The Diamond Factory

Clareboy

Does anyone remember or indeed know someone who remembers the Diamond Factory in Hermitage, Ennis? It operated in the 60s and 70s. It is now a garden centre as far as I know. The full name of the company was Harry Winston Irish Rough Diamonds Inc.

buck65

Centrpoint I think is the name of the place. Didn't know there was a diamond factory there, something about a FAS place rings a bell a few years back. I know someone from the area who would know if you're interested I can check.

Lady Chatterton

I remember my grandfather talking about the Diamond Factory in Hermitage. I must ask my dad about it, I also remember my grandfather talking about a pearl factory in Parnell Street. (I think the Pearl Factory was around for 20 - 30 years and was pretty successful, much of the product was exported).

Clareboy

My first job was in The Diamond Fatory so it would be great to chat to someone who worked there. Yes, I remember people talking about The Pearl Factory.

Lady Chatterton

Clareboy wrote: »

My first job was in The Diamond Fatory so it would be great to chat to someone who worked there. Yes, I remember people talking about The Pearl Factory.

As far as I know the Pearl Factory was located near Baron McQ's (Mungovan's) Public House. I'll be seeing my parents over the weekend so I must ask them about the Diamond Factory.

I often heard my parents talk about Braids, it would appear it was the Dell of its day, a big employer in Ennis, apparently almost every family had someone working there at some stage.

Clareboy - no doubt you remember Paddy Cons Dance Hall which was also located on Station Road. My parents met in Paddy Cons but both of them had worked briefly in Braids when they first came out of school.

Clareboy

Yes indeed MrsD007, I was a regular at Paddy Con's during the 70s and 80s - it was a great place for ' the talent' !

Yes, Braids was the place to work in those days. As far as I remember, they manufactured shoe laces and knicker elastic.

Hope your parents have some memories of The Diamond Factory. Many Thanks.

poppyvalley

Clareboy wrote: »

My first job was in The Diamond Fatory so it would be great to chat to someone who worked there. Yes, I remember people talking about The Pearl Factory.

My OH worked in the Pearl Factory

Lady Chatterton

poppyvalley wrote: »

My OH worked in the Pearl Factory

It is a small world Poppyvalley When did the Pearl Factory close? My granny still has some really beautiful pearl necklaces that were made in there and I have lovely pearl brooch. It is not like they are valuable in monetary terms but they have huge sentimental value.

Johnboy1951

I have no recollection of the diamond factory, but did work, ever so briefly, in Interton at the top of Hermitage during the latter half of the 70s. There was also another business there at that time .... Asahi (?) I think.

Yes indeed I remember (or maybe should say do not remember) frequenting Paddy Cons

Lady Chatterton

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I have no recollection of the diamond factory, but did work, ever so briefly, in Interton at the top of Hermitage during the latter half of the 70s. There was also another business there at that time .... Asahi (?) I think.

Yes indeed I remember (or maybe should say do not remember) frequenting Paddy Cons

Ah John, 60 is the new 40

poppyvalley

MrsD007 wrote: »

It is a small world Poppyvalley When did the Pearl Factory close? My granny still has some really beautiful pearl necklaces that were made in there and I have lovely pearl brooch. It is not like they are valuable in monetary terms but they have huge sentimental value.

They used to also make rosary beads there, in the late 60s .OH thinks it closed around the same era

Lady Chatterton

Clareboy - I was visiting my parents over the weekend and I asked them about the Diamond Factory. My dad remembers it well, he was telling me that before the factory opened in Hermitage, the factory had a training unit at the back of the Vocational School (Ennis Community College) he attended the course for a few months but ended up taking a job elsewhere.

He did mention that there was a manager in the factory called Horace Mitchel who you would probably remember, he was saying that he happened to meet him in town a few weeks ago, he was visiting the area at the time.

Clareboy

MrsD007 wrote: »

Clareboy - I was visiting my parents over the weekend and I asked them about the Diamond Factory. My dad remembers it well, he was telling me that before the factory opened in Hermitage, the factory had a training unit at the back of the Vocational School (Ennis Community College) he attended the course for a few months but ended up taking a job elsewhere.

He did mention that there was a manager in the factory called Horace Mitchel who you would probably remember, he was saying that he happened to meet him in town a few weeks ago, he was visiting the area at the time.

Thanks MrsD007 for enquiring from your parents if they remembered the Diamond Factory. I do not remember a manager called Horace Mitchel. As far as I can recall, I would have started working there around 1966. The management and supervisors at that time were mostly German.

bomlane

Clareboy wrote: »

Does anyone remember or indeed know someone who remembers the Diamond Factory in Hermitage, Ennis? It operated in the 60s and 70s. It is now a garden centre as far as I know. The full name of the company was Harry Winston Irish Rough Diamonds Inc.

I worked in the pearl factory in 1969-1970. Its name was Symphony Plastics and was run by Phillip Pfussterschmidt. Most of the workers were local men, Joe Foley, Pappy Morrissey, Pappy Green, Johnny Leyden and Jimmy O'Neill, Robby Molloy and Mary Clancy.

The diamond was called Harry Winstones diamond cutting and faceting factory in front of the upper bullring in Hermitage.