1860s – Tweed Mill, Laragh, Co. Monaghan

Mill complex that was at the heart of this once thriving small village. The village consisted of the mills, terraces of workers cottages, a school, and the unique iron chapel. At its height the village had three stone mills – Cherry Vale, Laragh Mills, & Helen Vale dating from 1775 – 1925. Little now remains of the mill buildings, and the remaining workers terraces are in poor condition.

In 1884-85 a remarkable dispute arose between the mill owner James McKean and discontented mill workers. Initially a dispute over pay and conditions, it escalated with an additional dispute over ‘time-off’ for observances of Holy Days of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church. The workers united, went on strike, and he locked them out.

McKean tried to engage linen workers of the Protestant faith from nearby Rockcorry, to come to work in his Laragh mills – but this proved largely unsuccessful. His family also owned a mill at Keady in Armagh, but he didn’t attempt to move any workers from that location, as also being Roman Catholic the dispute may have spread to both sites.