An exquisite example of Victorian industrial architecture

Herdman’s Mill was built in Sion Mills in 1853 on the banks of the River Mourne by the Herdman Brothers. The River Mourne has powered industrial machinery here since 1640 as this was also the site of a former corn mill. The Herdman Brothers bought the site in the mid-1800s and hired the architectural company Lanyon, Lynn, and Lanyon who extended the complex in a beautiful Italianate style. The village was also laid out as a model linen village and many of the buildings are now listed. Sion Mills has a strong cricket tradition and was the venue for a celebrated moment in cricket history when the Irish team beat a West Indian side in July 1969. The name ‘Sion’ comes from the townland of ‘Seein’ which means the ‘seat of Finn’ in Irish.

Thanks to Urbandoned for very informative video on Sion Mills

Paul Brady (b.1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane and is one of Ireland’s most highly regarded and successful artists of all time. His style crosses musical boundaries incorporating folk, rock, blues traditional Irish & classic pop.