Scottish Clans
MacCarthy Tartans & Clan
Who Wears MacCarthy 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.
- Mac Cárthaigh
- Nic Cárthaigh
- Bean Mhic Cárthaigh
- Mhic Cárthaigh
- MacCarty
- McCarty
Maccarthy Tartans
0 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
MacCarthy Clan Origins & History
Explore the history of Clan MacCarthy
How it all started
The surname McCarthy is one of the most common surnames across Ireland and derives from the Irish 'Mac Carthaigh' with MacCarthy, MacCarty and McCarty being other similar variations. The McCarthy were an ancient clan and are so old that it is difficult to be sure if its exact origins. It is supposed to have stemmed from the area of ancient kingdom of Munster in Southern Ireland, which is now comprised of all what is now the County of Cork as most of the County of Kerry. Eoghan Mor is the first known ancestor of the McCarthy's who was the eldest son of Ailill Ollamh, was was believed to be a 2nd or 3rd century Kings of Munster. He was credited in finding the Eóganachta people, who ruled the Munster provinces between the 6th and the 10th centuries. 60% of people with the McCarthy surname in Ireland still live in County Cork where they were very dominate in the Middle Ages.
What's in the MacCarthy tartan?
The McCarthy tartan is predominately a turquoise blue colour with hints of green and red throughout.
Blarney Castle & Gardens
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold in the town of Blarney, situated just outside Cork in Ireland. Though earlier defences were built on the same spot, the current keep was built by the McCarthy dynasty dating back to 1446, and has been attracting attention ever since. The Blarney Stone, also known as the legendary Stone of Eloquence, is among the walls of the castle and is found at the top of the tower. For over 200 years, millions of pilgrims have climbed the steps of the castle to kiss the Blarney Stone and in doing so are said to gain the gift of eloquence. Its legendary powers are unquestioned but its story still creates debate. Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements. Today, the castle is rather more cautious of the safety of its visitors! The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the battlements and to kiss it, one has to lean back holding onto the iron railing from the parapet walk.
McCarthy is an anglicised form of Gaelic Mac Cárthaigh 'Son of Cárthach', which is a personal name meaning 'loving'.
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