A woollen mill has operated on our site in Graiguenamanagh since 1204 when Cistercian monks, alongside Anglo-Norman knight William Marshall, founded an abbey in Graiguenamanagh. The town’s Irish name, “Gráig na Manach,” translates to “Village of the Monks.”
A testament to the monks’ legacy, the Mill Race, an artificial water channel built in 1204, still flows. Originating from the Duiske River, it once powered the waterwheel. For over 800 years, mill owners have maintained this pristine waterway, making it one of Ireland’s oldest and longest-surviving mill races.
Graiguenamanagh’s deep connection with wool and textiles stems from its abundant natural resources of water and fertile land. Monks crafted wool, yarns, and cloth, exporting them to the great textile centres across Europe, including Lucca in Northern Italy. In 1536, Henry VIII suppressed the Abbey and the monks numbers gradually declined, but the mill endured, eventually becoming our home.
