Forward Together
Founded in 1960, the Clan Hannay Society is dedicated to global fellowship and friendship of all those bearing or descended from the family names Hannay, Hannah, Hanna or Hanney.
Get the Book!
First published in 1961, The Hannays of Sorbie traces the roots of those who bear the Hannay name (and its variants Hannah, Hanna and Hanney) from medieval origins in Southwestern Scotland to the present-day global family diaspora. This 4th edition (2019), the newest in almost 30 years, has been revised, expanded, annotated and indexed.
Available on Amazon in paperback or kindle.
Trouble finding it in your country? Try these links:
[UK] [France] [Australia] [New Zealand]
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Banner, CHS Arms£25.99- USD: $ 32.64
Brighten up your space by adding this Clan Hannay Society Arms banner. Your flag won’t crease or shrink thanks to the polyester material and will last a long time. • […]
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The Clan Hannay Society T-Shirt is made of a thicker, heavier cotton, but it’s still soft and comfy. And the double stitching on the neckline and sleeves add more durability […]
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Latest Posts
Restoration Project
Help us rebuild Sorbie Tower! Please leave your messages of support (whether you are donating or not) in our restoration appeal on-line Book.
Meet the Chief
Dr. David R. Hannay, Chief of Clan Hannay of Kirkdale and That Ilk, trained at Cambridge University and St. George’s Hospital in London. He taught at the University of Glasgow and was Professor of General Practice in Sheffield before returning to Galloway as a partner in a local practice and Director of a Regional Research Network. He plays bagpipes, both Highland and Scottish smallpipes, and has enjoyed traveling the world and meeting members of the Clan diaspora across the globe. He and his wife Janet, a teacher and environmentalist, live in Wigtownshire.
Gathering 2023
2023 Clan Gathering – tickets now available!
The 2023 Gathering of the Clan Hannay Society will take place on 26-28th May and will be followed immediately by a special Scotch-Irish / Ulster Scots Historical and Cultural Trip […]
Sorbie Tower
The ancient keep of Sorbie, owned by the Clan Hannay Society, was build in the 16th century. The ancient seat of the family, it was constructed beside the site of a twelfth-century wooden fort whose foundations can still be seen today. A major restoration campaign is in the works to return the structure to its former glory.
Find out more in our Sorbie Tower section.
Sorbie Stories
Check out this new section of the site featuring short tales, submitted by family members, about people, places, and things from Clan history that deserve to be savored or remembered.
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Hanna Gathering in the News
The Mourne Observer printed the following article on p. 23 of the Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 issue.
Kilkeel will play host to international gathering of the Hannas
By Julie Mclaughlin (julie @ mourneobserver.com)
An international gathering of people with the surname Hanna will be taking place in Kilkeel towards the end of this month. The Clan Hannay Society is hosting a special Hanna gathering to enable people with the surname Hanna to get together and meet one another. The Clan Hannay Society is an organisation “dedicated to global fellowship and friendship of all those bearing or descended from the family names Hannay, Hannah, Hanna or Hanney”, their website, Clanhannay.org, says. The organisation was founded in 1960. The society even has published a history of the Hanna family, “The Hannays of Sorbie” by Stewart Francis, which is available on Amazon. All people with the surnames Hanna, Hannay, Hannah, Hanney and similar are invited to attend two special days of events taking place at the end of May.
An international gathering of people with the surname Hanna will be visiting Hanna’s Close in Kilkeel at the end of May to learn more about the Hanna family in south Down.
People do not have to be members of the Clan Hannay Society to attend. The Northern Ireland event is timed to take place directly after the annual Clan Gathering, which is taking place in the village of Sorbie, Scotland, the last weekend in May. According to the organisers, “This is therefore a unique opportunity to meet with kinspeople with a shared historical and genetic connection and to find out more about one of the most active Scottish clan societies.”
The main focus of the two days of events will be Kilkeel, which according to the Clan Hannay, has the highest concentration of the surname Hanna in the world. The two-day schedule starts with a coach tour of County Down on the afternoon of Monday, 29 May. That evening at 6pm will be the Clan Hannay Town Meeting at the Kilmorey Arms Hotel in Kilkeel. This will be followed by a Clan Hannay Ulster-Scots dinner with entertainment by the Schomberg Society.
