Monday, 3 April 2023
National Tweed Day gives people, near and far, the perfect opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the diverse culture, history and expert craftsmanship of Donegal Tweed!
Donegal Tweed has a global reputation for its high-quality, sustainability and the close connections to local communities.
See below some of our favourite Donegal tweed crafters!
Orwell & Browne
Orwell & Browne is an award winning Irish heritage brand created by Catriona Mc Ginley.
In this image we see her grandad John Mc Ginley from Kilcar, Donegal, hand-weaving tweed on a traditional wooden loom in the 1970s.
The craft of weaving tweed fabric has been a tradition in the Mc Ginley family for the past three generations. Orwell & Browne products are designed and made in Ireland using locally sourced Donegal Tweed.
Shop the collection at www.orwellandbrowne.com
Magee 1866:
“Donegal Tweed, as a vibrant, natural fibre and sustainable fabric, continues to form a principal part of our collections. Our weaving mill in Donegal Town, on the banks of the River Eske, is still the beating heart of everything we do at Magee 1866. We are proud to support a tradition of weaving and manufacturing textiles in the northwest of Ireland, bringing a contemporary edge to an age-old craft.”
– Patrick Temple, CEO Magee Weaving
Hanna Hats:
Hanna Hats is a third-generation family business based in Donegal Town. They specialise in creating handcrafted headwear pieces and accessories made from the finest tweed, linen, and cotton from Ireland and throughout Europe.
Hanna Hats was founded by David Hanna in 1924. David initially focused on tailoring suits, and then by chance he discovered a particular interest and flair for headwear. The company evolved to specialise in designing and creating handcrafted hats and caps. David’s son, John Joseph Hanna joined the business with his three brothers in 1964. John had a passion for beautiful fabrics, customer service and upholding the impeccable quality standards set by his father. Today you will find John's children, Eleanor, and John Patrick, fulfilling this legacy as they continue to create timeless headwear pieces and accessories in their Donegal Town workshop.
They have a newly fitted shop at their workshop where you can browse their collection and pick up a high-quality cap, hat, or accessory. They will begin offering tours of their workshop this summer, to find out more please visit hannahats.com
Triona Design:
"For over a century, the village of Ardara was at the forefront of the production of handwoven Donegal Tweeds. A building known as “The Mart” was the central marketplace with all the local tweed produced, inspected, stored and sold inside its walls. However, in the sixties, the arrival of modern machinery decimated the indigenous industry.
A fifth-generation hand weaver, Denis Mulhern, had a strong desire to ensure that the tradition of hand-weaving was maintained and preserved. Ten years after the collapse of the local tweed industry, he started a small bespoke tweed company called “Triona” from the front room of the family home.
In 1992, we began to welcome visitors from across the world to showcase first-hand the skills involved in hand weaving.
“My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.”
— B.M. Franklin
After three decades, Triona, remains a family business. We celebrate National Tweed Day today and every day as Tweed has such deep roots in Irish and especially Donegal Heritage."
