Pictures: Dunphy’s historic mill wheel turns once again in beautiful South Kilkenny

For countless centuries, all the corn consumed in Ireland was ground in mills all over the country.

The long history of mills and milling, water and wind-driven, the original green energy, one could say with authority, has been preserved,in many places, thanks to the dedication of some great people.

In Deerpark, Mullinavat, the Dunphy family took a decision to give up milling in 1956. The mill race, the tail race, the weir, the sluices, the ducks on the pond and around the mill, the farming implements — they were all there, and of course a plentiful supply of timber to keep the home fires of their residence burning then.

The Dunphys here in Mullinavat are the owners of a 18th Century mill, that grounded corn from the local farming families, from the early part of the 19th Century and is being presently put into a working condition again. Brothers John, Michael and Richard Dunphy have been busy restoring the mill over the last few years.

They have put a lot of time and effort into seeing the mill wheel turn again turning, and the water from a narrow mill race powering it along. There was a time, when at least from October to the end of April or the beginning of May, the corn mill here was at the core of the farming community’s priorities and was a hive of activity. The mill was undoubtedly of immense cultural and industrial significance not only to South Kilkenny area but to the county.

As children and later as teenagers, the four Dunphy boys — John, Michael Richard and the late Gerard — remember working in their late parents’ mill on the different lofts.

The family were the owners of the mill from around 1877, when Michael Dunphy came from Ballyfacey in Glenmore to take over the milling of corn and running the farm. The restoration works have seen the arrival of a new water wheel — a ‘breastshot’ type from the crafted hands of Pat Sheehan of Burnchurch, County Tipperary — and also the conversion of the mill building into a first-rate heritage tourism facility.

The mill at Dunphys of Deerpark was constructed before 1830, as it is registered on the O/S map in 1837 as a Mill building. It’s a four-storey stone building for the grinding of all forms of corn and also during The Emergency, 1939/45, in Ireland the Dunphy family were granted a license to grind maize.

Originally from Ballyfacey in Glenmore, Michael Dunphy married into the family of Walsh, being given ownership from a Richard Hayes and before him a Patrick Hayes, that registered it as a mill in 1833, who seemingly was the man that started milling here nearly 50 years before.

The mill wheel constructed in wood from oak and douglas fir, this is turning beautifully and where beautiful pristine water from a very beautiful mill-race drove the new mill wheel which was done by a firm specialising in this type of work.
The four-storey stone building is a Mecca and an Aladdin’s cave, with all the mechanical details that a working mill should have still in perfect working order.

Recently, the Buckestown Vintage Group organised an event, displaying all types of vintage items. Seamus Anderson — whose father, the late Jim, was a pioneer in vintage machinery around when no vintage clubs were in operation — was in full flight. He was welcoming all his friends from many other vintage clubs, and the tractors, cars, stationary engines, farm machinery of a olden age all lined up.

The generosity of the people in the vintage community is outstanding, turning up with the machinery that is their pride and joy on an inclement day.

Other guests and visitors arrived from vintage societies around the country and tea and light refreshments were served.
Small group tours were accommodated and taken inside the mill and John Dunphy spoke to all of them, explaining all the workings of a 19th Century corn mill.

Catherine Delahunty Dunphy and Deirdre Foskin Dunphy were on hand here, such an array of cakes, buns, tarts and more.
A donation for the Waterford Hospice could be made and north of €900 plus Revolut e- donations, went to the Waterford Hospice.