Letter to the Exiles – September 04

Mills of the town

Many of you will remember Glynns Mills at the bottom of Francis Street. These mills would have been producing flour and then cattle feeds right up to the eighties. In the intervening years they were deteriorating rapidly, and only in the past year have they been brought into focus again with the total development in that part of town. This was spearheaded with the development of the old docks in the creek as a Marina. This was brought to fruition by the building of a Dutch-type dam at the seaward end of those docks. The building of gates into this dam insured access for boats at all tides. It also ensured that water was retained in the dockland permanently. So the image of the muddy swamps of Kilrush Creek is but a historical memory.

Cast your mind back – check the photos on this website to refresh your memory - there were two mill blocks at the seaward end of Francis street, and one other running up the side of Hector Street. Between them were the Glynns family home and the Monastery of the Christian Brothers. Those last two building s are now in

the hands of the Glynn family. It was with the greatest joy we recently heard of the sale, first, of the two blocks nearest the Marina, and, later of the block siding on to Hector Street. Let’s call the first two mentioned as Unit A.

This Unit A is to be developed as an hotel, and a four-star hotel to boot! The property has been purchased by a syndicate focused on the Reidy family. Many of you will remember Tom Joe who ran a garage at the top of Henry Street. His son and his nephew are at the centre of things. Apparently the space between the two blocks will be built over. Round the corner leading towards Pella Cross will be built the central admin and reception of the Hotel. Once I have seen the plans I will write some more on it. I am delighted at the prospect as many of you will be aware that we have had no hotel in the town since Inis Cathaigh Hotel closed. That Inis Cathaigh had formerly been Williams Hotel, also on Francis Street.

Now while we are talking of mills let's have a look at another golden oldie - Blunnie's Mills at the top of the High Street. It was of course a timber mill in the past. The building has changed in character and ownership. It is presently owned by one, Anthony Kelly, he would be a grandson of the famed Ellie Casey. As far as I can recall the houses in Grace Street would have been built as an early government scheme to settle some of the Irish travellers. Ellie lived there, but made her living in taking out goods to the isolated farmhouses in the West Clare pensinsula area, west of Kilkee.  She was very well known and universally liked. At the time, in the forties I had a lot of contact with the Loop Head peninsula, and if Ellie did not show every month there was general disappointment.

Now Blunnie's Mills is in the hands of her grandson and he has there a very large area given over to furniture and fabrics. But if you wanted an outsized fibreglass replica of a horse rearing up to over ten feet it could easy be acquired for you!

Now with Winter approaching I expect I will have more time to write details for you. It was my original plan to have something for you in every month.

Michael J. Carmody

michael_carmody36@hotmail.com