Dripsey Woolen Mills

[AlanR83]

Hello,

Does anyone out there know when Drispey Woolen Mills was converted from a Flour Mill to a Woolen Mill?
I have the Wikipedia doc that says "In 1903, Mr Andrew O'Shaughnessy purchased Dripsey Woollen Mills from Mr Charles Olden" " It had previously been a flour mill". However I would like to know was it a flour mill up to 1903 or was it a converted to a Woolen Mills years before the 1903 purchase. The reason I ask is my Great Grandfather was a Dyer in Sallybrook from 1860 on but I have found evidence that he was around Inniscarra Parish in the 1850's so if a Wollen Mills was there then he must have been working in it.

Any info appreciated.

[gaffy]

There is a reference in the book Grand Opportunity: The Gaelic Revival and Irish Society, 1893 - 1910 saying that O'Shaughnessy purchased the out-of-date woollen mill at Dripsey, that description suggesting it had been a woollen mill for some time.

In terms of how long, I suspect some time after 1837, since in Lewis' TOPOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IRELAND, there are only mention of paper mills and flour mills:

http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/I/Inniscarra-Barretts-Cork.php

I can get you back to the 1880s, for example, Guy's Topographical Directory for 1889 says "At Dripsey is an extensive woollen mill" and Guy's Cork Almanac for 1884 mentions "Lynch, D & Co., Dripsey mills, Woollen manufacturers".

Both of these references found here (there are other directories listed, you may be able to get further back):

http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/places/streetandtradedirectories/

Edited to add: I suspect that the previous reference to "Lynch, D & Co" relates to Daniel Lynch in the following reference:

"Leemount House, Coachford was, c1895, the residence of Albert Beamish, who held the post of managing director of the Dripsey Woollen Mills under the ownership of Messrs. Daniel Lynch & Co. Ltd. "

That being so, there are newspaper and other references suggesting this Lynch operating in the area back to the 1860s, albeit most references to a drapery business, but that would fit in well.

[AlanR83]

Thank you very much for this - this is very helpful!

[DavidMoore]

The Dripsey Woollen Mills were founded in 1860 according to The Irish Industrial Yearbook as well as several industrial reports