A 1929 advertisement for Roe’s whiskey.
While most Dubliners are unfamiliar with their name and trade today, the Roe family have contributed significantly to the city of Dublin. They not alone funded the restoration of the magnificent Christchurch Cathedral, but their now-defunct distillery on Thomas Street was home to the largest smock windmill in Europe.
Saint Patrick watches over us from Thomas Street, though many may never have noticed him, resting on top of Saint Patrick’s Tower. The Irish Times noted in 1929 that this was then “the largest Pot Still Distillers in the world”, and Saint Patrick rests on top of a windmill that formed a part of that premises.
Writing in 1965, John McCaffery noted that “from the street the figure (of Saint Patrick) looks comparatively insignificant, but it is actually 4 feet in height. The tower itself is 135 feet high and the width of the base is 70 feet.”
Saint Patrick looking over Dubliners.
The Roe family, who owned the distillery, are hugely important in the history of the city. Their contribution to Dublin was the major restoration of Christchurch in the late nineteenth century. It should be remembered that Guinness, located just across the street from the Roe’s at Saint James’ Gate, had funded the restoration works at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. In 1871 George Roe offered to fund the restoration of Christchurch and the construction of a new synod hall, with leading architect George Edmund Street employed for the task. The sheer scale of this project is evident from Archiseek, where it is noted:
The Cathedral as it exists today is mainly Victorian due to the extensive restorations and renovations carried out by the English architect George Edmund Street in the 1870s. This cost over £230,000 and like the renovations at nearby St Patrick’s Cathedral was funded by a drink manufacturer – Dublin Whiskey Distiller Henry Roe who like Benjamin Guinness generously donated the entire cost.
The Roe Distillery was a powerhouse of industry in its day, at one stage boasting an enormous output that was said to be twice that of Jameson. The Ireland Whiskey Trail notes that:
Location certainly wasn’t a problem for this distillery. Located in the “golden triangle” of distilling in Dublin – an area south of the river Liffey, which included the John Power’s and William Jameson distilleries, as well as the Guinness brewery – it was also the biggest of all the Dublin distilleries, covering an unbelievable 17 acres, extending all the way to the Quays by the river Liffey.
Like almost every great landmark in Dublin, Pat Liddy sketched the windmill for his excellent ‘Dublin Today’ feature in The Irish Times. His sketch appeared in the paper in 1988:
From ‘Dublin Today’ series in The Irish Times
How old is the windmill within the Roe Distillery? John McCaffery wrote in his 1965 article that “according to the date, 1805, cut in the headpiece of the door, the windmill was built 160 years ago.” Others however have dated it much earlier, with the Ireland Whiskey Trail claiming that “This smock windmill – quite possibly the oldest of its kind in Europe – was built in 1757, the same year Peter Roe bought his original distillery”. There seems to be common agreement that it dates from that period of the eighteenth century.
It’s ironic than when the Roe Distillery ultimately closed in the 1940s, it was purchased by none other than Guinness. Today, it sits on Guinness property, and it is of course no longer functional. In eighteenth century Dublin it would have been just one of a number of windmills within the city, with another found in the grounds of the Rotunda for example.
Saint Patrick’s Tower visible at night. Photo by Paul Reynolds.
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Donal
Ciarán
Sam
Come Here To Me! 
View in 2006
Thank you as ever Póló!
This man Geo Roe was my Great-Great Grandfather. The property of his home actually was next to the Kennedy’s. John F. Kennedy President of the United States. His burial plot is being cared for by my older brother on his trips to Ireland when he is there for business. The actual
plot is decayed badly. He also donated a lot of money to the Catholic church one in particular. He has a placard with his name on it at the church. It’s nice to see that there is an article about him an his contributions. He should be remembered.
Hi Stephanie – he built the Synod Hall.at Christchurch Cathedral which is Church of Ireland (Protestant).
It is now Dublinia – a history tour of Dublin. There is a fine brass plaque as you leave acknowledging George’s contribution. I have a photo if you want it.
Stephanie, don’t know if you’ll see this but our family are also related to George Roe through my grandmothers side of the family. We have done a lot of work on the history of the family which you may be interested in.
