Blennerville Windmill



Map Reference: Q815130 (0815, 1130)



Blennerville windmill is the largest working windmill in Ireland. It was built in 1800 by Sir Rowland Blennerhassett but was ruinous by 1850. It was purchased by Tralee Urban Council in 1981 and restored by Fred Hammond. It re-opened in 1990. It is a five-storey tower with an external walkway at first floor level. This platform allows the miller to adjust the cap to turn the sails into the wind.



The cap is moved by turning a wheel by means of a continuous chain pulled by the miller standing on the external platform.



The mill is now in working order and the various outbuildings associated with it house an audio-visual theatre, a museum of emigration, craft shops and a restaurant.



Blennerville was once the port of Tralee to which it was connected via the canal. As such it was a major departure point for emigrants in the 19th century. Silting up of the harbour led to its decline.





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