Watch a 360 degree video immersing you in the evening reception held at Sorbie Tower during the 2023 Gathering weekend.
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Watch in 360 degree video as David Hanna, the Clan Piper, leads a procession to Sorbie Tower at the 2023 Gathering.
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The Mourne Observer followed up on their previous month’s preview article with this report on the Hanna(y) trip to Kilkeel!
By Julie Mclaughlin (julie @ mourneobserver.com)
KILKEEL warmly welcomed a group of international visitors last week. Hosted by the Clan Hannay Society, there were two days of special events that anyone with the surnames Hannay, Hannah, Hanna or Hanney was welcome to attend. Local people had the chance to catch up with distant relatives and make new friends at the gathering, last Monday and Tuesday (29 and 30 May)…
See the full article (PDF).
Clan Hannay genealogist Dr Keith Hanna (centre) with clan member and tour guide Maynard Hanna and Heritage project officer Laura Johnston
The Mourne Observer printed the following article on p. 23 of the Wednesday, 3 May, 2023 issue.
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.
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.
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
The Clan Hannay Society is pleased to announce a special Scotch-Irish educational trip, Town Hall Meeting and Ulster Scot Clan Dinner in Kilkeel, County Down, N. Ireland and invites all Hannas, Hannays, Hannahs, Hanneys and their ilk from near and far in Ireland and abroad to attend and learn more. This unique trip and dinner is open to Members and Non-Members of the Clan Hannay Society and immediately follows the annual Clan Gathering in Sorbie, Scotland that is taking place from the 26-28th May 2023.
The Scotch-Irish or Ulster Scots are a distinct group of people that descend from the original lowland Scottish Presbyterian settlers that ventured across the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland from the 17th century onwards. Many would subsequently re-emigrate further afield to north America and Australasia in the 18th and 19th centuries taking with them their desire for freedom, independence, religious self sufficiency as well as a vibrant aural and cultural heritage.
The main focus of our two day unique tour is Kilkeel, a fishing and farming town in rural southern County Down that happens to have the highest concentration of the Scottish surname ‘Hanna’ in the world today. It is situated in the scenic and world famous Mountains of Mourne region of the north of Ireland beloved of the writer of the Narnia stories, C.S. Lewis. It also has one of the oldest extant Clachan settlements in all of Ireland at Hanna’s Close one mile outside the town that was set up by a group of inter-related Hanna families in the late 17th century. It has been renovated and turned into Holiday Cottages and an Ulster Scots heritage site. This guided tour is an ideal opportunity to see and experience what the Scots who settled in Ulster went through in the last 400 years and how the crucible of Ireland shaped them for their journey to north America in particular with respect to their shared Scottish, Irish and British histories.
We will meet the Schomberg Society, a very vibrant and active local Ulster Scots group in Kilkeel, who have preserved their distinctive Scottish dialect and Ulster Scots culture, customs & traditions within a hardy community that has produced a long history of military service and tradition of emigration with hundreds of Hanna men, women and children moving to North America, Australia & beyond.
A N. Ireland Clan Hannay Dinner will be held in the Kilmorey Arms Hotel, Kilkeel on the evening of the 29th May 2023. This will be an ideal opportunity to meet with a wide range of Hanna/ys across Ireland as well as residents of Kilkeel. The Clan Town Hall Meeting beforehand is free to all and should be an ideal opportunity to hear about the Clan Hannay Society and share ideas as to how Clan Hannay can engage better with those who are interested in the north of Ireland and to listen to local needs.
Monday 29th May 2023
11.30hr – 13.45hr – Depart from Cairnryan Ferry Terminal in Scotland on the Stenaline ferry to N. Ireland (arrive 1hr early; car parking @£5/day)
13.45hr – 17.00hr – Coach pickup in Belfast and Scotch-Irish tour of north Co. Down including Groomsport, Donaghadee and Ballynahinch arriving at the Kilmorey Arms Hotel in Kilkeel via the scenic coastal route
18:00hr – 19.00hr – Clan Hannay Town Hall Meeting in the Kilmorey Arms Hotel, Kilkeel
19.30hr – 22.00hr – Clan Hannay Ulster Scot Dinner with Schomberg Society Entertainment
Tuesday 20th May 2023
9.00hr – 10.00hr – Hanna’s Close 17th Century Ulster Scots Clachan Settlement visit, Kilkeel
10.00hr – 12.00hr – Introduction to the Schomberg Ulster Scot Society and visit to the Statue of Robert Hanna V.C., Kilkeel
12.00hr – 14.00hr – Lunch in Kilkeel and free time
14.00hr – 18.30hr – Scenic Tour of The MourneMountains and Scotch-Irish sites in Co. Down including Scarva and Hillsborough
19.30hr – 21.52hr – Return via Stena Ferry from Belfast back to Cairnryan Terminal
Full trip itinerary
Places for the full trip itinerary including the Clan Dinner are limited to 35 and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Tickets cost £75 per person and can be purchased here. Please note that your ticket does not include travel to and from Northern Ireland, or accommodation in Kilkeel, which must be booked separately (see below).
