Kilkenny County Ireland Tartan Collection
Kilkenny County Ireland Tartan Collection
Celebrate County Kilkenny with an Irish district tartan — the Marble City on the Nore, its castle and cathedral, and the hurling ground of Ireland.
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About the County Kilkenny Tartan
The Kilkenny tartan is one of the thirty-two Irish county setts designed by Polly Wittering for the House of Edgar in the 1990s. It is a district tartan — it belongs to the county, not to any family, so anyone with a Kilkenny connection may wear it.
Like the rest of the series it is a modern design rather than an old pattern, and is not formally sanctioned by the county; it has been embraced by Kilkenny families at home and abroad who want to name their own place in Ireland.
Kilkenny Tartan Pattern and Colours
The sett draws on deep reds and greens with dark lines and amber accents — the warm tones of the Nore valley, the black limestone that gives Kilkenny its Marble City name, and the amber long associated with the county.
County Kilkenny Heritage
Kilkenny city stands on the River Nore, and is called the Marble City for the dark polished limestone quarried nearby. Its medieval mile runs from Kilkenny Castle, long the seat of the Butler family, Earls and Dukes of Ormonde, up past merchants' houses and old lanes to Saint Canice's Cathedral with its round tower, one of the few in Ireland that can still be climbed.
The city played a large part in Irish history: the Statutes of Kilkenny were passed here in 1366 in an attempt to keep the Anglo-Norman settlers apart from the Irish, and in 1642 the Confederation of Kilkenny made the city the seat of a native Irish government for seven years. In the countryside stand Jerpoint Abbey and Kells Priory; and in the modern age Kilkenny is known above all as the great county of hurling.
Who Is This Collection For?
This collection is made for those born or descended in County Kilkenny, Nore valley families, Butler and Ormonde connections, hurling followers and anyone who wants an Irish tartan that names their own county.
- ✓ County Kilkenny families
- ✓ Nore valley and Marble City roots
- ✓ Kilkenny Castle and Ormonde heritage
- ✓ Hurling and county pride
- ✓ Irish ancestry gifts
- ✓ Deep red and amber style
How to Wear Kilkenny Tartan
Kilkenny tartan works well across caps, shirts, hoodies, scarves, ties, jackets, blankets and keepsake gifts. Its warm palette makes a handsome statement for everyday wear, match days, family gatherings and county occasions.
County Kilkenny Tartan FAQ
Quick answers about the Kilkenny county tartan, who may wear it and where it comes from.
Is the Kilkenny tartan a clan tartan?
No — it is a district tartan for the county, open to anyone with a Kilkenny 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.
Why is Kilkenny called the Marble City?
For the dark polished limestone quarried nearby, long used in the city's buildings and monuments.
Who held Kilkenny Castle?
The Butler family, Earls and later Dukes of Ormonde, who held it for close on six hundred years.
What was the Confederation of Kilkenny?
A native Irish government seated in the city from 1642 for some seven years during the wars of that period.
Who can wear the Kilkenny tartan?
Anyone with roots in or affection for County Kilkenny — it belongs to the place, not to a family.
Wear the County Kilkenny Tartan
Discover Kilkenny county tartan clothing, accessories and gifts — the red and amber of the Marble City on the Nore.
View Kilkenny Tartan Clothing