A cunning plan…generating electricity from the water wheel at the Mills in Ennis. In towns across this county and country, substantial energy resources sit unused. Millions and millions of euros in today's money was spent on infrastructure that lies neglected and, if properly utilized, could be a significant revenue stream for local authorities offsetting energy bills and significantly reducing the national CO2 footprint. Towns like Ennis, Sixmilebridge, Corofin, and Newmarket on Fergus, for example, have water wheel mill races that are still in working order but are not used . These mill races are a significant part of our built heritage and the most important way we can protect and value this heritage is to use it. If today a local authority or private organisation set out to put the mill works in Ennis in place it is unlikely it would get through the planning process and cost would render the projects un-viable.
Install an electric generator at the Mill in Ennis and use the electrical power generated to off set the substantial cost of public lighting at night and the 5000 euro a month electricity bill at Ennis leisure complex during the day. It's a cunning plan, but one that needs careful examination. For example sticking a geared generator to the existing water wheel that was restored a number of years ago is not viable. The problem is it is an undershot water wheel with a low head source. (put simply a very old inefficient design) Today, the requirement for the utilisation of low head hydro power sources for electricity generation is greater than ever. The currently unused low head micro-hydro potential is estimated as 500 MW in Germany and around 600 - 1000 MW in the UK. Although the cost of electricity is stable at the moment, as a country we are over dependent on imported sources of fuel to generate electricity. Sources like the mills in Ennis have the potential to be part of the solution. I would estimate about 100 to 300 MW nationally. Most low head, low flow hydro power sources however are today not exploited since standard turbines cannot be employed economically in such conditions. Properly constructed water wheels offer a solution to this problem. A small number of companies in Germany and the USA are again manufacturing water wheels for electricity generation. The water wheels themselves are, however, based on design manuals from the late 19th Century. This is something that is being quietly worked on and it is the intention of a number of Councillors to make this a reality.
Mill History
I have carried out a quick trawl of the records relating to the Ennis Mill at the library. The Mill has been a part of Ennis for hundreds of years, having been built in the middle of the 16th century. Although there is evidence that the mills in Ennis were, according to tradition, established by the Franciscan Friars and continued in operation throughout the centuries. Following the dissolution of the Ennis Friary one Dr Nelan obtained a lease of the site of the Monastery of Grey Friars of Inch of Clonnamata, a Water Mill , a salmon Weir and an Ell Weir upon the river Fergus. In 1656 Thomas Bull leased the "Mills of Ennis with a carton of Land " from the earl of Thomond In1712 Francis Gore, an officer in Cromwell’s army purchased these mills from the Earl of Thomond, They were subsequently bought by Messers Bannatyne who worked them as corn grinding and flour mills. Wollen mills were abundant in Ireland until taxed by Thomas Wentworth in 1636.. Messers Bannatyne bought them probably after 1824 as he is not included in the list of the corn factors in the town for that year. By 1846 Bannatyne is listed as being one of the five corn factors and the only Miller in Ennis. By 1837 Ennis Mills had been recently enlarged and capable of producing 30,000 barrels of flour annually. The general change in agricultural practice from the production of corn to beef and also the improvements in the milling process led to the concentration of the industry in Limerick and the decline of Ennis . By 1899 the Mills were closed. It had struggled on for a number of years on a seasonal basis. The Clare Journal 27-12 1903 records that the construction of large grinding wheels in Limerick sounded the death knell for Ennis mills. The development of cheap electric motors and CI engines put the tin hat on it. There is a detailed record of a man operating the Mill in 1888 being "killed and horribly mutilated" indicating that the mill was in full use at this point.Times are changing and in time the mill race in Ennis and the other locations around the county will regain their importance.