Volunteers needed to rebuild historic mill in Donaghmore

VOLUNTEERS are being urged to step forward and help take a major step back in time, by constructing an ancient water mill in Donaghmore.

After the discovery of an unusual stone at a location in the village, it was soon established that the artefact was a remnant from a mill built and used by the monks from the local monastery from around the seventh century – pre-dating the more common vertical water wheel mills.

The mill is likely to be have been in use up to 500 years before the arrival of the O’Neill clan into the village of Donaghmore. And it was fitting that it was an O’Neill – local historian Pat O’Neill – who made the discovery.

This week, the Donaghmore Historical Society issued an appeal for community involvement in an ambitious project to rebuild the mill, which it is hoped can become a major tourist attraction for the village, which is also renowned for its award-winning floral displays.

“In 2016 we discovered the remains of an ancient horizontal water mill dating from the seventh century at Donaghmore village. This technology was unique to Ireland and was invented by monks in the seventh century, to produce flour,” said a spokesperson for the society.

“There is only one reconstructed model in Ireland which is in the Irish National Heritage Park in Wexford. We would like to rebuild the Donaghmore water mill. It will be a unique heritage monument site in Northern Ireland, that can be visited by schools, history groups and tourists.

“This heritage site will be a place that visitors can go experience how our ancestors lived, and see how life differed in the past. It will focus on preserving history. The horizontal water mill harks back to a different era of Ireland’s past and it will demonstrate our rich and ancient history of innovation and manufacturing.

“Over the last year we have worked with an engineer. He has produced a design and working drawing, along with associated images for the reconstruction of a seventh century horizontal watermill.”

The historical society which is very active in the village, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023 and they are hoping the mill project will mark their landmark year in style.

They are urging members of the community who are interested in the project to get in touch through their Facebook page or by emailing dmorehistsoc@hotmail.com

Speaking to the Dungannon Herald earlier this year, Richard Byrne, who is a retired engineer, said, “We intend to have it (the mill) fully operational so that it can mill flour from grain. At the minute we are still working out what the exact cost of building this mill will be, but once that is completed, we will start to look for funding and maybe we will have it up and running in around a year or two.

“The building to house the mill will be made from oak with a shingle roof, so that it will all be authentic to the original mills back in the seventh century. We are hoping to have it situated near the river. We will likely have to pump the water up to it, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

He added, “Donaghmore already has a really rich heritage and it was of course home to a monastery where this mill would have been. There are about 16 to 18 important historical sites in and around the village. We believe there were six High Crosses surrounding the monastery at one point and this stone would have been the base for one of those at a time.”