The last windmill to be in use in Ireland

The Tacumshane Windmill was built in 1846 and features a rare revolving straw thatch cap to catch the wind for its sails. The Normans introduced these types of vertical tower windmills as an alternative to watermills which required access to fast-flowing rivers and were thus able to grind more grain and produce more food. In medieval times, the flat and windy landscape of South Wexford was dotted with these unusual structures. Virtually all the wood used in the Tacumshane Windmill’s internal machinery was salvaged from shipwrecks found along this dangerous coastline, an area of sea known by locals as ‘the graveyard of a thousand ships. The windmill was in use until 1936 and was declared a national monument in 1952.