Irish
Irish Tartans & Clan
Wearing tartan is not limited to the Scots and the Lein-croich was the first version of the Irish kilt. Some Irish family names correspond to particular tartans whereas many others are more difficult to trace the roots. During the rise of Irish nationalism the Irish National tartan was introduced as a symbol of Gaelic tradition. We offer a range of District tartans which represent the historic provinces such as Ulster and Connacht, as well as the regions such as Tara. There is also a range of County Tartans based around the geographical or tribal origins of names, so if you are of Celtic origin there is most certainly the opportunity to find your tartan.
Irish Tartans
47 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
Irish Clan Origins & History
Explore the history
How it all started
Ireland is an island to the West of Great Britain and it is politically separated into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is the second-most populous island and the third largest island in Europe.
Wearing tartan is not limited to the Scots and the Lein-croich was the first version of the Irish kilt, however where Scottish tartans originate from the the Scottish Clans and family names, only some Irish family names correspond to particular tartans and most Irish tartans represent the districts and counties. Tartans such as the the Irish National tartan were created more recently as a symbol of Gaelic tradition and Irish nationalism.
We offer a range of Irish District tartans which represent the historic provinces such as Ulster and Connacht, as well as the regions such as Tara. There is also a range of County Tartans based around the geographical or tribal origins of names. So if you are of Celtic origin, Scottish or Irish, there is most certainly the opportunity to find your tartan.
Tourism is coming
Tourism in Ireland has increased greatly in recent years and this is all thanks to a little TV show called Game of Thrones. A large majority of the programme is filmed in Ireland, showing of the beautiful landscape the island has to offer. As a result, people from all over the world have been travelling to see the Game of Thrones locations first hand.
The history of St Patrick & the Gaelic language
Join Susan and Monja on their St Patrick's Day episode of On The Sofa! They will be joined by Rónán Ó Dochartaigh from Oideas Gael, an Irish language cultural centre based in Donegal. Listen in to a range of fascinating topics, including more about the Gaelic language, wool traditions in Donegal and even some myths surrounding St Patrick. What better way to learn about St Patrick's Day than from Rónán, who is based in the heart of the Emerald Isle.
