One of the most tragic events associated with Portlaw’s industrial past occurred at the great cotton mill established by the Malcomson Cotton Mill.

On 15 December 1862, a devastating fire broke out inside the factory. The blaze is believed to have begun when a spark from the machinery landed among the highly flammable cotton fibres and spinning equipment. Within moments the fire spread rapidly through the spinning room.

Among those working in the mill that day were several young employees known as doffers – children whose job was to remove the filled bobbins from spinning frames and replace them with empty ones. Four of these young workers were unable to escape the flames and tragically lost their lives in the disaster.

Although the factory was eventually rebuilt and production resumed, workers soon began to report unsettling experiences within the building. Some claimed to hear unexplained sounds echoing through the mill, while residents living nearby spoke of hearing what sounded like distant screams coming from the factory during the night.

According to local tradition, these disturbing sounds were reported for many years afterwards. The stories persisted well into the early twentieth century, when parts of the old complex were demolished and the site was later taken over by Irish Tanners Ltd.

Even today, the tragedy of the 1862 fire remains one of the darker chapters in the history of Portlaw, and the stories of unexplained cries from the old mill have become part of the town’s enduring folklore.