Fashion designer Rion Hannora Ní Dhonnabháin, a 2019 graduate of Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to study at The New School in New York.
Known professionally as Ríon Hannora, the designer, who is originally from The Lough in Cork City, has been named a Fulbright-Centennial Awardee for 2026-2027 and will join The New School’s Master’s programme in Fashion and Society.
The award was announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Embassy of the United States of America in Dublin as part of the Fulbright Irish Awards programme.
According to Fulbright Ireland, Ríon’s work often sits between fine art and fashion. Inspired by the Baroque era while committed to contemporary, non-oppressive fashion, she has developed a distinctive creative practice rooted in sustainability and craftsmanship.
During her time at Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), TUS, Ríon, pictured above with Owen Feeney. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, taught herself about natural dyes and sustainable design practices, principles that have remained central to her work ever since.
She graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Fashion and is a committed advocate of slow fashion.
Ríon established her label, Hannora, in 2021 and has since received a number of accolades, including a Cork City Council Individual Artist Bursary and the RDS Craft Award.
Her work has featured in Vogue and has been showcased at Copenhagen Fashion Week. In 2025, she was named Irish Tatler Women of the Year.
Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a Fulbright-Centennial Awardee, Ríon will use the opportunity to expand her creative process and examine the connections between Ireland and the United States through the lens of immigration and fashion.
Ríon said: “I feel very honoured to have been chosen for this award and am really looking forward to spending some time solely on my practice in New York.”
Professor Anthony Caleshu, Dean of Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD), TUS, said: “LSAD is thrilled for Ríon. Winning a Fulbright is ultra-competitive and it validates Ríon as a significant next-generation artist and fashion designer. The Fashion programme at LSAD is amongst our most internationally recognised, and Ríon joins alumni who’ve made their mark at home and abroad. We wish her every success and look forward to seeing what she does next.’
Speaking at the awards ceremony, U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Edward S. Walsh, also congratulated Rion and her fellow awardees.
“As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we look toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond. The Fulbright Program plays an important role in strengthening the close and special relationship shared by the United States and Ireland. Fulbright awardees are committed to cultural exchange, academic excellence and innovative research in pursuit of finding solutions to global issues. I am delighted to extend my warmest congratulations to the 2026-27 Fulbright Irish Awardees on their success.”
The Fulbright Programme has supported academic, cultural and professional exchange between Ireland and the United States since 1957. The 2026-2027 cohort includes academics, professionals, artists and students who will undertake research, study and professional development opportunities at leading institutions across the United States while acting as cultural ambassadors for Ireland.
Dr Lisa Moran, Dean of Graduate Studies at TUS, who attended the awards ceremony, said:
“The Fulbright Award represents one of the high points of the university calendar in Ireland. It is a celebration of the very best of Irish-US collaboration and impact creation. Congratulations to Rion on her marvellous achievement.”