Irish Flour Milling:

To his left, rising out of the water, was the grey stone wall of Boland's granary, with great open doors where ships had been unloading some time earlier in the afternoon. Inside he could see the sacks of grain piled one on the other. Weeds grew at intervals from ancient cracks in the wall and these too reflected in the water, profuse, colourful, without movement in the June evening.'

While the above scene from James Plunkett's book 'Strumpet City' may be fictional, where Rashers Tierney stopped at Ringsend on the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 6th 1912, it will have a resonance with many readers of NewsFour.

For almost a further ninety years, until it ceased production in 2001, Bolands Mills not only dominated the skyline at Ringsend but also played a major role in the industrial, commercial and social life of the area.

Sadly, Bolands Mills and nearby Dock Milling no longer provide employment for the countless generations of workers from Ringsend and the Pearse Street area. The constant noise of machinery grinding and the hustle and bustle of daily activity in Ringsend have now ceased as the Irish Flour Milling Industry, within the twenty-six counties, has been reduced to three milling plants operated by Odlums.

The waterside sites of Bolands and Dock Milling are now part of the regeneration of the area as the stories, technology and toil of previous eras begin to fade and become a distant memory.

It is therefore appropriate that such a part of our heritage should be included in a new book recently launched 'Irish Flour Milling: A History 600-2000' edited by Andy Bielenberg and published by Lilliput Press.

The section of the history dealing with the modern area from 1945-2000 was compiled by Norman Campion, who was Marketing Manager of Bolands Mills during the 1960s and 70s. Generous assistance was given by Irish Agricultural Wholesale Society (IAWS), most recent owners of Bolands and Dock Milling, to make this book a reality.

Mr. Campion is deeply committed to retaining for future generations a knowledge of the rich heritage of the milling industry. Working closely with The Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland and Fingal County Council, Mr. Campion has played a pivotal role in ensuring that Shackelton's Mill, built on the river Liffey, in Lucan County Dublin has been saved from the dreaded developers. The mill premises and machinery are being restored and preserved and will soon become a place to visit by all who share a love and interest in our milling heritage.

The noise and rollers may have stopped, the trucks and lorries gone from the streets, the pigeons flown away to find new places but the memories of milling and millers in Ringsend will remain.