Querns and Grain rubbers in Ancient IrelandA grinding machine much more primitive and ancient than the water mill was the quern or hand mill It was called in Irish bro gen brón [brone] and often cloch bhrón [cloch vrone] cloch a stone but both these terms were also applied to a millstone The upper stone worked on an axis or strong peg fixed in the lower one and was turned round by one or by two handles The corn was