Boland’s Flour Mills, which stands deserted on Grand Canal Dock, is one of Dublin’s landmark buildings. The mill, for the moment at least, dominates the local skyline. It is particularly imposing when viewed from the streets of the South Lotts.

Built from stone in the 19th century for the famous Dublin bakery dynasty, it stands six stories high and contains 250 windows. Much of the old heavy machinery and equipment such as milling machines and wooden hoppers are still housed in the building.

The stone structure was dwarfed in the 1940s by the addition of three giant concrete storage silos. Ideally located close to the docks at Charlotte Quay, the mill and storehouse supplied the nearby Boland’s Bakery, which has long since been demolished, making way for the Treasury Building. At one stage, the mill had 150 dray horses stabled to deliver its loads.
It was of course, the building’s role in the Easter Rising of 1916 which earned it a place in Irish history.

When planning the Rising, the rebel leaders were well aware of the strategic location of Boland’s. Overlooking the Grand Canal Dock at Charlotte Quay and MacMahon Bridge, positioning a garrison in the mills would allow defence of the three bridges spanning the Grand Canal; Lower Mount Street, Ringsend and Grand Canal Street, and so block the canal entrance to the city’s port.

The garrison would also be strategically placed for attacks on both rail (Sandymount and what is now Pearse) stations serving the south of the city, and the main roads from the port of Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), where the majority of British reinforcement troops would land.

A little before midday on Easter Monday 1916, a young mathematician called Éamon de Valera led a garrison of around 100 into the mills. He ordered the workers to take the rest of the day off and the rebels took up positions throughout the buildings. Under the command of De Valera, they held out until the following Sunday, when they reluctantly surrendered under orders from Pádraig Pearse.

The Boland’s Mills Garrison were the last of all the Dublin city garrisons to surrender. Between Mount Street Bridge and the mills, they had inflicted huge casualties on the British forces who were trying to reach the city centre.

In 1984 the site, then in receivership, was acquired by food giant IAWS, but it finally ceased production in 2001. Later, the site was purchased by the Sean Kelly-controlled Benton Property Holdings. He had previously successfully redeveloped the old Adelaide Hospital site at Peter Street in Dublin’s south inner city.

In July 2006 it was announced that a mixed development of offices, a boutique hotel and a restaurant fronted by British celebrity chef Gary Rhodes were to be built on the massive 7,149 square metre site. Planning permission was refused in 2007 and today the building sits quietly overlooking the city.

It was destined to be one of the jewels of the docklands. Those plans have come to an abrupt halt, but while the future of Boland’s Mills may be uncertain, its past is part of who we are.