Former mill in Tandragee targeted in arson attack

The Victorian building known as Sinton's Mill was set on fire on Tuesday night

A disused flax mill in Tandragee, County Armagh, has been damaged in an arson attack.

The building, which is located within Glebe Hill Manor housing estate, formerly operated as Sinton's Mill.

A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the fire was reported to them at 20:48 GMT on Tuesday.

She said the cause of the fire "is believed to have been deliberate ignition" and the incident was dealt with by 00:34 GMT on Wednesday.

Four fire engines, an aerial appliance and a water tanker were deployed during the operation to bring the blaze under control.

Crews responded from Banbridge, Portadown, Lurgan, Warrenpoint and Belfast.

The industrial site, which dates back to the 1860s, was originally used as a corn mill.

It was bought by County Armagh linen merchant Thomas Sinton in about 1872 and he expanded the complex significantly to support his existing flax spinning business.

Redevelopment

The former Sinton's Mill pictured in April 2022

By 1888, Sinton was employing about 600 people at the Tandragee mill, most of them women.

"The mill ceased large-scale production in 1996 and finally closed in early 2002," according to Northern Irelands Historical Buildings Database.

A planning application to repair and remodel Sinton's Mill into almost 60 homes was submitted in 2007.

The plan also included a proposal to build new apartment blocks nearby, containing a further 113 homes and a basement car park.

The redevelopment was granted permission in 2009 but it did not proceed at that time.

Sgt Paul Stewart from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) appealed to anyone with CCTV, dashcam or other relevant footage of the arson attack to contact police.