Timeline: Our History

In 1733 the Flying Shuttle Loom was invented, hugely impacting the world of weaving. Created by John Kay, an English man who was exposed to the woolen industry his entire life, he knew the problems and the pitfalls and could see the great need for advancement in the industry.

In previous loom designs the shuttle was thrown, or passed, through the threads by hand, and wide fabrics required two weavers seated side by side passing the shuttle between them. John Kay mounted his shuttle on wheels in a track, and used paddles to shoot the shuttle from side to side when the weaver jerked a cord. Using the flying shuttle, one weaver could weave fabrics of any width more quickly than two could before.

This loom is still used today in our Avoca mill in County Wicklow, primarily for our Mohair and Heavy Donegal Throws.

By the end of the 18th Century, the valley of Avoca was a busy and vibrant community mining copper, zinc, lead and gold. The mill was the nucleaus of the village, spinning and weaving wool from local sheep to clothe local families, and grinding corn to feed the miners.

Sometime in the mid 1800s a man named Mr. Nicholas Dunne took over the weaving mill, naming it "Millmount Mill". He made blankets for the army and the Rathdrum and Shillelagh Unions. At that time the mill only produced wool in three colours; white, grey or red. 100 years from now, that would all change.

Just beside the Millmount Mill sat a Georgian Tigroney House, belonging to the Wynne Family. Albert and Alice Wynne decided to start a family in this home. In 1872 the eldest of their five children was born. Her name was Emily Wynne.

After Emily came, Jack, Charles, Winifred and Veronica. As you read on you'll learn what a key role Emily and her younger sisters, Winifred and Veronica, play in the history of Avoca's Mill.

After being trained in design, Emily went on to learn more skills that she would use down the line. She ran the day to day operations of a lace repair shop with her mother, and learned about engaging with customers and growing sales. At this same time Emily's younger sisters, Winifred and Veronica, secured posts with the War Office in London. They were both well spoken and skilled at reading, so were well suited for translating letters intercepted along enemy lines. What an interesting job that must have been. 

Fun fact: In 1915, it is recorded that a rug cost a full fifteen shillings. That's only 10 cents!

By 1926, the market for lace had collapsed and the war time jobs had come to an end. The Wynne sisters were in need of securing alternative employment.

Under the management of the Wynne sisters, the mill was given a new lease of life. By 1937, The Wynne sisters went on to buy the business and further develop their designs. They introduced the use of vibrant colours and new weaving patterns. The surrounding countryside provided both inspiration and dye sources. In the walled garden of their family home, they grew plants to use for dyes. With these dyes, they created new colour combinations by twisting strands of wool fibre together with differing colour tones. The sisters creation of signature colour lines is still the brands signature today.

During the 2nd World War, the company thrived because there was no imported cloth. The mill sales went to the highest numbers in 1945. Barbara Donovan, the mill's English agent, would travel by motor bike and side car to potential sales destintations, holding exhibitions throughout London to show the quality product to potential buyers.

Emily Wynne passed at the age of 86.

Veronica and Winifred passed within months of each other. With the passing of all three of the Wynne sisters, their nephew Patrick Wynne and his wife inherited the mill.

On a rainy day in March in 1974, Dublin solicitor Donald Pratt and his wife Hilary drove from Dublin to Avoca Village to see the mill. It was in a state of disrepair.
They were greeted by a local resident by the name of Jim Barry who was running the mill at that time. Jim was so passionate about the mill he convinced Donald that if someone was to resurrect it, it would be a success story again.

Despite knowing nothing about handweaving Donald and Hilary Pratt, purchased the Avoca Mill. They believed there was a future in the Mill’s past. The run-down buildings, the tumbling mill, the rich history of this place had woven a spell of sorts. Donald left his career in law and Hilary gave up her teaching job. They and their five children took over the old, leaking mill and its empty order book. Slowly but surely the looms were humming again, and Avoca began to colour the world once more.

Hilary and Donald had taken on new roles as business owners, taking suitcases of throws to London to try and sell their product in top stores such as Harrods. This task turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. The Pratts became totally invested in the mill and the people who worked there. It became their goal to keep the tradition alive.

