Kilkenny cartoon company prepares to celebrate 25 years

Kilkenny animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, will mark a significant anniversary in 2024 as the local company celebrate 25 years.

It was in Kilkenny, in 1999, that a trio of filmmakers created the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. It has gone on to produce distinctive, high-quality, multi-award-winning films.

The Irish animation powerhouse first came to public attention with the release of The Secret of Kells in 2009, a huge critical success that went on to gain an Oscar nomination for Best Animated feature – an achievement the studio would repeat on another three occasions.

Their trilogy of films inspired by Irish folklore drew comparisons with the best of Studio Ghibli in their representation of their own heritage combined with quality and technique of the highest standard.

(Courtesy - British Film Institute)