Scotland Forever!

An 1881 oil painting by Lady Butler depicting the start of the charge of the Royal Scots Greys, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Kilkenny Castle

Early 19thc. by Henry O’Neill

Kilkenny Castle Today

The former ancestral home of the Butler family

The German Butler Society International Gathering

von Buttlar’scher Familienverband

Germany, 11th – 15th August, 2026

'A hugely successful event - more news coming soon'

Established in 1888, The German Butler Society predates The Butler Society by 137 years!

The 2026 Gathering in Eisenach & Markerhausen will provide a wonderful program, welcoming Butlers’ – young & not so young – from all over the world.

Visit the castles of the von Buttlar family – Elderberg, Riede and Wilprechtroda.

Follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther at Wartburg Castle. Discover the places where Goethe and Schiller worked in Weimar. Learn more of the German-German history during the Cold War at the border museum. And enjoy the Gala Dinner extravaganza at the 850-year-old Creuzburg Castle.

Explore the Brandenfels ruins where the Buttlars once lived as knights. BBQ (Thüringer Bratwurst) and enjoy a memorable dinner in the atmosphere of 800 years of the Buttlar family in Markerhausen.

Spaces are limited.

To find out more and to book, click here

We are stronger, together!

Take care!
The Butler Society & The German Butler Society

PS: Yes, there is a town in Germany named ‘Buttlar’

Find out more about The German Butler Society here.

Waiting List

Sign up below to the waiting list and be among the first to hear when tickets become available for the Triennial Butler Society Gathering based in Kilkenny in 2027.

Looking ahead…

2026:

USA Butler Gathering

This is in the works, watch this space!

Germany Butler Gathering

A Butler Gathering in Germany is also in the works. Our German Butler family group—established in 1888 — predates the Butler Society by almost a century!

2027 (August):

Triennial Butler Society Gathering

The triennial Butler Society Gathering in Kilkenny, Ireland, centred around Kilkenny Castle. Our flagship event is every 3 years.

More information on all of these events will be shared in the coming months as details become available.

New leadership of The Butler Society announced at The Gathering 2024

Huge appreciation was expressed for the steady leadership of Sir Richard Butler, Bart. who welcomed his successor Lord Richard Dunboyne as our new Society President.

And long-time Hon. Editor of The Butler Society Journal, Dr. David J. Butler was elected as our new Chair of The Butler Society, taking over from our interim Chair, Suzanna Crampton.

3 photos from the Gathering. A gallery of photos will be available soon for members of The Butler Society in our ‘members-only’ section.

We are working on changes to our website, our membership process and much more. Your thoughts, input and help are important to us at The Butler Society. We are a grassroots organization run by volunteers. With new leadership and infrastructure developing, we are excited and hope you are too! We’re always happy to hear from you. And remember to follow us on Facebook too!

Take care

The Committee of The Butler Society.

The Butler Society

Preserve

To preserve the records of our family, its manuscripts, its history and still living traditions.

Connect

To bring together the scattered branches of the Butlers and their kindred to renew old ties that are in danger of breaking.

Unite

Establish in Kilkenny a focal point of friendliness and family lore and to arrange reunions, during which, for a few days, the ties of blood and family tradition will count more than the national and political differences, which inevitably divide us.