Description of the attraction
Traveling around the Irish County of Kerry, you should definitely visit, located on the shores of the picturesque bay in the suburb of Tralee, the small charming village of Blennerville and its main attraction - the old windmill.
The Blennerville Windmill was built in 1800 by Sir Roland Blennerhasset and was used not only for the needs of the locals, but also for grinding grain exported to the UK, which was very expedient, since in those days Blennerville was a major port. True, already in the second half of the 19th century, due to the siltation of the riverbed and, as a result, the construction of the Tralee Canal (1846), and then the Fenith harbor (1880), the importance of Blennerville as a port was significantly reduced. The global industrialization that swept through almost all of Europe in the 19th century also played a role, as a result of which new technologies were introduced everywhere. Systems whose work was based on the use of steam energy also occupied a special niche, which, of course, led to the fact that the old windmill, whose capacity could no longer withstand competition, practically ceased to be used for its intended purpose, and then was completely abandoned.
In 1981, Tralee City Council bought the Blennerville Mill, and in 1984 restoration work began to transform this important historical and architectural site into an entertaining museum. In 1990, in the presence of the incumbent Prime Minister of Ireland, Charles James Haughey, the inauguration of the Blennerville mill finally took place.
Today, Blennerville is an excellent modern museum with an exhibition gallery, craft center and a small cozy restaurant. Here you can learn in detail about ancient grain grinding technologies, and an entertaining audiovisual presentation will tell you about Blennerville as the main emigration center of County Kerry during the Great Famine (1845-1848).
