Newmills Corn & Flax Mills

County Donegal


Parts of this complex date back four centuries to a time when water was the main source of power for multiple tasks, such as grinding grain. One of Ireland's largest waterwheels spins thanks to the River Swilly. Exhibits explain the function of the many cogs and gears. It's 5km southwest of Letterkenny.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby County Donegal attractions

1. Main Street

3.09 MILES

Letterkenny's long, sloping main street is graced by a cute little market square halfway down. This is the most attractive part of the town, with a…

2. Donegal County Museum

3.44 MILES

Letterkenny's 19th-century workhouse, built to provide Famine relief, now houses the local museum. The permanent collection offers 8000-plus artefacts…

3. Colmcille Heritage Centre

5.81 MILES

Colmcille's Hall of Fame is this comprehensive heritage centre on the shore of Lough Gartan in a wooded grove, with a lavish display on the production of…

4. Glebe House & Gallery

6.43 MILES

The English painter Derrick Hill bought this 1828 mansion in 1953, providing him with a mainland base close to his beloved Tory Island. Sumptuously…

5. St Colmcille's Abbey & Birthplace

7.09 MILES

The 10th-century ruins of Colmcille's abbey lie on a hillside to the north of Lough Gartan and northwest of Lough Nacally, beside a 16th-century chapel…

6. Glenveagh Castle

9.76 MILES

This castle was modelled on Scotland's Balmoral Castle. Henry McIlhenny made it a characterful home with liberal reminders of his passion for deer…

7. Old Tullyaughnish Church

9.85 MILES

The roofless ruins of 17th-century Old Tullyaugnish Church are special because of the Romanesque carvings in the eastern wall, taken from a far older…

8. Glenveagh National Park

10.17 MILES

Lakes shimmer like dew in the mountainous valley of Glenveagh National Park. Alternating between great knuckles of rock, green-gold swaths of bog and…