Cregg Mill
Encyclopedia
Cregg Mill is a converted 18th century watermill
located near Corrandulla village in County Galway
, Ireland
, approximately 9 miles from Galway City. The mill serviced the local area, including neighbouring Cregg Castle, and served as a feeding centre for the poor of Corrandulla during the Great Famine. An advertisement in the early twentieth century shows that wheat
, rye
, corn
, oats
, and barley
were kiln dried and grinded there.
The mill is situated on the Cregg River
which rises from a spring a half mile to the north, and flows into Lough Corrib
.
map shows that, originally, three watermills stood at the Cregg River bridge.http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,535346,737863,6 However, due to the effects of the 1845-1852 Great Famine, only one mill was functioning in the 1853 edition of Griffith's valuation
, with Patrick Wade listed as the miller
.http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=22&Submit.y=11&Submit=Submit&familyname=wade&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=GALWAY&unionname=&parishname=ANNAGHDOWN The miller's cottage adjoins the Mill. In the third edition (1913) of the Ordnance Survey Ireland
map only the current Cregg Mill is standing, and it is marked as "Flour Mill in ruins".http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,535346,737863,6
In 1918 a newspaper article noted that "efforts are being made to re-establish the Cregg Corn Mills, Annaghdown
, on a co-operative basis" to service the local farmers. By 1919 work had commenced on repairing the mill to a working condition, and readers were urged to buy the "few shares left" in the co-operative and assist in "establishing an industry that shall remain as a monument to their patriotism and business accumen". The co-operative was named "Harward Wade, Son and Co., LTD."
By 1935 the company had gone bust and ended in acromony, with Francis Brennan Wade applying for the winding up of the company. But in 1940, Francis Brennan Wade began advertising the mill as open again for business.
In 1953 the ESB
had its local headquarters at the mill for the Rural Electrification
scheme, with the notice stating that 325 houses in the area were ready for wiring.
By 1958 the mill was again for sale as a working mill, with the equipment listed as: "a modern tiled drying kiln...2 pair French burr stones
, 1 pair shelling stones for oatmeal, pair combined oatmeal shelling seives, combined oatmeal duster, 1 double pair elevators, 1 single pair elevators, friction hoist
, and all the usual pulleys and shafting".
In 1963 the mill and miller's cottage were being sold as a disused mill At some stage the mill wheel was acquired by the Salthill Hotel, Galway.
In the late 1970s the mill was converted from a three storey structure with wooden floors into a four storey structure with concrete floors, designed to be an interior design studio with studio workshops and bedroom accommodation. By 1983 the mill and cottage were once again for sale.
In 1985 the mill and cottage were bought by the current occupants and the mill serves as a family home.
on the façade and coursed elsewhere. The Irish National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describe such an ashlar façade as "a rarity, suggesting that the landowner spent considerable money on building the mill". The window sills are tooled limestone, with round-headed windows at the original attic level of gables. The National Inventory comment that the appearance of the mill is "reminsicent of the façade of a country house and the doorcase may be compared to those of the Slane
Mill (c.1760), Co. Louth".
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
located near Corrandulla village in County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, approximately 9 miles from Galway City. The mill serviced the local area, including neighbouring Cregg Castle, and served as a feeding centre for the poor of Corrandulla during the Great Famine. An advertisement in the early twentieth century shows that wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, rye
Rye
Rye is a grass grown extensively as a grain and as a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe and is closely related to barley and wheat. Rye grain is used for flour, rye bread, rye beer, some whiskeys, some vodkas, and animal fodder...
, corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
, oats
OATS
OATS - Open Source Assistive Technology Software - is a source code repository or "forge" for assistive technology software. It was launched in 2006 with the goal to provide a one-stop “shop” for end users, clinicians and open-source developers to promote and develop open source assistive...
, and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
were kiln dried and grinded there.
The mill is situated on the Cregg River
Cregg River
The Cregg River is a river in County Galway, Ireland. The river rises from a spring a half mile to the north of Cregg Mill, and flows for about seven miles into Lough Corrib...
which rises from a spring a half mile to the north, and flows into Lough Corrib
Lough Corrib
Lough Corrib is a lake in the west of Ireland. The River Corrib or Galway river connects the lake to the sea at Galway. It is the second largest lough in Ireland . It covers 178 km² and lies mostly in County Galway with a small area of its northeast corner in County Mayo.The first canal in...
.
