Plaques to be Erected at Newry Cathedral Garden to Recall History of Newry Flour Mills

Two historical plaques are to be erected at the garden in Newry Cathedral to recall the history of the site. The beautiful Cathedral gardens sit on the site of Newry Flour Mills and one plaque will recall the history of the area while another will remember James Fegan, a fireman who lost his life fighting a fire at the site in 1910.

The project is being forwarded by historian Peter Sinclair and the permanent historical memorials are a joint project between the Sinclair Trust and the Old Newry Society with kind permission of Newry Cathedral Parish. Peter published a book on Corn and Flour Milling in Newry back in 2022. (sinclairgenealogy.info")

Planning Permission was granted for the project 22nd December 2025 which is described as "The erection of two circular plaques on granite piers supporting railings enclosing the Cathedral Garden facing Hill Street in Newry. The first is a stainless steel heritage plaque describing the history of the Newry Mills previously on the site of the Gardens, which were destroyed in a fire on 8 December 1910. The second is a Fire Brigade Unions 'Red Plaque' dedicated to the memory of Fireman James Fegan who lost his life fighting the same fire in 1910."

Calls had been made in recent years for public recognition of James Fegan by local historian John McCabe so progress of the project is to be welcomed.

One of the plaques that will be installed explains that In 1588, Sir Henry Bagenal granted Patrick Creely two water mills with land, water courses and two weirs on the River Clanrye. For the next 322 years, an oat mill and a flour mill operated on the site powered by a mill race flowing along what became Water Street.