The owners of an eighteenth century former Ballydugan flour mill near Downpatrick are set to invest £500,000 to expand their business with the support of Ulster Bank.
The Killen family, who purchased Ballydugan Mill in 1987, are set to make a further significant investment in the popular venue by purchasing and restoring the adjacent former mill manager’s house.
Originally built in 1792, the rustic Ballydugan Mill currently includes a restaurant, wedding venue and accommodation, incorporating 22 bedrooms.
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Mary Hinds, assistant manager at Ballydugan Mill, with Girvan Gault and Derick Wilson of the Ulster Bank.[/caption]
Owner Noel Killen, a restoration specialist with forty years experience, said that he is delighted to undertake another major restoration project and added: “We spent around 12 years restoring Ballydugan Mill before opening it as a wedding venue in 2000 and have undertaken a number of renovations since including restoring the old grain store, which has been converted into further accommodation, and we are currently converting the beam engine house.
“With the support of Ulster Bank, we are now able to purchase the neighbouring property and land, which used to be where the manager of the mill lived. We will then undertake a significant restoration of the listed property. This will allow us to further extend the venue. We will restore the building back to a pristine state and address the problems of damp and ingress of the weather and make some structural and minor repairs.
“The Mill is a very popular wedding venue and we have bookings from across Northern Ireland and from Donegal to Wicklow. We can sleep up to fifty altogether comfortably.”
Girvan Gault, Head of South Business Centre at the Ulster Bank, said: “Ulster Bank has £1.5billion available for businesses this year, and we have a significant focus on supporting well-run small and medium-sized enterprises with good plans to develop and expand their businesses.
“Ballydugan Mill is a well-run venue with passionate owners who have spent years turning it into a popular destination. We are very pleased to support them with this latest investment” he added.
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