Mayo Day celebrates our past, present and future

Fri, May 05, 2017

The multi-purpose Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology’s Castlebar campus staged the energetic opening ceremony of Mayo Day 2017 last Friday evening. The bank holiday weekend events were long billed to be a celebration of Mayo - past, present and future - and with no little amount of imagination and obvious hard graft, the organisers over-performed in achieving their aim. In his Mayo Day promotional video, director Lorcan Hynes beautifully wove an emotional message around the cliffs of Mayo and the skyscrapers of the world. The message invited the Mayo diaspora to return to a future Mayo, where prosperity will once again create opportunity. Our diaspora was to the fore during Mayo Day and for good reason as Peter Hynes, Mayo County Council’s chief executive, informed the opening ceremony that the global dispersion with Mayo heritage stands at 3.5 million people. Their affinity with their home county has led to Mayo associations growing up in the world’s biggest cities. Just as Mayo currently fits into current global themes of emigration and identity, so it did in the past when the international themes were revolution and republicanism. Those earlier themes, and in particular the political relationship they spawned between Ireland and France, were discussed at the fascinating Mayo Day La L’Arbre de la Liberté - Liberty Tree Conference on Friday and Saturday. The two-day conference offered an impressive line-up of historians and authors.

Information meeting on Kiltimagh Amenity Park

Fri, May 05, 2017

Kiltimagh Amenity Park Committee is holding a public information evening on Wednesday at 8pm in the Kiltimagh Community Centre. A committee spokesperson said, "We have been working alongside Mayo County Council and our Castlebar Municipal District councillors to attain an amenity park for the community of Kiltimagh. This has been achieved with the full support and co-operation of Mayo County Council and our local councillors and we would therefore ask for your support on this project.

"Firstly, by attending the public information evening the community will hear from the committee, Mayo County Council and the local councillors how this project will be proceeding over the coming months and this will be your opportunity for you to have your say on how you would like to see this project progress."

Brexit and The White Paper on the Future of Europe

Fri, May 05, 2017

You will, I’m sure, remember that during the negotiation process between then UK Prime Minister David Cameron and the EU, it couldn't have been any more clearly stated that restricting the freedom of movement of people was non-negotiable.

Mayo Association Dublin elects new officers

Fri, May 05, 2017

A new year in the life of Mayo Association Dublin was marked by the 2017 annual general meeting held recently in the Sandymount Hotel, Dublin 4. The new chairperson is Julie Doyle, the fifth female chair since the association's foundation in 1905. Another woman to take a position at the top table is Grace Heneghan, who will take over as secretary. They join Bernardine Walsh-Cummins (public relations officer), Michael Kealy (treasurer), Mona McGarry (president), Eddie Melvin (vice president), and Frank Fleming (honorary life president) who were reappointed to their offices for a second year.

Home ownership rate in Mayo at seventy five per cent

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

Mayo has a home ownership rate of 75 per cent according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office following the Census taken last year, while 22.9 per cent of all households in the county were in rented accommodation. The figures show that the home ownership rate in the county is almost 10 per cent higher in Mayo than nationally, with the home ownership rate in the country being 67.6 per cent and 70.8 per cent in Connacht. The 11,166 households in rented accommodation in Mayo was just under seven per cent less than the national figure of 29.3 per cent and 3.6 per cent lower than the figure for the whole of Connacht.

CSO outlines marriage figures last year for Mayo

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

According to the latest figures from the CSO, there were 753 marriages in Mayo last year, including 10 same sex marriages. The figures show that the vast majority of marriages were Roman Catholic marriages with 592 taking place. The next highest number was 101 civil marriages, of which seven were between same sex couples.

Are you ready to Love Lannagh ?

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

This boutique, absolutely free, one day festival is happening tomorrow, Saturday, April 21  on the shores of Lough Lannagh in Castlebar.  Founded by the Love Castlebar Crew in 2014 it has come a long, long, way from its humble beginnings as a Teddy Bear’s Picnic.

Mayo Day gets ready to celebrate all that's good about Mayo

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

The third installment of Mayo Day will take place next Saturday, April 29, and over the bank holiday weekend a whole series of events will take place across the county to celebrate 'Mayo-ness.' Wherever you are around the county there is bound to be a Mayo Day event near you to get involved with.

Ballina students to make world record attempt

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

On Thursday, May 4, Unity Racing, World finalists in the F1 in Schools competition, will set out to break a Guinness World Record on the grounds of St Muredach’s College, Ballina, at 11am.

Mayo teams advance to Scratch Coding national finals

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

Mayo students will next week take part in the national finals of the prestigious Scratch Coding competition. The popular coding competition will take place on Wednesday, in the Kemmy Business School, at the University of Limerick.

Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo launched in Ballinrobe

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

The 2017 Mayo Fleadh Cheoil hosted by the Cleary/Coyne branch was launched by Cllr Al McDonnell, Chairman of Mayo County Council, in the Valkenburg Hotel Ballinrobe recently. It was attended by a number of local councillors, representatives of various organizations in Ballinrobe, branch executives, and members of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann.

The Mayo member and the maid

Fri, Apr 21, 2017

John Deasy was on one of his regular trips to London. While carrying out his duties as the member of parliament for the constituency of Mayo West, Deasy was a frequent lodger at Mrs Postlethwaite’s boarding house at 75 Warwick Street, Pimlico, where he occupied a back room on the top floor. After a busy weekend, the tired 37-year-old MP returned to his room on the evening of Sunday, 4 June, 1893. One candle burned on the table by his bed, emitting limited light. It being a late hour, Deasy rang the service bell in order to request his supper. He walked on to the landing to meet his familiar servant girl, Ellen Lewis. Lewis was a girl of 16 years of age and by his own account, Deasy had always considered her a virtuous and modest girl. But, whether through boredom or through more corrupt thoughts, Lewis’ angelical qualities had not prevented the married Deasy from flirting with the young maid during previous stays.

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