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Brendan's Voyage
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In September 1988 I was sailing around the coast of Ireland in my old 32' (10m) wooden yacht when I was caught in bad weather at Tory Island, off the northwest coast. I sheltered in the lee of Inishbofin Island until the gale went through and took the opportunity to seek out an army colleague, Jimmy, in the nearby village of Falcarragh. He and his friend Larry came sailing with me for a few days.
As we progressed south, Larry told me about an old corn mill which was for sale near Dunfanaghy, suggesting it would suit one of my dreams of leaving the army to set up a sailing and mountaineering school (my other dream being to sail around the world). I had no interest in seeing it, being pre-occupied with travelling south. The weather changed for the worse, and the long-range prospects were so bad that we had to double back some 60 miles to a safe mooring, at Meevagh on Mulroy Bay, where I could leave the boat for a week.
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I returned 5 weekends in a row to resume my journey but the weather changed as soon as I got there, so I gave in and went to look at the Mill. There were a lot of neglected and derelict buildings set in a little sheltered hollow, beside a lake, in sight of the sea and the mountains. It was nice enough but I didn't fall madly in love with it. Anyway, I was in the army and stationed in Kilkenny, 250 miles away in the South East. Then, through a strange set of circumstances, all my family and personal interests shifted to Donegal, so I bought the Mill in April '90.
I began by restoring 'The Cottage', which was built in 1937, and I started an Independent Hostel there in June '91. My Dad helped with the running of the Hostel until I left the Army, after 20 years service, on St. Bridget's Eve '92 (31st Jan.). Later that year and into '93, I renovated the Old Kiln House (where the corn for the Mill used to be dried), which was in very bad condition. I added on a porch and a kitchen in stone, with lots of old timber features inside, and thereby added a further 12 beds to the Hostel, which was now becoming very popular.
In '93/'94 we cleared a field of rubble, rubbish and weeds and started the organic garden and built separate kitchen and shower facilities for the campers who were happily camping on the large front lawn. For safety reasons I took the roof off the derelict Mill House (which was built for the Mill owner around the same time as the Mill itself, in 1789). In November '95 I began the building of a new extension to the Kiln House to replace the hostel accommodation in the Cottage, so that I could make the latter into a home for myself. Wanting to make the new extension interesting, and since the Kiln House resembled a Railway house, I found a 120 year old mahogany railway carriage, in very bad condition, near Dundalk. I had it stripped, and then renovated and rebuilt it, and built a Railway Station structure on to the Kiln House to accommodate it.
 Organic GardenClick the images to enlarge | |
 Organic GardenClick the images to enlarge |
In 1998 I began making plans for the next phase, which was to rebuild the Mill House to provide more luxurious and spacious accommodation, and to provide residential workshop/conference facilities for the off-season. This turned out to be a huge undertaking, not just because of this work but also because I decided to make use of the attic spaces. While the building was being rebuilt, I changed the plans to incorporate a large reception room over the conference room that leads to a 110-seater auditorium in the roof space of the main building. I also managed to find space over the bedrooms on the 'West Wing' to provide a small apartment for myself.
In 2000, I employed a manager and we opened the Mill House, incorporating an organic restaurant into the operation for that first summer.
In 2001, I rented the Mill House and Cottage to two local ladies who ran a very successful restaurant in the summer, and workshop facility off-season.
Since I began this project in 1990 many wonderful people helped to make all this possible. Some were professional - many were relatives, friends and willing voluntary workers. To all of these I wish to express my sincere thanks, and hope that their experience here was beneficial and joyful. Without you, this would not have been accomplished!
Now, in 2002, I have decided to follow my second dream - to sail around the world. Although I have in mind to sell the Mill House, primarily, it may be appropriate to be open to selling more, or even all of the property.
The adventure continues!!
Contact: Brendan Rohan, Corcreggan Mill, Dunfanaghy, County Donegal
Email:brendan@corcreggan.com
Home:074-36644
Mobile: 087-2586402
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