Blennerville Windmill

Open April - October

Phone 066 7121064

Blennerville is Ireland´s only commercially operated windmill. It is also the tallest of its kind in Europe: 21.3 metres high. This 18^th century windmill is now open to the public. There are many fascinating workings to be seen as the giant sails turn. The adjoining building houses interesting exhibitions on emigration and The History of Milling.

The Jeanie Johnston Commemorative Quilt

The Jeanie Johnston Commemorative Quilt was designed and made by the Jeanie Johnston Quilting Circle, a group of women involved in quilting in the Tralee area for a number of years. They are Mary Codd, Eily Kennedy, Kitty Palmer and Wendy Sharpe.

The Quilt commemorates the emigrant barque Jeanie Johnston that made sixteen Trans-Atlantic trips and never lost a crewmember or passenger. The idea for such a quilt was suggested by John Griffin Chief Executive of the Jeanie Johnston ship building project, but it was not until late in 1997 that we decided to have a go and begin work on it. We initially worked in our homes but as the quilt took shape and more space was needed, we moved to a room in the Ashe Memorial Hall.

The design incorporates the Jeanie Johnston in Blennerville with a group of emigrants on the quay waiting to board it. Close by are the Blennerville Windmill and Workhouse, and dotted on the hills in the background are the abandoned homes of famine victims. The Quilts lower border has famine scenes of women digging in search of potatoes and of a mother holding her dying child; a picture of the Fever Shed in Grosse Ile is a reminder of the sufferings of the famine emigrants. There are also crests of some of the seaports associated with the ship; Quebec, New York, Boston, Belfast, Dublin and Tralee.

The quilt was made in three sections and all the figures, maps, buildings and the ship were hand appliqu?d. In the top section, the name Jeanie Johnston and the maps were machine appliqued, while the crests of Tralee and Quebec were done by hand. The wording under the crests was embroidered. In the middle section, the sky was pieced in squares and colours were shaded to reflect an afternoon sky in Blennerville. The mountains were then appliqued to the sky. The sea was strip-pieced for the entire length of the quilt. The bridge was sewn between two sections of the sea and hand appliqued on to the mountains. The bottom of the ship was sewn between two sections of sea to give the appearance that the ship is floating on water. The portholes were machine appliqued and two whole reels of black thread were needed to give the required finish. The sails were made separately; the rigging was crocheted, dyed in coffee and then attached with beads. All the human figures in the middle section were made separately and hand-appliqued onto the background. In the bottom section, the figures were made separately and hand-appliqued to the background. The flowers, windows, and garden in the Fever Shed scene were embroidered. Beads were used to finish the Celtic Cross to enhance its appearance.

The unveiling of the quilt was performed jointly by the American Ambassador, Michael J.Sullivan and the Canadian Ambassador, Ron Irwin, in the Siamsa Tire Theatre Tralee.