Our History

The Story of Abbey Mills

It began in 1920. Its founder, John Hastings came from farmlands around Abbeyleix to the monastic town of Roscrea. He purchased a mill close to the Abbey from the Rudd Family which became John Hastings and Sons Ltd. As part of Ireland’s industrial heritage, milling provided, and indeed continues to provide, a vital service to the local farming community. Abbey Mills, now a third-generation business has undergone significant changes and developments over the decades, under John, Jim and now Ivan’s management, as well as the loyal assistance of staff over the years.

Jim Hastings was born beside the mill to John and his wife Charlotte in 1925. It became his life from very early on. The work was labour intensive. The raw ingredients mainly arrived by lorry in 1 CWT bags, which is roughly equal to 50kgs. It was lifted off and carried up ladders into lofts where it was cleaned and dried in traditional kilns and emptied into grinders and mixers. The grain was weighed, wire-tied in bags for delivery to or collection by farmers.

In the 1930s and 40s, the main business was grinding corn and manufacturing oatmeal using the traditional power of a water wheel. The River Bunnow/Moneen was diverted at the Chapel Weir behind the mill and flowed into a pond in the mill yard. Channelled to turn the water wheel, the resultant power turned the millstones which ground the grain. The water then flowed through a mill race at the back of Abbey House, rejoining the River at Burgoo Bridge.

In the 1950s electric motors were introduced, making the water wheel obsolete. This was revolutionary in the story of Abbey Mills. It introduced a faster way of processing grain and allowed the business to grow significantly. A licence (Licence No. 308) was secured from the Department of Agriculture to manufacture animal feed (mostly pig feed) and the main ingredients used were barley, soya bean and pollard.

A grain store at Fancroft, about three miles outside Roscrea was purchased in 1964 by Jim.  This mill and store originally belonged to the Murray family. It was mainly used for drying and storing grain.

In the early 1970s, farmers began to house cattle in the winter and the animals needed a balanced diet to suit indoor feeding. Joining the EEC in 1972, Ireland became more farm intensive and this allowed for further growth of the business. A cubing plant was erected in the late 1970s under both Jim and Ivan’s management, to manufacture nuts for the expanding dairy industry. Traceability of animal feed and recording information for departmental purposes was aided by computerisation.

In 2004, a major refurbishment of Abbey Mills was undertaken. Hill’s Mill in Clonakilty closed, and second-hand raw material bins were purchased. 30 bins with a capacity of 50 tonnes each were transported back to Roscrea. A new mixing plant was introduced which greatly increased capacity for course rations and the cubing plant. A new cuber was also introduced. The most recent addition was an intake and roller system for barley, maize and field beans.

Jim married in 1957 and was joined in the business by his wife Bertha. Ivan became the third generation of Hastings in the business when he joined his parents in 1977.

1. 1920 – Purchase of Abbey Mills by John Hastings.
2. 1925 – James (Jim) Hastings born.
3. 1950 – ESB electric motors introduced to mill.
4. 1959 – Jim Hastings’ son Ivan born. Death of John Hastings.
5. 1960 – Pig feed first manufactured.
6. 1970 – Pond drained, and manufacturing cattle feed commences.
7. 1971 – Bulk storage bins erected.
8. 1977 – Ivan joins business.
9. 1979 – Cubing plant erected.
10. 1980 – Bulk mixing plant built, and weigh bridge installed.
11. 1986 – Bulk storage shed erected.
12. 1987 – Office because computerised.
13. 1992 – Expansion of bulk mixing plant.
14. 2002 – Old course mixing plant demolished and new 15 tonne per hour mixing plant commissioned. Computer to assist in traceability of all feeds from “field to fork”.
15. 2005 – Death of Jim Hastings. Grain store built to hold 2,000 tonnes.
16. 2009 – House beside mill purchased and converted to offices.
17. 2011 – Extra bins added to cubing plant to increase storage.
18. 2012 – New cuber installed to make dairy nuts
19. 2019 – New intake and roller for rolling barley, maize and field beans.
20. 2020 – Centenary of John Hastings & Sons Ltd!