Castlebar hat factory

Greenview

Castlebar caught my eye, I lived quite close to the Hat Factory and recall one elderly European gent living close by, which was a rare event (late 60's/early 70's - I was about 4/5).

The factory had a 300 foot chimney and at 1pm every day, a large blast of a horn to alert the workers to dinner-time, which could be heard all over the place.

http://www.hetireland.org/index.php?page=ireland_hats
http://www.castlebar.ie/education/stpats/webthird/third2.htm
http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1444:when-castlebar-met-belgium
http://towns.mayo-ireland.ie/WebX?14@1.JnNYcf7WdnQ.0@.ee7a0f7
https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/midwest-radio-documentaries/id325058186 Podcast titled "Hay Days & Auld Stocks - Part3 (The Hat Factory Castlebar)"

ricamareicas

I'm a researcher and photographer doing some research mainly on the Castlebar Factory at the moment. SashaK you should speak to Ernie and Susanna Sweeney in Castlebar, they have a large archive work on the Castlebar Factory and are very generous with their time. The Factory building is still intact but vacant and in disrepair but is such a beautiful space. The chimney was destroyed in 1997.

One question regards the Bohermore Galway Factory, is the original building still standing? What does it function as now?
Also Hirsch ribbons Longford opened in the grounds of Connolly Army Barracks about the same time as the Galway and Castlebar Factories. Anyone know anything about that building?

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?opt...ar-met-belgium (Ernie and Susanna Sweeney)

thesandeman

ricamareicas wrote: »

One question regards the Bohermore Galway Factory, is the original building still standing? What does it function as now?

As mentioned earlier it's now a gym and apartments. Don't think any of the original building is left unless they used some of the stones as a centrepiece or something.
As far as I know some of the derelict houses beside it in Grealishtown were sold recently so there may be further changes to the area.

NotaSheep

I am doing some research on the old hat factory in Castlebar too, but cannot find anything on current ownership...is it owned by the council now or privately? Can anybody help? Thank you!

Coillte_Bhoy

Some info here
http://www.mayo-ireland.ie/en/towns-villages/castlebar/history/the-hat-factory.html

yop

Dont start a thread and open another.
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