Meet the Family Keeping the Art of Hat-Making Alive in Donegal

In an age of fast fashion and mass production, the true art of craftsmanship is becoming increasingly rare. We’re part of a small community of Irish makers, and we’re proud to be the last headwear manufacturers left in the country. For those who may not be familiar with us, hi, we’re Hanna Hats — a third-generation family business specialising in handcrafted headwear and accessories, founded by our grandfather, David Hanna, back in 1924.

Our products are made using the finest tweed, linen, and cotton sourced from Ireland and across Europe, and each piece is handcrafted in our workshop in Donegal Town, on Ireland’s northwest coast. Today, our 23-strong team — from machinists and cutters to quality controllers — bring exceptional skill, precision, and attention to detail to every hat we make. It’s their dedication that allows us to continue manufacturing in Donegal and stand out from other hat makers across the globe.

But finding skilled craftspeople in Ireland to keep our manufacturing going is, in fact, our greatest challenge. Unlike decades past, when sewing was a skill taught to young people by their mothers or grandmothers, it has sadly become a dying tradition. Add to that the substantial rise in the cost of manufacturing in Ireland over the past few years, which has led many Irish brands to design locally but produce overseas. While this helps those businesses survive, it has inevitably diluted the meaning and weight of the ‘Made in Ireland’ label — a badge we proudly embody. As a result, we’re now competing with the new wave of ‘Designed in Ireland’ brands that can afford to sell their products at much lower price points — another hurdle in the road for those of us dedicated to keeping production here.

So, we had to rethink how we worked — especially when the Covid-19 lockdowns hit. Before then, approximately 95% of our business was wholesale, selling to shops all over the world, particularly in the United States. When our workshop closed for four months during the pandemic, we used that time to regroup, strategise, and shift focus. We knew that if we wanted not just to survive but to grow, we needed to adapt to where the world was at the time. 

As more people were shopping online, we invested in our website and digital presence. We built a dedicated team to improve our online store, create content, and visually share our story. To our delight, it paid off — in 2020, our online sales grew by 120%, and we’ve seen steady growth every year since.

Not long after, Fáilte Ireland approached us about doing guided tours of our workshop, and we decided to take the leap. The Wild Atlantic Way has brought so many visitors to Donegal over the past ten years, so we saw this as an opportunity to share our craft and story with the world. We even invested in a new shop fit out and attended tradeshows dedicated to welcoming people to our workshop.

Together, this means we now have three sides to our business: wholesale, our online shop and our in-person tours. They work together in harmony — when one side quiets, another is in full swing — meaning we’re no longer reliant on a single revenue stream.

What we’ve learned along the way is that in any business, there will always be new challenges or obstacles to overcome, but it’s figuring out how to conquer them and grow despite them that is critical. Our latest test lies in the new tariffs and economic shifts in the United States, our biggest market. So once again, we need to shift focus — turning our attention to growing our wholesale business in other markets within Europe and beyond. 

We’ve adapted and shifted focus many times over the years, and we believe this is how we're still fortunate to be doing what we love and keeping the tradition alive. But, at the heart of Hanna Hats, it’s our heritage, people, craftsmanship, and quality that sets us apart from other headwear companies. For many of our customers, our hats provide a connection to their Irish heritage or to their family. Many pieces are passed down through generations, becoming cherished heirlooms. To craft something that holds that kind of meaning for someone — because it belonged to a person they loved — is incredibly special to us.

The world may be changing, but people still value quality, tradition, and authentic Irish craftsmanship. Here in Donegal, the art of hat-making is alive and well — and we plan to keep it that way.