History
The Mill was built around the 1780 and the first edition (1842) of the Ordnance Survey IrelandOrdnance Survey Ireland
Ordnance Survey Ireland is the national mapping agency of the Republic of Ireland and, together with the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland , succeeded, after 1922, the Irish operations of the United Kingdom Ordnance Survey. It is part of the Public service of the Republic of Ireland...
map shows that, originally, three watermills stood at the Cregg River bridge.http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,535346,737863,6 However, due to the effects of the 1845-1852 Great Famine, only one mill was functioning in the 1853 edition of Griffith's valuation
Griffith's valuation
Griffith's Valuation was a survey of Ireland completed in 1868. -Griffith's background:Richard John Griffith started to value land in Scotland, where he spent two years in 1806-1807 valuing terrain through the examination of its soils...
, with Patrick Wade listed as the miller
Miller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
.http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&Submit.x=22&Submit.y=11&Submit=Submit&familyname=wade&firstname=First+Name&baronyname=&countyname=GALWAY&unionname=&parishname=ANNAGHDOWN The miller's cottage adjoins the Mill. In the third edition (1913) of the Ordnance Survey Ireland
Ordnance Survey Ireland
Ordnance Survey Ireland is the national mapping agency of the Republic of Ireland and, together with the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland , succeeded, after 1922, the Irish operations of the United Kingdom Ordnance Survey. It is part of the Public service of the Republic of Ireland...
map only the current Cregg Mill is standing, and it is marked as "Flour Mill in ruins".http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,535346,737863,6
In 1918 a newspaper article noted that "efforts are being made to re-establish the Cregg Corn Mills, Annaghdown
Annaghdown
Annaghdown is a parish in County Galway, Ireland. It takes its name from Eanach Dhúin, Irish for "the marsh of the fort". The village lies around Annaghdown Bay, an inlet of Lough Corrib...
, on a co-operative basis" to service the local farmers. By 1919 work had commenced on repairing the mill to a working condition, and readers were urged to buy the "few shares left" in the co-operative and assist in "establishing an industry that shall remain as a monument to their patriotism and business accumen". The co-operative was named "Harward Wade, Son and Co., LTD."
By 1935 the company had gone bust and ended in acromony, with Francis Brennan Wade applying for the winding up of the company. But in 1940, Francis Brennan Wade began advertising the mill as open again for business.
In 1953 the ESB
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
had its local headquarters at the mill for the Rural Electrification
Rural electrification
Rural electrification is the process of bringing electrical power to rural and remote areas. Electricity is used not only for lighting and household purposes, but it also allows for mechanization of many farming operations, such as threshing, milking, and hoisting grain for storage; in areas...
scheme, with the notice stating that 325 houses in the area were ready for wiring.
By 1958 the mill was again for sale as a working mill, with the equipment listed as: "a modern tiled drying kiln...2 pair French burr stones
Millstone
Millstones or mill stones are used in windmills and watermills, including tide mills, for grinding wheat or other grains.The type of stone most suitable for making millstones is a siliceous rock called burrstone , an open-textured, porous but tough, fine-grained sandstone, or a silicified,...
, 1 pair shelling stones for oatmeal, pair combined oatmeal shelling seives, combined oatmeal duster, 1 double pair elevators, 1 single pair elevators, friction hoist
Hoist (mining)
In underground mining a hoist or winder is used to raise and lower conveyances within the mine shaft. Modern hoists are normally powered using electric motors, historically with direct current drives utilizing solid-state converters , however modern large hoists utilize alternating current drives...
, and all the usual pulleys and shafting".
In 1963 the mill and miller's cottage were being sold as a disused mill At some stage the mill wheel was acquired by the Salthill Hotel, Galway.
In the late 1970s the mill was converted from a three storey structure with wooden floors into a four storey structure with concrete floors, designed to be an interior design studio with studio workshops and bedroom accommodation. By 1983 the mill and cottage were once again for sale.
In 1985 the mill and cottage were bought by the current occupants and the mill serves as a family home.
Structure
The mill is constructed of limestone - ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
on the façade and coursed elsewhere. The Irish National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describe such an ashlar façade as "a rarity, suggesting that the landowner spent considerable money on building the mill". The window sills are tooled limestone, with round-headed windows at the original attic level of gables. The National Inventory comment that the appearance of the mill is "reminsicent of the façade of a country house and the doorcase may be compared to those of the Slane
Slane
Slane is a village in County Meath, in Ireland. The village stands on a steep hillside on the left bank of the River Boyne at the intersection of the N2 and the N51 . In 2006 Slane's population was 1,099, having grown from 823 in 2002. The population of the village and the surrounding rural area...
Mill (c.1760), Co. Louth".