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Munster Tartans & Clan

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Munster Tartans

1 variations

Each tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress

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Munster

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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From the Start

Munster Clan Origins & History

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How it all started

Munster is one of the four Irish provinces and lies on the south coast of the Republic of Ireland, consisting of County Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford. Anciently, the power of the kingdom lay in the south, where the ruling clan called Érainn had their chief fort at Temuir Érann in the Ballyhoura Hills, in County Limerick. Inroads into the province were often made by the area of Leinster and were fought off by a Munster people known as the Eoghanachta who ruled Munster from 400 CE. The Eoghanachta dynasty eventually collapsed by the 10th century and they were succeeded by the Clare dynasty of Dal Chais. After the Anglo-Norman invasion during the 12th century, the feudal families of Fitzgerald, earls of Desmond, and of Butler, earls of Ormond, then became all-powerful in Munster, debunking the Clare dynasty, and the individual kingdoms were shirred into counties.

What's in the Munster tartan?

The Munster tartan is made up of beautiful shades of Irish green and blue with black, featuring white and pink accents throughout.

The City of Cork

Cork city is the capital of the province of Munster, and it lies on the southern coastline of the Irish Republic. The then-walled town became a royal borough in 1177 after being passed into the hands of the Normans in the 12th century, and it then was granted its first city charter by King John in 1185. The city supported Perkin Warbeck, the pretender to the English throne, when he visited Ireland in the late 15th century and it also revolted against King Charles I in favour of Oliver Crowell in 1649. However, Cork city was eventually taken by John Churchill for William of Orange in 1690. Today, the city has a thriving cultural life filled with all things Irish and is steeped in history and heritage!