mill (water)

Corn mill, built c.1780, comprising detached single-bay two-storey corn mill with single-storey lean-to roofed addition to west elevation. Mill stream to north gable. Detached single-bay two-storey kiln to south of site, with single-storey lean-to roofed section to west gable, and single-storey elevation to roadside due to sloped site. Now disused and derelict. Pitched corrugated-iron roofs. Rubble stone walls, with some concrete block repairs, having slightly enlarged quoins. Square-headed window and door openings with some timber battened fittings. Cast-iron axle of water-wheel to north elevation of mill, cast-iron and timber and cast-iron axle cog, cast-iron drive-shaft cog and drive-shaft, and with millstone to interior. Set beside rural road with recent farm gates.

This is an interesting example of a small-scale corn mill and detached kiln, used by local farmers until the twentieth century. The kiln was used to dry grain prior to milling and would have been an important element in the industrial chain. The mill itself is also of technical interest due to the survival of its power transmission gearing and set of millstones. It is unique in a County Monaghan context in being the only surviving example of this type of gearing. The proximity of the complex to the road allows it to subtly enhance the surrounding landscape, creating a perceptible sense of the industrial heritage of the locality. The millstream to the north has two streams, with sluice gates formerly in place to divert the flow of the water from one to the other, to power the mill wheel or stop it when not in use.