Irish County Tartans
Irish County & National Tartans
Tartans of Ireland — counties, provinces, and the nation
Ireland has its own tartan tradition — younger than Scotland's, but real and properly registered. All 32 Irish counties have a designed tartan, the four historic provinces each have their own, and Irish national tartans (Tara, St Patrick, Brian Boru, Saffron) sit alongside them. Irish kilts are typically worn in a single solid colour (saffron) or in county tartan.
Irish kilts — an older tradition than the tartans
Irish kilt-wearing predates the tartan tradition. The saffron kilt — léine in Old Irish — was worn by Irish chieftains, warriors, and pipers from at least the medieval period. Saffron remained the traditional Irish kilt colour through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially for Irish regiments of the British Army (the Irish Guards, the Royal Irish Regiment) and for traditional dance.
The county tartan tradition was largely the work of Polly Wittering, a tartan designer who in 1996 produced a complete set of 32 Irish county tartans. Each design draws on a county's history, landscape, and heritage colours. The tartans are registered, worn at Irish-American Highland Games, Irish dancing competitions, and family events across the diaspora.
Irish national tartans — Tara, St Patrick, Brian Boru, Irish National — are designed for Irish events without county-specific context. They sit alongside the saffron kilt and the county tartans as legitimate Irish dress.
Irish tartans are sometimes dismissed by purists as recent — but no more recent than many Scottish family tartans of 19th-century origin. They're recognised, registered, and respected.
Irish tartan categories
County Cork
Largest of Ireland's counties. Cork tartan uses blues and greens of the harbour and West Cork landscape.
County Galway
Western Ireland, including the Aran Islands. Galway tartan honours the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region).
County Tyrone
Northern Ireland. Strong Scots-Irish connection — many Ulster-Scots families came from Tyrone before settling in colonial America.
County Mayo
Major emigration county during the Famine. Mayo descendants are especially common in Chicago, Boston, and the eastern US.
Connacht Provincial
Connacht province covers Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon, and Leitrim — the most Gaelic-speaking region of modern Ireland.
Munster Provincial
Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Waterford. The province with the largest population outside Leinster.
Tara Tartan
Named for the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Designed in 1990s. One of the most widely-worn Irish national tartans.
Saffron Kilt (not tartan)
The Irish kilt tradition is older than tartan — saffron was the colour of choice for chieftains, warriors, and Irish regiments. Still widely worn instead of (or alongside) county tartan.
What to wear if your roots are Irish
Irish heritage tartans have grown enormously in popularity since the 1990s. Whether you're full Irish, Scots-Irish, or Irish-American, there's a real and respectful option.
- Your county tartan — if you know your Irish county. Cork, Galway, Tyrone, Mayo, Kerry are the most popular among the diaspora.
- A provincial tartan — if you know the province (Connacht, Munster, Leinster, Ulster) but not the specific county.
- Saffron kilt — for traditionalists. The pre-tartan Irish kilt tradition — especially appropriate for Irish dance, piping, and traditional events.
- Tara, Brian Boru, or Irish National — for general Irish events without county-specific context. All-Ireland tartans designed for the diaspora.
Irish or Scots-Irish?
If your family came through Ulster, the Scots-Irish heritage may also point to Border Scottish tartans. Use the Sept Name Lookup for Irish-Scottish surname crossover.