You’ve just arrived at one of Kilkenny’s most magical corners-and I’m not talking about wizards and bubbling cauldrons! You’re standing outside the humble home of Cartoon Saloon, a studio that’s spun tales so enchanting, it’s gotten the attention of Hollywood’s finest. Imagine the excited chatter of artists inside, their pencils racing across paper, as you take in the old but lively streets-a creative storm in the calm heart of Kilkenny.
Cartoon Saloon set up shop right here in 1999, started by three fresh-faced dreamers: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, and Paul Young. At the time, they’d just left college, probably with ink still fresh on their hands. They didn’t have much-just their talent, some wild ideas, and enough caffeine to keep anyone dancing into the night. Their first big project, The Secret of Kells, didn’t get off the ground for years. Instead, they took any work they could-ads, website design, even CD ROMs! Now, that’s old-school technology. If you listen carefully, you might almost hear the frantic tapping of early computer keyboards, or the occasional whoop when an art file finally saved without crashing.
They got their big break with a French production company and, after years of hustle and homework, finally released The Secret of Kells. The film’s magic? It drew from Irish history and art, mixing lush Celtic patterns with a story as vivid as the tapestries hanging in your wildest daydreams. And the world took notice. In 2009-bam!-Oscar nomination. Cue the confetti (and, probably, a lot of shouting and happy dancing behind these walls). But instead of selling out to big studios when the offers rolled in, they took a brave leap and chose independence, risking personal finances to keep their vision alive. I guess when you make movies about brave ancient monks and bold sea journeys, a little risk is all in a day’s work.
But wait-the story gets wilder. From that tiny team of twelve, the studio grew to a bustling hive of 300 animators, all imagining wolves racing through Kilkenny’s woods and puffins flying over stormy coasts. Their films-Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and Wolfwalkers-earned more Oscar nominations and brought Irish folklore to audiences from Tokyo to Texas. And in case you have young ones (or are secretly a cartoon fan yourself), they also created fun TV series like Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, and Vikingskool. The laughter, meows, and wild cartoon soundtracks from the studio have surely echoed down these streets late into the night, especially during a deadline crunch.
Even today, as they create stories for Netflix and design for the BBC and Disney, their roots in Kilkenny are strong. Maybe you’ll even spot a friendly animator heading out for a coffee, storyboards tucked under their arm. Cartoon Saloon is proof that world-class stories can grow from a little bit of Irish grit and a whole lot of imagination-and maybe just a dash of local magic. So, next time you watch an Oscar-nominated animated film, remember: it might just have begun right here, where art and dreams collide, and maybe, just maybe, where a brave puffin or a sly wolf once slipped down the lane.
