Blarney Woollen Mills

Mahony Brothers

Martin Mahony & Bros Ltd, owned by the brothers Martin and Noel, began building a mill in Blarney, Co. Cork in 1823. It was completed the following year. A decade later the mills employed 120 people, and by the middle of the 19th century its numbers had swelled to over 200.

Water was the power source for the mill and the Mahonys built a large dam on the Martin river (near Waterloo), forming a mill pond. The resulting pressure drove the mill-wheel at Blarney, via the millstream and millrace.

While textiles was a booming industry for Ireland in the 19th century, Blarney Woollen Mills carved out a niche in tweeds, a product for which the company garnered renown. It also produced woolen worsted cloths, knitting wools and hosiery. A fire at Christmas in 1869 saw the destruction of the mill. It was re-built the following year and still stands to this day. Post-war Europe brought recession to the British Isles and a decline in woolen production. Blarney Woollen Mills went into receivership in 1973.

Kelleher family

In 1928, at the age of 13 years, Christy Kelleher began work at the mill. Rising to supervisor with responsibility for the day-to-day running and maintenance of the heavy industrial machinery, he worked there for 22 years until 1950. In 1975, Kelleher bought and reopened the mills. He died in 1991, and the firm is still owned by the Kelleher family.