Irish
St Patrick Tartans & Clan
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and is widely regard as the founder of Christianity in the Emerald Isle. Known as the 'Apostle of Ireland', St Patrick was an active missionary during the 5th Century, originally from Roman Britain, and said to have been captured and taken to Ireland by a group of Irish pirates at the age of 16. Upon arriving in Ireland, he was held captive by the pirates and forced to look after livestock as a shepherd. His time as a shepherd was said to have strengthened his relationship with God which led to him converting to Christianity. St Patrick remained captive in Ireland for six years, until he had a vision that he would soon escape his bonds. Fleeing his captors, he gained passage back to Britain returning to his family. However, this was not the end of St Patrick's adventures in the Emerald Isle. He trained as a cleric and returned to Ireland, where he played a key role in converting Irish society from practicing Celtic-Polytheism to Christianity. St Patrick was said to have spent his later life as a bishop, although it is not known where. His life is celebrated on the 17th of March each year, with most estimates suggesting that this was the date that he passed away.
St Patrick 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
- Dress
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.
Dress 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
St Patrick Clan Origins & History
EXPLORE THE HISTORY
How it all started
St Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, and is widely regard as the founder of Christianity in the Emerald Isle. Known as the 'Apostle of Ireland', St Patrick was an active missionary during the 5th Century, originally from Roman Britain, and said to have been captured and taken to Ireland by a group of Irish pirates at the age of 16. Upon arriving in Ireland, he was held captive by the pirates and forced to look after livestock as a shepherd. His time as a shepherd was said to have strengthened his relationship with God which led to him converting to Christianity. St Patrick remained captive in Ireland for six years, until he had a vision that he would soon escape his bonds. Fleeing his captors, he gained passage back to Britain returning to his family. However, this was not the end of St Patrick's adventures in the Emerald Isle. He trained as a cleric and returned to Ireland, where he played a key role in converting Irish society from practicing Celtic-Polytheism to Christianity. St Patrick was said to have spent his later life as a bishop, although it is not known where. His life is celebrated on the 17th of March each year, with most estimates suggesting that this was the date that he passed away.
What's in the tartan?
You guessed it, the St Patrick tartan has green and yellow throughout this great tartan.
St Patrick's Day
On the 17th of March each year, St Patrick is celebrated in Ireland and across the world. The day commemorates the arrival of Christianity and celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Ireland. St Patrick's Day is a public holiday in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and is celebrated across the globe from Europe and North America, to South America and Australasia. Celebrations involve a variety of events including public parades, festivals, and ceilidhs, with the green of the shamrock a common sight. Similarly to us Scots, people of Irish descent can be found across the globe and celebrating St Patrick's Day is a great way for Celts to connect.
