Dundrum before the famine

• The Dispensary is a privately paid for health centre. In 1851 it became public and was owned by a group known as the poor law unions.

• In 1880, Dr Iasac Usher was in chrage of the dispensary. There is a memorial in his honour in Dundrum.

• The main businesses used the river Slang to generate

power. A millpond was created for the river to run into so as to make power for mills. In 1800 there were two mills in Dundrum, a paper mill and an iron works. Griffith’s valuation shows that John Walsh, Esquire, rented the iron works, mill, offices and garden from Sidney Herbert. He rented out a lot of land in Dundrum.

• The iron works is visible on an 1837 map and is labelled. • Archeologists found charocoal and anvils at the site in 2001. • By 1860 the iron works was no longer running.

• The Manor Laundry Mill was the largest employer of women in the area, with clothes to be washed coming from as far away as Wicklow by horse drawn carts. It closed in the early 1940’s when the washing machine became available, and it was cheaper for people to wash their clothes at home.