Down County Ireland Tartan Collection
Down County Ireland Tartan Collection
Celebrate County Down with an Irish district tartan — the granite Mournes above the sea, the wide waters of Strangford, and the hill where Saint Patrick is said to lie.
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About the County Down Tartan
The Down tartan is one of the thirty-two Irish county setts designed by Polly Wittering for the House of Edgar in the 1990s — a district tartan belonging to the county rather than to any family, so anyone with a Down connection may wear it.
Like the rest of the series it is a modern design and not formally sanctioned by the county, but it has been widely taken up by families at home and abroad who want to name their own place in Ireland rather than a general national sett.
Down Tartan Pattern and Colours
The sett draws on deep greens with darker lines and cooler accents — the green of drumlin farmland, the grey-blue of Strangford Lough, and the granite tones of the Mourne Mountains where they meet the sea.
County Down Heritage
Down lies on the eastern shoulder of Ulster, a county of drumlins and sea inlets. The Mourne Mountains rise in granite domes in the south, Strangford Lough in the east is one of the richest tidal waters in these islands, and the long Ards peninsula shelters it from the open sea.
It is above all Saint Patrick's county: tradition holds that he landed at Strangford, founded his first church at Saul, and lies buried on the hill at Downpatrick, where a granite slab marks the spot. The Normans under John de Courcy took the country in the twelfth century, and Scots settlement from the seventeenth century left Down with one of the strongest Ulster-Scots inheritances in Ireland.
Who Is This Collection For?
This collection is made for those born or descended in County Down, Mournes and Strangford families, Ulster-Scots households, Downpatrick and Ards connections and anyone who wants an Irish tartan that names their own county.
- ✓ County Down families
- ✓ Mourne Mountains and Ards roots
- ✓ Strangford Lough country
- ✓ Saint Patrick and Downpatrick heritage
- ✓ Irish and Ulster-Scots ancestry gifts
- ✓ Deep green tartan style
How to Wear Down Tartan
Down tartan works well across caps, shirts, hoodies, scarves, ties, jackets, blankets and keepsake gifts. Its cool green palette is easy to pair for everyday wear, family gatherings and county occasions.
County Down Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Down county tartan, who may wear it and where it comes from.
Is the Down tartan a clan tartan?
No — it is a district tartan for the county, open to anyone with a Down connection.
Who designed it?
Polly Wittering, for the House of Edgar of Perth, as one of a set of thirty-two Irish county tartans in the 1990s.
What are the colours based on?
The greens of the drumlin farmland, the waters of Strangford Lough and the granite of the Mourne Mountains.
Is Saint Patrick buried in Down?
Tradition holds that he lies on the hill at Downpatrick, where a granite slab marks the reputed grave; his first church was at nearby Saul.
What is Strangford Lough?
A great tidal sea lough in the east of the county, among the richest waters for wildlife in these islands.
Who can wear the Down tartan?
Anyone with roots in or affection for County Down — it belongs to the place, not to a family.
Wear the County Down Tartan
Discover Down county tartan clothing, accessories and gifts — the green of the drumlins and the granite of the Mournes.
View Down Tartan Clothing