Hanna Hats of Donegal Ltd

[Blackthorn]

Thanks for the advice Blackthorn, I appreciate it. I really like the cap in your avatar too. Looks good!

Thanks, Preacher Man, that is my latest, from Damian this time. I like it a lot.

 

[hatflick1]

I had a two week trek in Ireland three years ago.
Travelled all over the Republic.
Only men wearing such caps were Americans,
who the Irish knew to be Yanks. One Irishman
even pointed to me, smiled and said, "You've
got to be a Yank, right? It's the hat."
The Irish wear American baseball caps.
One cart driver was proud of Mets cap.
That was pretty typical.
Nonetheless, I persevered and wore
a cap made by Mucros,
Killarney.

 

[hatflick1]

Mucros Caps.
http://donegalsquare.com/products/mucros-weavers-kerry-caps
I was fortunate enough to have bought mine
in Kinsale where it was marked down and placed with
other sale wool caps in a large wicker basket on the floor
of the shop.

 

[Blackthorn]

I have two by Mucros, and like them better than Hanna, actually.

 

[Blackthorn]

I had a two week trek in Ireland three years ago.
Travelled all over the Republic.
Only men wearing such caps were Americans,
who the Irish knew to be Yanks. One Irishman
even pointed to me, smiled and said, "You've
got to be a Yank, right? It's the hat."
The Irish wear American baseball caps.
One cart driver was proud of Mets cap.
That was pretty typical.
Nonetheless, I persevered and wore
a cap made by Mucros,
Killarney.

Some of the older folks wear them, farmers mostly. But yeah, they are mostly for the tourists, which may explain why the material is too thin to keep one warm.

 

[tropicalbob]

Blackthorn -- To which of the makers are you referring when you say "too thin?"

 

[Blackthorn]

Blackthorn -- To which of the makers are you referring when you say "too thin?"

Hanna, Hatman, and more than half of the Shandon caps (I do have one Shandon that has very thick wool, I love it). I was thinking of the ones you see in the tourist shops, I suppose. If you got a good one, I'm glad. But most of the ones I've bought over there weren't of the quality of a Wigens or Sterkowski.

The two Mucros caps I have, both have quilted liners, which help a lot.

 

[tnjyoung]

Hanna, Hatman, and more than half of the Shandon caps (I do have one Shandon that has very thick wool, I love it). I was thinking of the ones you see in the tourist shops, I suppose. If you got a good one, I'm glad. But most of the ones I've bought over there weren't of the quality of a Wigens or Sterkowski.

The two Mucros caps I have, both have quilted liners, which help a lot.

This is very good information. What kills me is that the two you mentioned, that were good, are cheaper! Ugh...

 

[Blackthorn]

This is very good information. What kills me is that the two you mentioned, that were good, are cheaper! Ugh...

Yeah, isn't that a kick?

 

[Blackthorn]

I had a two week trek in Ireland three years ago.
Travelled all over the Republic.
Only men wearing such caps were Americans,
who the Irish knew to be Yanks. One Irishman
even pointed to me, smiled and said, "You've
got to be a Yank, right? It's the hat."
The Irish wear American baseball caps.
One cart driver was proud of Mets cap.
That was pretty typical.

In thinking more about this, you are right, all you said is true, but oddly enough, all over the rest of Europe and a lot of the Middle East and Africa, flat caps are commonly worn. It's weird to me that Ireland has stopped wearing them. And it must be a recent thing, because I saw a documentary over the weekend about the filming of Ryan's Daughter (1969) and all the Irish workmen building the set were wearing classic flat tweed caps.

 

[hatflick1]

Ryan's Daughter was a great movie...made along time
ago. Makes me think of Mayo, where there are shops
that, yes, still sell mementos of John Wayne's The Quiet Man.
But even there, the Irish of 2011, were wearing anything
but flat caps.

 

[tropicalbob]

Thanks, Blackthorn. When I studied there in the 70's, I thought there was a general feeling of being behind the times, espeicially after Prince Philip's remark while flying over Ireland, "We're passing over Ireland. Everyone set your watches back 400 years." When I visited a few years ago, there was certainly a strong desire for modernization.

 

[Blackthorn]

Thanks, Blackthorn. When I studied there in the 70's, I thought there was a general feeling of being behind the times, espeicially after Prince Philip's remark while flying over Ireland, "We're passing over Ireland. Everyone set your watches back 400 years." When I visited a few years ago, there was certainly a strong desire for modernization.

That is true, it's pretty modern now. I liked the old Ireland better, the one I first saw in 1998. It still had a lot of charm, no matter where you went. Now it's too "big city" for me, unless I get way out into the country.

 

[GregNYC]

Here's the only Hanna I have, called a "Gatsby." The visor is a bit short for me, I might sell it.










Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blackthorn]

It's a nice looking one, Greg.

 

[moehawk]

All this nice Irish wool inspired me to finally resize my Hanna cap I found a few months ago on a treasure hunt. It was marked inside as L but more like an XL or even an XXL. Big enough that if I turned my head fast it would stay still. I was hesitant to cut into it but also really wanting to be able to wear it so I grabbed scissors and took a wedge out of the back and restitched it. Now it fits like it was made for me. Wekl, I guess now it is....

I like the patchwork style of Irish cap the best of all that I have seen. Doesn't mean I'd pass up a solid tweed one if one happened along my path though.

 

[tropicalbob]

Gregn that cap is perfect on you. You look like a character in "The Informer."

 

[Fivesense]

I have a handful of Jonathan Richard flat caps, and one Patchwork Hanna Hat. I prefer the Hanna because the visor is a bit longer. I'm looking to pick up Hanna Tweed in charcoal salt and pepper.

I can't speak to whether or not they are worn in Ireland much these days, but in the cold weather of Idaho, flat caps are perfect for when it's windy and/or overcast during the winter. Classy looks, full functionality.

 

[Rmccamey]

Picked up a Hanna Harris Tweed right at the factory last summer. I think I'm up to 7 Hanna flat caps now...and they are great in winter. This one even has ear flaps!

 

[Zombie_61]

I was recently given a couple of cheap Ivy caps by a friend and I'd like to get one or two of higher quality (i.e. 100% wool) eventually. I don't need, nor can I afford, custom/bespoke, so I was wondering if the current opinions lean more towards Hanna Hats, Mucros Weavers, or ??? Any suggestions and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!