Roes Distillery due to re-pen in James Street. Guinness will convert their redundant power station.
Is he buried at St. James Cemetery where the new James Distillery is about to be built???
It was Henry Roe who gave about £ 23 million in today’s money to restore Christ Church Cathedral. It is a very old Church of Ireland Church. I am afraid he gave nothing to the Catholic Church
I have been carrying out research on Alderman George Roe former Lord Mayor of Dublin owner of Roe’s Distillery and his wife Mary of Nutley Co Dublin, as their address is described on their tomb in Mount Jerome Cemetery. I would be most interested in talking to you by email about the Roe family. As far as I have ascertained George and Mary had no family .
Have you a link to the article by John McCaffery or to the man?
http://www.photographers-resource.co.uk/a_heritage/windmills/how_a_smock_mill_works.htm
Great info.
But antiquarians today have reason to regret the deep pockets of Roe in the renovation of Christchurch: that blitz of Victorian fantasies almost obliterated the original medieval church.
Another Guinness connection: In 1784 Nicholas Roe established a distillery in Pimlico Street. In the 1830 Valuation of the City of Dublin the business, in the name of Nicholas Roe is called the ‘Belview Distillery Company’ with ‘stores, offices, &c. to Mary le Bone Lane’ (Marrowbone Lane). Belview was the home of Mark Rainsford who leased his brewery to Arthur Guinness. In or about 1832, George Roe amalgamated the belview Distillery Company business (aka Pimlico Distillery) with the Thomas Street Distillery.
Good info.
Does anyone have a link to the Roe Family decendents?
thank you,
Diana Roe Hollis
Diana. If you come across it please. Share my great grandfather George D’Olier Roe his daughter Do Rotherham Florence was my grandmother
I am researching the history of Elm Park Golf Club located in Nutley House once the home of George Roe, Lord Mayor of Dublin. If anyone has contact with any of his family please contact me at bdoran@rcsi.ie
My family are directly related to the Roes Diana through my grandmother. George Roe was my mothers great great grandfather.
Gillian
Came across this article and
I believe as you say the Roe’s also my Relations as you are (I think) interesting Past !
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn
what article about the Roes did you come across and could you please e.mail the details to me at bdoran@rcsi.ie I am interested in George Roe and the Distillery. Many thanks. Beatrice
What did it look like with it’s “sails”? How big were they and when were they taken down? anyone know? It’d look impressive if they were put back again, I’m sure!
I work in this tower. Is there any photos available of George Roe.
The water used in the distilling process by George Roe came from the river Vartry in Co. Wicklow. It was on the banks of the river Vartry that St. Patrick first settled when he first come to southern part of Ireland. This is why the weather vane was placed here after the sail’s were removed. In fact this windmill predated Roe Distillery and was part of a corn market that was here. Inside this tower there were 8 pairs of disc shaped grinding stones. A bedstone and a runnerstone. The grain was poured in through the eye of the stone, the runner stone would turn with the sails and the crushed stone would come out the edge of the stone. Roe Whiskey is about to be re-launched in the coming weeks by Diageo and they also plan on turning the power station on Thomas Street into a distillery called ‘Roe & Co’.
Sorry it should say ‘crushed grain’
Roe distillery also had a branch at Mount Browne and this was used as an outpost during the 1916 rising.
Does anyone have an image of George Roe? I am also interested in the history of Nutley House his home now on Nutley Lane.
I have a photo of George Roe. I have tried to post it here but cant. If u go to my facebook page. I can post it here.
great programme about this on RTE 2 Building Ireland
Hello Eugene. I would be glad if you could send me a copy of the image of George Roe to bdoran@rcsi.ie
Many thanks.
Hello Christine I would be interested in any information you have on George Roe and his immediate family. You could email me at bdoran@rcsi.ie
Many thanks
Beatrice
[…] George Roe used to have the largest distillery in Europe – but he (and other Dublin distillers) campaigned against grain whisky calling it ‘silent spirit’. […]
[…] of the sign reading “1805” above the windmill’s main entrance, there’s some confusion over the exact date it was […]