The Avoca Handweavers mill is the oldest business in Ireland, having produced woollen cloth on this site since 1723. You can watch the looms at work in the mill shed, where the rhythmic clatter of the machinery and the warm smell of lanolin make for an oddly meditative visit. The weaving process itself is unchanged in its essentials from what was done here three hundred years ago.
The mill shop sells the full range of Avoca products — blankets, throws, scarves, and clothing — at prices somewhat lower than in the brand's Dublin outlets. It is the best place in Ireland to pick up a properly made woollen blanket that will last a generation. The café attached to the mill is a good lunch stop, with a menu that changes with the seasons.