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Top Animation Studios in Ireland

Updated 6 August 2026 · 1 min read · 10 companies

Written byNuala Canning

Irish animation is one of the few creative sectors where the country competes at the very top internationally. Studios here hold Academy Award, BAFTA and Emmy nominations, and work regularly for Netflix, Disney and Adult Swim. This list draws on membership of Animation Ireland, the industry trade body, rather than a review directory.

What to look for in an animation studio

  • Original content or service work. Some studios develop and own their shows. Others animate productions owned by broadcasters. Their websites rarely make the distinction obvious.
  • Technique, not just quality. 2D, CG and stop motion are separate crafts with separate teams. A studio's reel tells you which one it really does.
  • Capacity and timing. The best-known studios run multi-year productions and may have no room for a short commercial piece.
  • Cost by the minute, not by the day. Animation is quoted on finished footage. A style decision made early moves that figure more than anything else.

No animation studio here publishes a rate card, and none carries directory reviews. Membership of Animation Ireland and a visible body of broadcast credits are the credentials that matter in this sector.

  1. 1. Cartoon Saloon

    Best for feature films and award-calibre storytelling

    Location
    Kilkenny, Ireland
    Founded
    1999

    Kilkenny studio formed in 1999 by Paul Young, Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, and nominated four times for an Academy Award, as well as for Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy awards. The Secret of Kells drew an Oscar nomination in 2010 and Song of the Sea a second in 2015. Works across shorts, features and television.

    Services

    • Animation

  2. 2. Brown Bag Films

    Best for series work at international scale

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland
    Founded
    1994

    Founded in Dublin in 1994, with further locations in Toronto and Bali. Known for artist-driven storytelling across television and digital formats, and expanding into feature-length work. Runs BBF Labs, an in-house hub for emerging technology.

    Services

    • Animation

  3. 3. Boulder Media

    Best for 2D and CG series and features

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland
    Founded
    2000

    Multi-award-winning Dublin studio established in 2000 and, by its own account, Ireland's largest animation studio. Works in both 2D and CG across series and feature films, spanning preschool, kids, family and adult animation. Recent adult credits include Krapopolis, Grimsburg, Cat Burglar and Captain Fall. Produced My Little Pony: A New Generation, Ireland's first full-length CG feature film.

    Services

    • Animation

  4. 4. Lighthouse Studios

    Best for animation service work on major 2D shows

    Location
    Kilkenny, Ireland
    Founded
    2017

    BAFTA-winning Kilkenny studio founded in 2017, providing animation services for major 2D productions including The Bob's Burgers Movie for 20th Century Studios, The Cuphead Show! for Netflix and Rick and Morty for Adult Swim.

    Services

    • Animation

  5. 5. JAM Media

    Best for preschool and children's content

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland

    Operates across Ireland and the United Kingdom, producing animated and live action content for children's and preschool audiences. Credits include BeddyByes, Isadora Moon, Nova Jones, Jessy and Nessy, Becca's Bunch, Baby Jake and Zig & Zag.

    Services

    • Animation

  6. 6. Kavaleer

    Best for original children's IP

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland

    BAFTA-nominated studio with a 100-strong creative team based in Dublin's Digital Hub, and a UK arm. Works on both original content and partner productions for children's broadcasters.

    Services

    • Animation

  7. 7. Giant Animation

    Best for CG for television, film and games

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland

    Independent Dublin CG studio producing animation for television, feature film and games, alongside original content. Established over a decade ago.

    Services

    • Animation

  8. 8. Monster Entertainment

    Best for production paired with distribution

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland

    Dublin animation and distribution company whose best-selling series has sold into approximately 200 countries. Its catalogue runs from preschool to adult animation and includes Oscar-winning, Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning titles.

    Services

    • Animation

  9. 9. Treehouse Republic

    Best for comedy-led 2D series

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland
    Founded
    2010

    Creative-led 2D studio established in 2010 with a comedy-action focus and more than 1,500 minutes of content produced to date.

    Services

    • Animation

  10. 10. Wiggleywoo

    Best for preschool series with global reach

    Location
    Dublin, Ireland
    Founded
    2012

    Dublin studio set up in 2012. Its preschool series The Day Henry Met has been broadcast in 192 countries, including on Nick Jr International. Currently in production on a first animated feature, Tea with the Dead.

    Services

    • Animation

Frequently asked questions

Why is Ireland known for animation?
A combination of the Section 481 film and television tax credit, a specialist talent pipeline through Irish colleges, and three decades of studios building international credits. The result is an industry whose studios take Academy Award and BAFTA nominations on a regular basis.
What is the difference between an original content studio and a service studio?
An original content studio develops and owns its own shows, then sells or licenses them. A service studio animates productions owned by someone else, usually an international broadcaster or streamer. Several Irish studios do both, but the business models are very different.
How much does animation cost?
No Irish animation studio publishes a rate card, and none appears on the review directories with pricing. Animation prices by the minute of finished footage, and that figure varies enormously with style, technique and whether the work is 2D or CG. Expect scoped quotes rather than day rates.
How do I choose an animation studio?
Watch their reel and match the style to what you need, because studios specialise far more narrowly than their websites suggest. Then ask about capacity: the well-known studios are frequently booked out on long-form productions and may not take short commercial work.

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