The History of Rhyno Mills

Since 1846 , a mill has stood at Tonbwee, Castleisland. It was built by Lord Baron Ventry as a flour mill. He constructed a fine milling plant and chose the location wisely, adjacent to the River Maine. On the 25th of March 1873, Redmond Roche of Maglass acquired a 98 year lease on the premises at an annual rent of u14- 12s-6d. On his death on the 12th of September 1884, the lease passed to his son Redmond, who died on the 3rd of November 1894, with the mill subsequently sold on the 11th of June 1901 to a consortium of Tralee businessmen- John Donovan, John Walsh, Maurice Kelliher, Robert McCowen and Richard Latchford. They closed it down for many years, as they believed that it might affect their milling interests in nearby Tralee.


William H. O’Connor, a local man who had been working in Africa, returned to Castleisland in the early years of the Century. However, it was not until 1926 that W.H. O’Connor finally decided to re-open the mill as an animal feed manufacturing plant. He had considered opening a woolen mill, but, being a far-seeing man, he made the prudent decision to open an animal feed mill and became widely regarded as a pioneer in this field. He chose the company name, Rhyno, an old English word meaning “money”. He developed his business from his headquarters in The Kingdom House, and quickly established a progressive and modern mill. He died on the 1st of January 1949 and was succeeded by his sons, Sean, Liam and Hugh. Today, the company is run by his grandsons, Paudie, William and Joe.

  


By damming the fast flowing waters of the river Maine, Lord Baron Ventry had diverted the course of the river. He also constructed a man-made tributary known locally as the Mill Stream, which rejoined the Maine at Barrack Lane Bridge. At the head of the Mill Stream were the weir and sluice gates, controlling the river flow and driving the mighty waterwheel. The waterwheel was removed in 1939, and was to be replaced by turbines delivered from the North. However, because of the outbreak of WW2, they never arrived. In any case, these older machines were eventually replaced by electrification and computerisation. All that remains today of the old mechanism are rows of giant granite plummer blocks and the cast-iron housing for the water wheel bearings. Many fine salmon were caught at the water wheel.

The O’Connor family was one of the leading employers in the district and generations of Castleisland families earned their daily bread by working at the mill. Sacks of grain were manually hoisted up into the mill and emptied into the grain bin.


From there, the grain was separated and crushed by the millstones and transferred to the sieving machine where it was bagged and drawn away by horse and cart. Part of the typical dress of the mill was a sack, which covered the head and shoulders.

  
Many people will remember the fine sunny days of yesteryear when young people whiled away the balmy days catching tadpoles, swimming, picnicking and playing, by the weir that is no more. We remember the flowery meadows and the River Maine that has never run dry. Those Carefree days of a bygone age remain as happy childhood memories for generations of Castleisland people.


And as the mill enters it’s third century, it’s success is a great tribute to the O’Connor family.

  
   
 

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