Coola Mills, Kilbeggan, County Westmeath (1806)
Side view of Coola Mills from the Kilbeggan side, away from the river.
The mills are located in the townland of Coola about a half mile outside Kilbeggan. They were built in 1806 to produce mainly flour but milled also oatmeal, barley and some malting barley for the nearby Lockes Distillery. The mills were powered by water wheel with water brought upstream from the River Brosna by means of a conduit canal or millrace. Most of the mill’s produce was sent to Dublin via Kilbeggan harbour and on to the Grand Canal but later in the 19th and 20th centuries train and road transport took over that role. The Coola Mills remained in production until they closed in the 1970’s and have become derelict.
Since then, some use has been made of the mill property when a small scale hydro-electric 110 kW generating station started operations there in 2007. This is one of only two hydro-electric power stations in Westmeath and uses a Francis Turbine.
Some years back there was talk of converting the mill to a distillery that would complement Lockes Distillery museum nearby. However, the plans never came to fruition and Lockes Distillery now produces its own malt whiskey, albeit on a small scale.
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References:
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/L_ROY_08271 (National Library of Ireland online photographic archives – 19th century view of the mills).
www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography... (Another 19th century view of the mills – same angle as other photograph).
www.potstill.de/coolamills1.htm (Pics of Coola Mills taken 2004).
www.westcd.ie/Docs/Westmeath_Report.pdf (Westmeath hydro-power station at Cool Mills, Kilbeggan – p19).
www.waterwheelfactory.com/francis.htm (The Francis Turbine).
.
Thank you for reading.
Stuart.
Coola Mills, Kilbeggan, County Westmeath (1806)
Side view of Coola Mills from the Kilbeggan side, away from the river.
The mills are located in the townland of Coola about a half mile outside Kilbeggan. They were built in 1806 to produce mainly flour but milled also oatmeal, barley and some malting barley for the nearby Lockes Distillery. The mills were powered by water wheel with water brought upstream from the River Brosna by means of a conduit canal or millrace. Most of the mill’s produce was sent to Dublin via Kilbeggan harbour and on to the Grand Canal but later in the 19th and 20th centuries train and road transport took over that role. The Coola Mills remained in production until they closed in the 1970’s and have become derelict.
Since then, some use has been made of the mill property when a small scale hydro-electric 110 kW generating station started operations there in 2007. This is one of only two hydro-electric power stations in Westmeath and uses a Francis Turbine.
Some years back there was talk of converting the mill to a distillery that would complement Lockes Distillery museum nearby. However, the plans never came to fruition and Lockes Distillery now produces its own malt whiskey, albeit on a small scale.
.
References:
catalogue.nli.ie/Record/L_ROY_08271 (National Library of Ireland online photographic archives – 19th century view of the mills).
www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/environment-geography... (Another 19th century view of the mills – same angle as other photograph).
www.potstill.de/coolamills1.htm (Pics of Coola Mills taken 2004).
www.westcd.ie/Docs/Westmeath_Report.pdf (Westmeath hydro-power station at Cool Mills, Kilbeggan – p19).
www.waterwheelfactory.com/francis.htm (The Francis Turbine).
.
Thank you for reading.
Stuart.