In 1921 a young David Hanna cycled from Belfast to Donegal with a dream that eventually blossomed into a world-renowned millinery brand. Today his grandchildren carry on that proud legacy by creating sustainable and authentic Irish tweed caps loved across the globe.
Over 100 years of innovation and family bonds
Hanna Hats’ story began back in 1921, over a century ago. David Hanna, a 16-year-old boy from Belfast, saw an advert in a local newspaper for a tailoring apprentice position with McDaid’s Tailors in Donegal Town. With nothing but a bike and a dream, David cycled over 100 miles from the east coast to the west coast of Ireland in the hope of securing an apprenticeship and a new place to call home.
Thankfully, he was successful and began working with Mr. McDaid. Shortly after David’s apprenticeship began, fate intervened when McDaid, the master-tailor, suddenly passed away with no heir interested in taking over the business. Being both resilient and resourceful, David took the reins, and Hanna Hats, as we know it today, was established in 1924.
David initially focused on tailoring suits until one day a local man dropped into his workshop and asked him to make him a hat. David made him a short-brimmed Trilby-style hat from Donegal's finest tweed. It took him four and a half hours to craft, and he called it: “Hanna Hat, No.84", after the company's phone number at the time.
Hanna Hat, No.84.
At the time, David made a few extra hats to avoid wasting material, and he put them in the shop window. Not long after putting the hats in the shop window, an American visitor came in and asked if he could purchase the hats. David was delighted to sell them, as this wasn’t something he usually made.
A few months later, David was contacted by L.L. Bean, a massive catalogue company in the US. They wanted to place an order for the same hats that their team member had purchased months earlier. This was Hanna Hats’ first wholesale order and the start of the US becoming the family-run company’s biggest market.
From this, David discovered a particular interest and flair for headwear. The company evolved to specialise in designing and creating handcrafted hats and caps.
David had eleven children, one of whom was John Joseph Hanna. John joined the business, with his three brothers, in 1964. He had a passion for beautiful fabrics, customer service, and upholding the impeccable quality standards set by his father. John expanded the business internationally. Through years of hard work, John purchased Hanna Hats in 1984.
John Hanna.
Now, over 100 years in business, John's children, Eleanor and John Patrick, fulfilling this legacy, as their team of highly skilled craftspeople continues to create timeless headwear pieces and accessories in our Donegal Town workshop.
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Eleanor and John Patrick Hanna.
Eleanor and John Patrick Hanna.
At the heart of Donegal Town
Hanna Hats is located in Donegal Town, on the northwest coast of Ireland. The family and artisan creators are constantly inspired by the breathtaking, rugged landscapes that surround them. These landscapes often influence the tweeds they choose for their collections. Of course, Ireland is known all over the world for its craft, and in particular, its tweed. Eleanor Hanna told IrishCentral “We are lucky to have world-class mills on our doorstep, where we source some of our tweed from.”
A satchel bag made with patchwork.
"Our products themselves are innately Irish. If you go back 100 years and look at photographs, the men would have been wearing hats and caps similar to the ones we make today. Some people would have worn them for special occasions, others to keep them warm working on the farm. These hats and caps were born and worn for practical reasons, to shield and protect yourself against the wild weather coming in from the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the reasons they’re still worn today.”
“Being based in Donegal Town is what makes us who we are. The story of how our business began and our three generations speaks to our identity, which is so intertwined with where we come from.”
A vintage cap.
Authentically Irish and sustainable
Hanna Hats' mission is to provide their customers with authentically Irish, high-quality hats, caps, and accessories handcrafted by a highly skilled team using the finest materials.
“Our products are made using the finest materials, including tweed, linen, and cotton from Ireland and throughout Europe. We have longstanding relationships with our material suppliers, who provide ethically sourced and manufactured materials,” Eleanor said.
“In 2022, we purchased a laser cutting machine, which is perfect for our larger wholesale orders and ensures less waste than if these orders were cut by hand. In addition to this, we use some of our tweed ends from several styles to use in other styles, like our Erin Cap Patchwork Tweed - the most sustainable cap in our collection.
Eight-piece patchwork cap.
“We provide employment to a team of 23 people, most of whom work in our workshop and some who work on their own sewing machines at home- a tradition of cottage industry still in operation today. We also purchase our tweed from a few mills in Donegal, one of which is only a 2-minute walk away from our workshop. We truly value where we are and the amazing suppliers and collaborators we have on our doorstep.”
On their website Hanna Hats highlight exactly where their materials come from, for example Donegal or Irish Tweed. They carry a range of tweeds and have a a variety of colors, patterns, weights, and textures.
“The landscape in Donegal constantly inspires us in the tweeds we choose for our collections. We still use many of the same traditional methods used back when Granda started making hats, including the ancient art of quilting, which is used in the making of each of our patchwork products,” Eleanor explained.
“We want to progress with the times and incorporate new measures that will help with our sustainability; however, there are some traditional methods that we’ve kept for good reason.”
A skipper cap.
She added “We value when a customer chooses to spend their money with us and we want them to understand what they are getting- a handcrafted piece made in Ireland. We think we have built a loyal customer base from doing just that, and they continue to trust us and what we do here at Hanna Hats.”
Looking ahead to the future Eleanor, John Patrick Hanna and their team have big plans for the future including maintaining their very special relationship with with US customers.
Eleanor concluded “We want our products to continue to provide our customers in the U.S. with a special connection to their Irish heritage. We are passionate about what we do here at Hanna Hats and proud to continue manufacturing our products in our workshop in Donegal Town.”
For more information and to view their collection visit HannaHats.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Check out this beautiful video exploring the heritage of Hanna Hats:
