Dripsey () is a village in County Cork on the R618 regional road around west of Cork City. It is situated on a tributary of the River Lee, the Dripsey River. It is in the Catholic parish of Inniscarra. The Dripsey area hosts a water treatment plant, the Cork offices of the Environmental Protection Agency, and an award-winning garden center. The village has one pub, a primary school and a pre-school. Name and formation Dripsey's name is derived from the Irish name Druipseach, which means muddy river. The village is made up of the Lower Dripsey, Dripsey Cross and Model Village areas. 'Model Village' is the most populous part and the town, and is listed under this name in censuses up to 1966. Dripsey became built-up in the Model Village largely due to the woollen mills beside the Dripsey river, which eventually closed down in the early 1980s. History The village of Dripsey traces its foundation to the MacCarthy of Muskerry, who - in the 15th century - constructed a nearby tower house to protect their estate lands. The village saw later development when a paper mill was expanded during the 18th and 19th centuries, and a woollen mill was established during the 20th century. Estate and tower houses Carrignamuck Tower House is a five-storey tower house located on the back road to Coachford. It was built in the 15th century as an outpost of Blarney Castle by the MacCarthy Clan of Munster. In 1650, Cromwellian forces under Lord Broghill attacked and captured the tower house. During the bombardment, the eastern wall was damaged. The tower and estate were purchased by the Colthurst family, who built a new house on the grounds. The new house, known as Dripsey Castle or Dripsey House, is a country house located less than 100m from the older tower house. It was built in the 18th century by the Colthurst family as the seat of their estate. It was owned by the O'Shaughnessy family for much of the 20th century, and sold in 2015 to a 'UK-based buyer with Cork connections'. Dripsey Paper Mills Dripsey Paper Mills was founded in 1784 by Batt Sullivan. The mill became known for its quality paper, and contracted to produce Treasury Bills and Bank Notes for the Bank of England. In 1812, the mill covered six acres and employed 400 people locally. Many of these mill workers lived in