macken
- Mahon
- Mandeville
- Murray
- Murtell
- O'Kelly
- O'Loughnan
- O'Moore
- O'Moran
- O'Rogan
- Riddell
- Rooney
- Russell
- Savage
- Smyth
- Staunton
- Whyte
County Down Tartans
1 variationsEach tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
- Ancient
- Modern
- Weathered
- Hunting
- One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if
Ancient Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans, mossy greens and sky blues, a more orangey red and some would say showing off the pattern to much greater effect as as the contrasts are much brighter than the Modern tartans. The pattern or sett remains the same across all variations of a single tartan, and only the shades or tones vary.
Helpful Advice
Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Modern Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer colours typical of the Ancient tartans. Post 1860 chemical dyes replaced the natural animal and vegetable dyes and the Modern Tartans were born with their stronger and bolder colours. The soft greens and blues become bottle green and navy blue, reds are scarlet.
Helpful Advice
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
Weathered Tartan
Before 1860 fabrics were coloured using animal and vegetable dyes. This produced the softer, more earthy colours typical of the Weathered tartans, reminiscent of bolder colours subjected to wind, rain and sunshine producing beautiful faded tones, olive greens and browns, and very light blues with reds that are more pink than red.
Helpful Advice
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
Hunting Tartan
The Hunting Tartans are the camouflage tartans and some clans don't have these variations because they are already predominantly green or brown and don't need amendment to blend in with nature's colours. The Black Watch or Gunn tartans are examples of these, whereas a tartan such as the Fraser is predominantly red and would not provide much cover for men out hunting.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if Tartan
The Dress Tartans were designed as the name suggests for celebrations and highland dance. The sett or pattern of the tartan remains the same and the main colour is changed to white, or extra white is added to the pattern to give it a brighter, more "fancy" appearance. The Scots do like to bend the rules and occasionally instead of white thread, yellow is used and this is where the rather wild MacLeod Dress Modern and Barclay Dress Modern came from.
Helpful Advice
One thing to remember if you are ordering your tartan to match an existing kilt or accessory is that although the sett and colours are the same, there can be a slight difference in colour from one mill to the next. This is purely down to yarn dying so if you need an exact match we suggest you order a swatch to double check.
From the Start
County Down Clan Origins & History
Explore the History
How it all started
County Down is found on the east coast of Northern Ireland bordering the Irish Sea. It was anciently home to the Voluntii tribe and during the early Middle Ages when it formed a large part of the kingdom of Ulaid which was occupied by the Picts. The county's town, Downpatrick, is one of the most ancient towns in the whole of Ireland with evidence of human settlements from the Neolithic and Bronze Age and St. Patrick is also believed to have been buried in the grounds of the cathedral in 461 AD. The county was the site of the Battle of Down in 1260 which was fought between Brian O'Neill the King of Tyroneagainst the Normans in hope for Irish Independence, but resulted in Irish defeat.
What's in the plaid?
The County Down plaid is mainly brown and orange with slight grey and blue accents running throughout.
Slieve Donard
Slieve Donard is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland and lies in the Mourne Mountain range which overlooks the town of Newcastle. The area is steeped in ancient history with the cairns at the summit believed to have been from the Mesolithic period, as well as the 'Great Cairn' found on the south side of the summit which is Irelands highest passage tomb. The steep is named after St. Donard who was known to be a disciple of St. Patrick and pilgrimages have been made to the mountain top ever since! The might peaks of the Mournes is one of the most beautiful corners of Northern Ireland and offers extraordinary scenery, especially from the impressive summits. The mountains were also an inspiration for the CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and it was also used as a filming location for Game of Thrones!
The name Down comes from the Irish 'An Dun', meaning 'the fort'.
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