THE FLAX & FLOUR MILLING INDUSTRY
Carrigaline once boasted a Flax mill which was unusual to the south as the linen industry tended to be predominantly in the north of the country. It lasted only short time and closed in the early 20’s due to lack of demand after the war. The building was then turned into the Crystal Ballroom and in more recent years the funeral home replaced it.
The land around Carrigaline was rich with the resulting development of the Milling industry and associated agricultural enterprises. The milling industry had it’s ups and downs over the centuries- the Roberts family being much involved.- the remains of the lower mill still remains next to the main street , The upper Mill was located near Beaver Lodge next to the pottery site. The remains of the weir and sluice gates are at Ballea Bridge. The Cantillon family ran a successful Bakery in the main street until the eighties.
Ballea Bridge
The Carrigaline Mills
The Milling industry in Carrigaline can b traced back to the 1760's when Michael Roberts established the first flour mill in the area at Kilmoney Glen -near the site of the Old Abbey. Later in the eighteenth century, a William Roberts became involved in the milling business & in 1780 he moved to do business in Cork City. By 1800, he established a mill grain store and housing at Union Island (now Union Quay) . However, William Roberts kept the Kilmoney mill going until the start of the nineteenth century, but due to insufficient water was not available to power or develop a larger mill. The increased demand on the milling industry resulted in the creation of two mills by William Roberts and his son Michael Roberts. The mills were known locally as the Upper and the Lower Mills.
In Lewis's Topographical Directory of 1839, the following relates to the Carrigaline Mills:
‘There are three large bolting mills the property of Mr. M.Roberts, capable of grinding 20,000 sacks of flour annually the greater part of which is shipped from Cork to England. The trade chiefly consists of the export of corn, flour and potatoes. The channel of the river has lately been deepened 6 feet, principally at the expense of Mr. Roberts and vessels can now deliver their cargoes to the bridge".
At full production (in the 1830s) fifty men were in employment there.Estimates are of a minimum yield of approx. 1,500 tonnes of corn from Carrigaline region. This would suggest the sizeable acreage of 3,000 acres under corn in the Carrigaline area at that time."
Griffith's Valuation Survey of 1851, valued the Lower Mill at £60-00 with adjacent house and offices valued at £10-00.
Dimensions of The Upper Mill.
This mill (owned by Michael Roberts) was located north of Beaver Lodge (now demolished). The 1851 survey states that the Upper Mill was used primarily asa threshing mill, an obvious necessity due to the high acreage of grain in the Carrigaline Region.
Dimensions quoted are in feet and inches.
Length. Breadth. Height.
Office. 12-3. 18-0. 6-0.
Office, Barn & Store. 60-3. 18-0. 16-0.
Office. 13-6. 8-6. 8-0.
Office. 20-6. 16-0. 8-0.
Office. 21-0. 17-0. 7-0.
Office/ storehouse. 55-0. 19-6. 12-6.
Threshing Mill. 20-6. 16-0. 9-9.
Threshing Mill. 5-6. 16-0. 8-0.
Mill. 53-3. 43-3. 44-0.
Mill Return. 27-6. 71-9. 44-0.
Porch to mill. 6-3. 12-9. 6-0.
Next to the mill was the residence of Eliza Roberts, so this property was also quoted, dimensions being:
Length. Breadth. Height
House. 18-6. 27-6. 17-0.
House addition. 28-0. 6-9. 17-0.
Office. 9-9. 10-6. 10-3.
Office. 7-9. 10-6.
Office. 24-0. 8-6. 6-6.
THE MILLS FOR SALE.
In spite of large cash injections and the improvements made, the mills were put up for sale in 1862.
The following advertisement was placed in the Cork Constitution:
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TO BE SOLD BY PUBLIC AUCTION
AT MARSHS, SOUTH MALL, ON 8-3-1862, AT 12.00 NOON.
The Land and Mills known as Carrigaline Flour Mills, now in the possession of Messrs Andrew and Joseph Savage producing a clear rent profit of £155-6-9 per annum. Complete with good residences for the Proprietor, his Millers and Workmen, Garden etc. and the whole is in first rate order, upwards of £3,000-00 having been spent upon them by the tenants. The land is good and on a limestone bottorn.2
Financial problems. The mills remained in operation but on a declining scale until circa 1867 about which time J.W.Savage experienced financial difficulties.
IN BANKRUPTCY.
In the matter of JWSavage a Bankrupt.
To be let, by order of the Court, the Mill and Mill-lands, Dwelling House, Offices, Stores, Kilns, &c., situated and known as the CARRICALINE MILLS, County of Cork.
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The mills eventually came into possession of the Cantillon family with records showing owenership by Charles Joseph Cantillon from circa 1872, managed on his behalf by James Fitzgibbon.The Cantillons operated a shop & bakery from the Main Street until the 1980s.
Remains of the Flour Mill, seen off Main St. are still there, are a reminder of Carrigaline’s once thriving Milling Industry. Much of this building has now been made into apartments and retail units.
John Cogan of Cork Road responded to the decline of the major mills and set up 'Cogans Mills' on his property in the 1920's -at which he worked untiul his retirement in the1970's. This provided a valuable local service. The buildings were demolished in the 1980s where the small development called 'Millwood' now stands on Cork Road.
 The Flour Mills c1880
Carrigaline was a thriving market town since the last century and the venue for one of the biggest Animal fairs in the country attracting buyers from far and wide. With the creamery being placed in the centre of the village until 20 years ago. A local co- operative has taken it’s place.
Within the village the thriving Pottery was to become the major employer employing over 200 people at its peak. Also, the bakery and creamery created great employment. This agricultural and industrial wealth enabled a community of approx. 800 to remain in the locality.
Demise of the Flax Industry
The flax industry continued for a few years in the early twenties again which was slightly unique as the Flax and Linen industry was concentrated mostly in Northern Ireland. It closed after a few years and the premises situated near Forde’s Funeral Home became a Dance Hall run by one of the colourful characters of Cork, the late Jown W. Reidy. He was an independent member of Cork Corporation with the witty slogan of “The needy need Reidy and Reidy needs your votes”. At the time of elections when Dev and other parties would have massed pipe bands, John W decided to have dance bands which drew massive crowds but not a great number of votes. Advertisements would appear on the evening echo against a background of Palm trees indicating Carrigaline as one of the most romantic places on earth. What the locals thought was another thing but the great character died young and the ballroom was bought as a Parish halland it served as such for many years. However it fell into need of repair and also new fire regulations and in 1980 it was decided to build a new Community hall on a vacant site on the Church Road. It was funded by local efforet and grants under the youth employment scheme and opened by President Hillery in 1986. The old Church of Ireland school situated the site of the permanent TSB bank also served as a Community hall for many years and the Community Association held many of their origianl meetings there.
Shandon Bells, Cork -Trade between Carrigaline and it's major city Cork has always been busy.
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