Odlum's Mills St Mullins Closes 1966 Barrow Path

The Nationalist and Leinster Times

September 9^th 1966

Campaign to get new industry / Face Emigration as Mill Closes

Eleven men from St Mullins, Co Carlow are facing a crisis.

Employees of Odlum’s flour Mills; they are under notice which expires on Friday, October 28^th –the day the Mill grinds to a halt for the last time. It has been in production for 150 years, but is now uneconomic. There is only one other Industry in St Mullins and this employs just over 20 men. The number of men indirectly affected by the closure of the mills is 46.Only one has secured alternative employment –and he has to travel eight miles to New Ross the nearest town. Twelve months ago the mill employed 22 men. Last December twelve of these were left go, the initial move towards final closure. The Future of the building is still in the balance.  On Friday night the local clergy, Dail Deputies, the management and the workers met to exchange views. Although nothing definite emerged the two Deputies Tom Nolan and Seamus Pattison promised to contact The Industrial Development Association with the view to attracting another industry, possibly on the site of the Mill. Mill Manager Mr Vincent Baker told reporter that the reason for closure was that the Mill was not up to the production standards required to keep it going as a paying concern. This Mill he said has the capacity of five 20 stones of flour per hour. The average mill produces at the rate of twenty four 20 Stones. At its peak the mill employed up to fifty men and had four Lorries and two vans on the road. Of the twelve men let off in December as well as three office workers none found work in the village. Three went to England and now more are considering the same course. Of the original dozen only Dick Gladney was unmarried. He now works in the sugar factory in Carlow. Jim Higgins is the only man of the eleven to go in October who has found another job. Jim Doyle who has worked in the Mill for 30 years said “I feel very bad about this. I have worked in England for years and now I suppose ill return there leaving my wife and family at home” Ned Ryan, who has worked in the Mill for 15 years, summed it up this way; “It is a tragedy and it will be the end of St Mullins”. Ned is the only single man at the mill, others have up to eleven children and the majority are only half way through school.

The century and a half old Mill was originally built by a Mr Devereux from Wexford and he transferred the ownership to Sutton & Howlett who in turn sold to Budds in 1833.In 1898 the Mill changed for the last time when Odlom’s took it over.

A Magnificent house stands beside the Mill, built at the turn of the19th Century, and this has been occupied by members of the Odlum family up to a month ago. The house and mill overlook the River Barrow and it is one of the most picturesque settings for any type of industrial concern in the country. St Mullins has for years been the stronghold of hurling in the county. Through the years it has produced the cream of the Carlow County team and of the twelve men under notice no less than eleven of them have worn the county jersey at one time or another.

Since Christmas the Mill has only been engaged in in the production of Bakers flour but prior to that, when things were better at the Mill, it had disturbed wholesale flour throughout Leinster. On Friday last Dick Byrne took the last load of twenty Tons of flour to Portarlington. A meeting will be held on September 23 to see if there is a possibility of establishing another industry in the area