“We will use this opportunity to have an American-style town hall meeting for the clan leadership to present where the Clan Hannay Society is after over 50 years of existence and the future direction at both Sorbie Tower, our ancestral home, “and with our sister societies around the world,” a spokesperson said. “This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and share with Hannas, Hannahs, Hanneys and Hannays from across the British Isles and beyond as well as a time for an open Q and A session with the clan leadership and to meet with the clan historian and clan genealogist. “Many of the original founders of the Clan Hannay Society from Northern Ireland have sadly passed away but we think this event will offer a chance to discuss future directions and to see if there is interest in rekindling local Clan Hanna activities in Ulster and across Ireland.”
The Clan Hannay Society will stop to see the Robert Hanna statue in Kllkeel during a tour of local sights.
On Tuesday, 30 May, there will be a visit to Hanna’s Close from 9 to 10am. At 10am there will be an introduction to the Schomberg Ulster-Scots Society, which will include a stop at the Sgt Major Robert Hill Hanna statue at Lower Square, Kilkeel. He received the Victoria Cross for his heroism in World War I.
On the Tuesday afternoon, there will be a scenic tour of the Mourne Mountains, Scarva and Hillsborough. For those who wish to attend the town hall meeting, it is free and no tickets are required.
Tickets for the dinner at the Kilmorey Arms are £33 for adults and£8.50 for children. They can be purchased online at clanhannay.org/product/kilkeel-dinner-tickets and the deadline for booking is 22 May. There is an £8 supplement payable on the night for those who order the sirloin steak meal.
Tickets for the entire two-day Scotch-Irish/Ulster Scots Historical and Cultural Trip to Kilkeel, which includes the dinner at the Kilmorey Arms, is £75 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at clanhannay.org/product/kilkeel-tickets.
For more information, contact Keith Hanna by email at postmaster @ kdehannaithe.plus.com.
Obituary: Harry Hannay
Harry Hannay, the husband of Clan Hannay Society Membership Secretary Jacquie Hannay, passed away on the 30th of December, 2022. He was 81 years old and a long-time member of the Clan Hannay Society. We will all miss his good company and sense of humour. The service will be held at Roucan Loch Crematorium on Monday 23rd January at 2pm.
For the full obituary, please click here.
Ulster Scots Clan Dinner and Town Hall Meeting
The Clan Hannay Society is pleased to announce that we are hosting our first Ulster Scots themed Clan Dinner and Town Hall Meeting in the north of Ireland for 25 years and we cordially invite everyone from across Ireland with the surname Hanna, Hannah, Hannay or Hanney and their ilk to attend.
Cultural entertainment on the evening at the newly refurbished Kilmorey Arms Hotel will be provided by the Schomberg Society who are based in Kilkeel, Co. Down and are a very active Ulster Scots society. This event will coincide with a Scotch-Irish Tour for Scottish descent folks from mainland Britain and overseas who will be attending as part of a two day educational tour.
Many of the Clan Hannay Council will be attending and this is therefore a unique opportunity to meet with kinspeople with a shared historical and genetic connection and to find out more about one of the most active Scottish Clan societies. We will use this opportunity to have an American style “Town Hall Meeting” for the Clan leadership to present where the Clan Hannay Society is after over 50 years of existence and the future direction at both Sorbie Tower, our ancestral home, and with our sister Societies around the world. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and share with Hannas, Hannahs, Hanneys and Hannays from across the British Isles and beyond as well as a time for an open Q&A session with the Clan Leadership and to meet with the Clan Historian and Clan Genealogist. Many of the original founders of the Clan Hannay Society from Northern Ireland have sadly passed away but we think this event will offer a chance to discuss future directions and to see if there is interest in rekindling local Clan Hanna activities in Ulster and across Ireland. Please do attend if you can both the Town Hall Meeting and Clan Dinner and do invite all of your kith and kin who can make it.
For more information and for any questions, please contact Keith Hanna