Above Image: Approaching the bridge.
Above Image & Below 2 Images: Parts of the Millpond & Stream
Above Image & Below 3 Images: Remains of the Mill
Above Image & Below Image: The Millrace and old position
of the Mill wheel.
Situated within the same park environments the Clondalkin oil mills lie the remnants of one of the former nine gunpowder mills that were a very productive enterprise during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Near the fishing pond within Corkagh park it is possible to view at least partial remains of a mill, its millpond and millrace.
The mills here originated in 1716 established by the Huguenot Grueber family and ran until gunpowder production ended just under a century later in 1815.
During their run a minor explosion occurred in 1733 and a much more devastating one in 1787 which destroyed an entire mill, caused local damage and was heard several miles away. Static electricity or a rogue spark may have been the cause in what would have been a very volatile environment. Many workers in this environment would over time have suffered health issues arising from the inhalation of toxins from sulphur and lead material.
Following the cease of gunpowder production the remaining buildings were adapted for agricultural use until around the mid 1900s
The very fact that there are any traces of the former mills here is a testament to the creators of Corkagh Park and the decision not to demolish what was left but to preserve it within the modern park layout. Not all the remains can be accessed easily as they are incorporated into new developments but the ruins adjacent to the park's fishing pond are easily found and navigated, with care taken especially around the millrace where water still runs swiftly.
I was fascinated to see not just the remnants of the mill but particularly the millrace and position of where the mill wheel once operated. You can clearly see where the shaft that held the wheel was inserted in the wall.
Mill ruins of many sorts are really interesting to see but even this small site retains a picture of a time gone by that could so easily have been filled in and tarmacked over. Indeed the old oil mill within the park (see previous post here) has been cleared and made more visible. I will probably revisit it and explore the grounds a bit more in regard to the gunpowder mills while I'm there.
To find the ruins take the entrance to the park off the Grange Castle road (R136) and park in the car park. Take the pathway from the end of the car park and about 40 metres ahead the pathway forks. Take the right fork and follow the pathway approx. 80 metres crossing a metal fenced bridge over a stream leading to the fishing pond on the left. Once over the bridge head into the grass and shrubbery to your right and you come across the remains.
GPS: 53.308987, -6.420635
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