Odlums The Millers St Mullins

Odlums the Millers St Mullins

1898-1967  No 15

When we see old derelict buildings, our curiosity is aroused as to who lived there? who worked there? what happened to them? why did St Mullins Mills close is one of those mysteries of changing times. Decedents of our pals the dastardly Norman invaders Deveraux builders from Wexford built the current mill in 1847 and folklore tells us they used the remains of the Bald Castle which was in ruin for its big cut granite stone, none of your preservation orders in them days. The first millers were Sutton and Howel followed by Jefferson ,Budd, and then Odlums in 1898.Acorriding to the census of 1911 Rossmore and Nora Odlum lived in Woodville House and their son Douglas who was the last miller who left in 1967.What did the Normans ever do for us ?they brought the mill wheel and new technology which led to the growth of more efficient milling.

The Odlum family lived in Woodville house from around 1910 when they built a new house the return which was over a cellar formed by the stone wall of the original cottage. They imported exotic trees Holm Oak, Lime tree ,and the daddy of todays London plane the Oriental plane and built a tennis court which fascinated the locals who worked to survive and were at awe of this grandeur .The Odlums had a reputation of being a good employer and a generous family Douglas was the last of the Odlums to run the mill ,his daughter Joan went on to being a Bunratty singer and Owner of Dirty Nellie’s pub in Bunratty.

Odlum’s Logo was designed by the Mill workers of St Mullins.

Odlum’s the Millers ran a competition among the workers in their different mills to come up with a logo for their flour. The logo had to incorporate the Owl which was from the family coat of arms. The men of St Mullins came up with the logo shown below which is used on the Odlum’s brand to this day. Odlums had their own barges to transport grain from the sailing ships in New Ross and flour to inland Ireland. The Naas and the Athy were built in South Wales in 1895 and had steam engines. The Barges were in service for more than 50 years. The Athy came to a sad end and was sold for scrap metal to Hammond lane foundries in Dublin. The Naas was scuttled by the grand Canal Company and used to shore up the Milford weir however it was later refloated and restored and called the Jarra

Every man women and child in Ireland was reared on Odlum’s porridge made with Odlum’s Triumph Oatmeal, there were no fancy cereals like cornflakes or sugar puffs, real Men ate porridge.

Odlum’s Cream Flour, Odlum’s Self-raising Flour Odlum’s Wheat meal were all used for baking bread and cakes because that’s what the mammies did.

Odlum’s Mills in St Mullins was a thriving business which was the largest producer of flour in the country through two world wars. They were the employer for the majority of people in the area and provided housing along the quay, electricity to the homes and farm produce for the workers families. Douglas Odlum sold the Mill in 1967 which ended a dynasty

The introduction of the grain silo did away with the need for drying grain on the grain store floors. Diesel driven grinders were more efficient than depending on water from a mill race or pond. Many believed that the arrival of corn flakes and many varieties of other foods also led to a reduction in our use of flour.

Packaged, pre-cooked flakes have left

A land of that old mill bereft.

The Ghosts that were so local coloured

Hiding behind bags of pollard

Have gone from those empty walls.

The Weir still curves its water falls

But lets them drop in the tailrace

No longer wildly chivalrous

                                                                                                 Patrick Kavanagh