Dripsey Woollen Mills
In 1903, Mr Andrew O’Shaughnessy purchased Dripsey Woollen Mills from Mr Charles Olden who was then senior partner of the firm of Atkins and Chirnside and Company. It had previously been a flour mill. High quality woollen goods such as cellular blankets, bed-spreads and ladies and gents tweeds were made and exported to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
As with the paper mills, a village grew by the mills, as more mill-workers came to the area. There were about 70 houses in the village which bore the unusual name of the Model Village and was seen as a social experiment at the time.
Some years later Mr O’Shaughnessy purchased Sallybrook Woollen Mills, Glanmire, and in 1929 he took over Kilkenny Woollen Mills, which was then in liquidation, thereby establishing himself as one of the leading woollen manufacturers in the country and an exporter to such far away places as China.
In 1923, Andrew O’Shaughnessy had been elected a TD, under the Progressive banner, and in June 1924 the then Minister for External Affairs, Mr Desmond Fitzgerald, appointed Mr O’Shaughnessy as representative from Ireland at the International Labour Conference at Geneva.
As with the paper mills, a village grew by the mills, as more mill-workers came to the area. There were about 70 houses in the village which bore the unusual name of the Model Village and was seen as a social experiment at the time.
Some years later Mr O’Shaughnessy purchased Sallybrook Woollen Mills, Glanmire, and in 1929 he took over Kilkenny Woollen Mills, which was then in liquidation, thereby establishing himself as one of the leading woollen manufacturers in the country and an exporter to such far away places as China.
In 1923, Andrew O’Shaughnessy had been elected a TD, under the Progressive banner, and in June 1924 the then Minister for External Affairs, Mr Desmond Fitzgerald, appointed Mr O’Shaughnessy as representative from Ireland at the International Labour Conference at Geneva.
