granted tartan rights

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

i have recently been informed that there are six old irish family septs which were granted the rights to coats of arms and plaid patterns which rival in age and prestige to their peers. is anyone able to offer any clarity regarding this ?

The Irish Office of Arms has never granted or registered a tartan. The arms granted by the Irish Office of Arms are the personal property of the individual to whom the grant is made, and to the descendants of that individual per the terms set forth in the letters patent.

In the past the position of the Irish Office of Arms has been that so-called Irish tartans are in all probability of no great antiquity, and most likely date back to the 19th century at best. While tartan was worn at various time in Ireland, as a statement of fashion, it never developed the clan connotations that it did in Scotland. The So-called "county" tartans have no official standing and seem to date from relatively modern times.

I hope this clears up matters for you and your friends.