County Westmeath is part of the midland region of Ireland found in the province of Leinster. It is sometimes known as 'the Lake County' due to the plentiful supply of lakes, streams and waterways sprawling across the rolling countryside. Westmeath is rich in cultural history which predates any official charters and it is believed it was the official meeting spot for ancient provinces and high kings across Ireland. Discover more about the county below.
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.
Each tartan can have multiple variations, the most common of which are Ancient, Modern, Weathered, Hunting and Dress
About tartan variations
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.
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.
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.
The Modern tartans are often the more subtle combinations such as the classic Black Watch Modern
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.
Some mills refer to the Weathered tartans as Muted.
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.
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.
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.
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.
County Westmeath is part of the midland region of Ireland found in the province of Leinster. It is sometimes known as 'the Lake County' due to the plentiful supply of lakes, streams and waterways sprawling across the rolling countryside. Westmeath is rich in cultural history which predates any official charters and it is believed it was the official meeting spot for ancient provinces and high kings across Ireland. After the 12th century Norman invasions, many castles and fortifications were built up across the county due to the county's monarchic links. Westmeath itself was officially established in 1543 with its name stemming from the ancient kingdom of Mide and shorty afterwards in the 17th century it was centrally involved in the Irish rebellions during the Williamite wars.
The County Westmeath tartan is predominately green with stripes of yellow, black, blue and red running throughout.
The Hill of Uisneach is found just outside the town of Rathconrath and is an ancient ceremonial site known as the mythological and sacred centre of Ireland. The hill has featured in almost every significant Irish event be it political, cultural, religious or geographical covering all eras of Irish history right up to the modern day. The hill stands at 596 feet above sea level with the summit providing extensive panoramic views across the central plain. The origins of Uisneach itself date far beyond any recorded data and it is believed some surviving monuments are from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. There is no definitive translation of Uineach so it is likely that it predates the Irish language but it is believed to read 'place of the hearth'. You can visit the heritage site yourself where it offers numerous tours and events allowing you to immerse yourself into the culture, history and mythology of the hill as you walk in the footsteps of Irelands High Kings!
The name Westmeath comes from the Irish 'Iarmhi' meaning the 'west of the middle', (which is pretty self explanatory!)