Return fare Cairnryan-Belfast costs c. £35-£40 each way and can be booked at Stena Ferries. Please reserve your foot passenger bookings immediately after booking your Tour ticket
The number of hotel rooms is limited and can be booked at the Kilmorey Arms Hotel in Kilkeel at the preferential rate of £85/night B&B for a single room and £120/night for a twin/double room. Please book directly with the hotel by email or phone, +44 (0)28417 62220, citing the Clan Hannay event bedroom rates. Please note that 15 rooms will be held at the hotel until 31st January 2023, so please book early to secure our preferential rate. Alternative B&B and other accommodation preferences in the Kilkeel region can be found on websites like www.booking.com.
Ulster Scot Clan Dinner only
Click here to purchase tickets for the Clan Hannay Three Course Ulster Scot Dinner on the 29th May. Please note these tickets are for the dinner only in Kilkeel and do not include any other activities. A full menu of multiple options to suit all tastes for the dinner involving excellent locally sourced Mourne produce can be downloaded here. You will be contacted after your booking to confirm your preferred choices. The Clan Hannay Town Hall Meeting in the Kilmorey Arms Hotel prior to the dinner is free and open to all.
Any questions or for further information please contact Keith Hanna to arrange this as space will be limited.
Clan Hannay events will be included in the price of the tickets, but some transportation and accommodation are not. Please review this checklist carefully to make sure you have made the necessary preparations.
The Clan Hannay Society has organised a series of events and meals as well as a coach to provide transport while we are in Northern Ireland. Tickets can be purchased here. The excursion includes a special 3-course dinner for the evening of Monday the 29th of May. There is also an option to purchase only the meal without the rest of the tour.
Please note that your ticket does not include travel to and from Northern Ireland, or accommodation, which must be booked separately.
The excursion departs from Cairnyran, a ferry terminal a few miles north of Stranraer in Scotland.
You will need to provide your own method of transportation to Cairnyran. Some possibilities are:
You will need to purchase your own round-trip tickets for this trip. Tickets cost c. £35-£40 each way and can be booked at Stena Ferries.
Rooms have been reserved at the Kilmorey Arms Hotel in Kilkeel at the preferential rate of £85/night B&B for a single room and £120/night for a twin/double room.
You will need to book your own accommodation directly with the hotel. Make sure you ask for the Clan Hannay event bedroom rate (valid if booked by 31st January, 2023). Contact info is as follows:
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 to Kilkeel, Co. Down, N. Ireland from the 29-30th May for those of you interested in understanding your north Irish clan ancestors. As part of the tour an Ulster Scots Clan Hannay Dinner and Irish Clan Hannay Town Hall Meeting will be held in Kilkeel on the 29th May. Each event can be booked separately.
A full program of events is planned, to include a reception in Sorbie Tower, the AGM of the Clan Hannay Society, a Dinner Dance and Clan games. Tickets are now available (please log in to view) and a full timetable of events can be seen further down this post.
The 2023 Gathering includes a repeat of the hugely successful reception at Sorbie Tower, which is a rare chance for members and their guests to see the tower by candlelight and with fires lit. The traditional elements of Piping in the Colours at Sorbie Tower, led by Clan Piper, David Hanna, a Dinner Dance on Saturday evening, along with a picnic and Clan games on Sunday also feature over the weekend.
The Creebridge House Hotel in Newton Stewart is the venue for the Saturday night Dinner Dance, which will feature a traditional ceilidh along with a raffle and auction to raise money for the Tower Restoration Fund (donation of prizes very welcome, bring them along or contact the Clan Convenor).
On Sunday the grounds of Sorbie Tower will be the venue for a family picnic with Clan games. Bring your own food, drink and picnic rug, and simply enjoy the afternoon with other Clan members, or take part in the Clan games. There will be informal games such as badminton, horseshoes etc for all, and plenty of opportunity for children to burn off some excess energy! If you would like to donate a game, or funds to buy a game, to be kept at the Tower, then please contact the Clan Convenor.
The timetable for the Gathering is:
Friday 26th May
19:00 hrs. Reception at Sorbie Tower. Tickets £15 per person including wine (or soft drink) and nibbles. A chance to see the Tower by candlelight. Clan members and their guests welcome.
Saturday 27th May
10.30 hrs for 11.00 hrs. AGM. Garlieston Village Hall. Clan members and their guests welcome. Free of charge, no ticket required.
13.00 hrs. Buffet lunch following AGM. Tickets £15 per person. Clan members and their guests welcome.
15.00 hrs. Piping in the Colours at Sorbie Tower. Free of charge, no ticket required, all welcome.
18.30 hrs for 19.00 hrs prompt. Clan Dinner Dance at the Creebridge House Hotel, Newton Stewart. Tickets £30 per adult, £15 per child up to 12 years. Please note that under 12s will receive a child’s portion dinner. Clan members and their guests welcome.
Sunday 28th May
12.00 hrs onwards. Picnic with Clan games at Sorbie Tower. Bring your own picnic and watch or take part in the Clan games, which are open to all, adults and children. Free of charge, no ticket required, all welcome.
Accommodation
The Creebridge House Hotel is offering a special Bed and Breakfast rate for Clan members of £60 per night for a single room, and £80 per night for a double or twin room, if booked directly with the hotel before May 1st.
For information on accommodation, transport, places to eat and visitor attractions, go to the Visit Scotland website.
Some camping will be available on site. Contact Stephen Hanna to arrange this as space will be limited.
We have recently received several requests for promotion of external products and services. We also continue regularly to receive “spam” promotions masquerading as legitimate social media postings. As such, we feel we must remind visitors that:
The Clan Hannay Society has a policy of not allowing commercial advertising in its online presence (website and social media feeds).