By 1980, Mount Usher Gardens had become one of the greatest Robinsonian wild gardens still in existence anywhere in the world. Madelaine Jay took over the ownership of the gardens from The Walpole family, she did her utmost to follow in what often seemed to her to be the footsteps of giants. However, over the years, with the invaluable help of a series of enthusiastic and enormously talented gardeners, she oversaw the continued evolution of these remarkable gardens.

In the 1985, Donald and Hilary's children began their involvement in the business.
Their daughter, Amanda, created the hugely successful Avoca fashion label as well as designing beautiful ranges of ceramics, candles, soaps and more.
Simon, their eldest son, meanwhile, focused on food. Under his care, the food business in Avoca was transformed from a small selection of jams and chutneys in a corner of one of the stores, into some of the country’s best-loved and most garlanded Cafes and Food Markets. He also developed an Avoca food label with an abundance of delicious products and a focus on fresh, quality ingredients.
Ivan, their youngest son, took over the operations of the weaving mill, and Vanessa, their youngest daughter, joined a few years later.

In May of 1993, Avoca Molls Gap opened its doors. Located on the stunning Ring of Kerry, it makes wonderful spot to stop and enjoy the magnificent views.

The Avoca Café Cookbook was published, inviting customers behind the scenes to learn the secrets of over 120 delicious Avoca recipes. Many of these can still be found in our Cafés and Food Markets.

Following on from the best-selling Avoca Café Cookbook, we released our second cookbook in 2002. With over 170 new recipes, it’s full of inspiring meals, simple techniques and chef’s tips.

Avoca's online store opened. Our loyal international customers loved our shops so much that there was a demand for the products to be available for online ordering. We focused on offering a bespoke selection of Avoca designed product, which is still our offering today.

Avoca Belfast opening in October 2007. Right in the heart of the city, it has since become a much loved spot for locals and tourists alike.

Avoca Rathcoole wins "Retail Store of the Year Award"

After a growing demand from our customers for prepared meals from our kitchens, Avoca decided it was time to open a central kitchen that could focus on catering orders and prepared meals to stock in the Avoca Food Markets. In Novemeber, 2010 we proudly opened the Avoca Central Kitchen. To learn more about what sets our meals apart watch "The Best of Home Cooking" video here

In 2011, we opened our very first Food Market, with the addition of Avoca Monkstown. We introduced a huge range of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese and charcuterie, butcher offering, concession stands, and our gourmet deli counter.

Here's where we pick up the story of the Century Throw. Artisan-crafted in our mill in Avoca village, the Century Throw has a history. Inspired by an original Avoca throw given as a wedding gift over 100 years ago, a customer presented it back to the mill in recent years in the hope that it could be recreated with a modern twist. It’s hard to improve on a classic, but we’re very proud of this new take on an Avoca signature piece.

In Novemeber 2016, we began our Avoca Butchers offering. Our food team scoured the country for months, sourcing the best of Irish, artisan, organic, and free range meat producers in order to bring all the best food under one roof for our customers.

Our Airport store in partnership with The Loop Duty Free opened its doors in May 2018. Delivering the classic Avoca retail offering to T2 passengers, the store exudes colour and offers a taster of the wonderful world of Avoca to visitors from near and far.

Today, we have 14 locations across the country. After all this time, the ethos of Avoca remains the same. We cherish our time-honoured traditions, which have been lovingly passed down through several generations. Today, there are third generation weavers working at the Mill. Our skills might be steeped in a long and rich tradition, but our attitude is to look to the future. Now heralded as one of Ireland’s most exciting retail stores, there are Avoca ceramics, clothing, perfumes, soaps and more from our own design studio. We have a host of award winning cafes and restaurants, Food Markets crammed with artisanal ingredients from near and far, as well as a best-selling range of Avoca cookbooks. There are also gardens to explore at many of our stores, as well as florists and garden centres. The list goes on. And all of this from a modest handwaving mill, established in a rural Irish village in 1723.