Windmill

The National Monuments Service's description

This mill is situated on a level landscape, and has the date 1846 inscribed on the lintel of its E doorway. It was built by James Moran, a millwright who had trained in Holland, and he made and installed all the wooden parts. This was one of about five working mills in Co. Wexford by 1911, but it was roofless by the 1930’s when it was acquired by Gerald Murphy, who replaced damaged parts of the machinery with iron parts from Ballyfane windmill (WX053-080----) and had the building re-thatched. This care allowed it to continue working until 1936 and ensured it survived intact into the 1950s, by which time it was owned by Michael Myler, a nephew of Mr Murphy (Bowie 1974). As the last intact windmill in the country it was conserved as a National Monument in the 1950s (Tacumshane Windmill). (Harbison 1970, 249).
This is a tapering tower (ext. diam. c. 6m) of three storeys with walls that taper with height (Wth at base c. 0.85m; Wth at top c. 0.4m). It has opposing doorways at E and W, and three floors. The joists of the first floor are set directly into the wall, but those of the second floor rest on a rebate. The cap was turned manually, and the two pairs of millstones on the first floor were under-driven. The remains of the corn-drying kiln are nearby. (O’Sullivan c. 1975).

This is a National Monument in state guardianship: No. 457.

See the attached view from E

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wexford' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1996). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Compiled by: Michael Moore

Date of upload/revision: 25 March, 2014

References

Bowie, G. 1974. Windmills in Ireland, with reference to Tacumshin windmill. Unpublished typescript: An Foras Forbartha.

Harbison, P. 1970 Guide to the national monuments in the Republic of Ireland. Dublin. Gill and Macmillan.