Pettigo Mill

Pettigo Mill.

Pettigo owes a great deal of its existence and economic importance to Pettigo Mill. The waterfall to drive a mill was probably the reason why the village grew here rather than at Mc Grath’s Castle at Aghnahoo. In addition to the flow of the river, three lakes in the Lettercran area, Lough Nageague, Lough Navarnog and Lough Veenagreane could supplement the flow in a dry period of weather. When the sluice gates at these loughs were opened their waters reached Pettigo Mill in about an hour. In 1851 Pettigo Flax Mill was added to the existing corn mill. On March 17th, 1856 a young girl was caught by her clothes in the machinery of the mill at Pettigo. She was drawn in and immediately crushed to death. The mill also supplied power to a saw mill which made egg boxes among other things and in the 1930 generated electricity for most of the village of Pettigo. In 1957 the ESB completed negotiations with, Mr Shaw, of Pettigo Mill and took over the provision of light and power to the village.