What's on in your community?

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

There's wealth of events taking place across Mayo each week and we bring you some of the best in our Community Diary each week. If you'd like to have something included in Community Diary, please email [email protected] by 5pm on the Monday before the next publication date.

Connecting medieval and modern Mayo

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

If you have ever attempted to compile your family tree you may have already felt that sense of frustration when you realise that all accessible leads have been exhausted. Truthfully, at that point there is also a feeling of relief. Relief in the knowledge that there are no more stones to overturn, that you can finally park the family tree as being ‘finished’, which of course it never is. If, like the majority of the county, your ancestry is Irish and Catholic, you will be fortunate to trace your pedigree back to the relatively recent 18th century. The reason being that State registering of births, deaths, and marriages did not begin until 1864 and the earlier recording of this information by Catholic clergy in their parishes was haphazard. The earliest parish records for Aughaval (Westport) only begin in 1821. Records for Kilmoremoy (Ballina) and Aglish (Castlebar) begin in 1823 and 1824, respectively. For information before the early 19th century, the amateur genealogist is largely dependent on luck and supposition.

Award winning Road Safety efforts by Mayo County Council

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

Mayo County Council has been named overall winner of the Road Safety Award 2016 in the Public Sector Awards Magazine. Mayo County Council and the Mayo Road Safety Working Group are delighted to accept this award for their work in promoting road safety awareness.

Get your dancing boots ready for Harvest

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

Westport House will be alive to the sounds of country and roots music next August when the Harvest festival takes over the historic estate on Saturday August 26 and Sunday August 27. The festival, which will take place in Westport and Enniskillen over the same weekend, with the acts swapping venues over both days, will be promoted by Aiken Promotions which has been responsible for bringing some of the biggest music names in the world to Ireland over the years, including Bruce Springsteen. 

Castlebar rewards its tidy heroes

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

On Friday last Castlebar Tidy Towns hosted its annual awards ceremony in the Linenhall Arts Centre. Local business people and residents from all parts of the town were joined on the evening by a number of guests. In 2016 Castlebar Tidy Towns retained its silver medal award in the national competition and the evening was an opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of businesses, community groups, and Castlebar residents.

HSE and Tusla staff in Mayo launch annual Bronntanas Appeal for Christmas

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

In 2002 HSE staff in Mayo came up with an initiative to ensure that less privileged children in the county and their families would have a fair chance to enjoy the Christmas festive season. The plan was to organise the giving of presents anonymously to children in families under financial strain. The initiative, which was given the appropriate title of Bronntanas, involved a group of HSE staff, their families and friends coming together with volunteers from voluntary organisations in the weeks before Christmas to collect and distribute presents anonymously to children at risk of not receiving a gift at Christmas time.

Final episode of The Airport up in Knock takes to the sky

Fri, Dec 09, 2016

UTV Ireland’s six-part documentary series The Airport Up in Knock concludes on Monday, December 12 at 8pm. In the final episode, it’s the busiest day of the year for airport customer services with thousands of pilgrims setting off on special chartered flights to the miraculous springs of Lourdes in France. With most passengers in need of special assistance, Anne and the team will need to work fast and furiously to get everyone boarded.

Ring announces almost €1 million in Clár funding for Mayo

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

Minister of State for Regional Economic Development Michael Ring yesterday announced €976,869 of funding under the Clár scheme for projects in Mayo. The total funding nationwide for the scheme was €8.24 with almost €1 million of that going to projects in Mayo.

Taoiseach presents gift featuring Kilmaine Church to Pope

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny presented a gift of a Harry Clarke printed canvas of the beautiful nativity window from St Patrick’s Church in Kilmaine, to His Holiness, Pope Francis, during a private audience at the Vatican on Monday. The framed canvas was inscribed as follows: "From the Nativity Window by Harry Clarke, St. Patrick's Church, Kilmaine, Co. Mayo. Presented to His Holiness Pope Francis by Enda Kenny, TD, Taoiseach of Ireland, November 28, 2016."

Outwest wants to develop Mayo Pride next year

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

In 2017 Outwest will celebrate being in existence 20 years, over the past two decades it has been organising social events for the rural and isolated members of the LGBT+ community.  Covering the west of Ireland Outwest has been a much needed and well used organisation that continues and endeavours to offer a safe space for the LGBT+ community, its family, friends, and allies. Offering a confidential helpline to those in crisis the organisation recruited volunteers to listen and support people and offer a befriending service to those who struggled to meet likeminded people.

Mayo’s apathy toward the Good Friday Agreement

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

The British-Irish agreement of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) came into force on this day in 1999. After two years of protracted talks, the GFA of 1998 had finally achieved a binding consensus among political rivals in Northern Ireland that had not been achieved, or even attempted on such a scale, before. The GFA was more inclusive than previous political agreements in that its negotiating body, the Northern Ireland Forum, was open to all parties, nationalist, unionist, republican, loyalist and centre. The GFA was formally agreed by the Irish and British governments and participating parties on April 10 1998. Under the agreement, the governments committed to putting the settlement to the people of the Republic and Northern Ireland in referendums to be held on May 22 of that year. 

Flood affected families in fear of another winter storm – Calleary

Fri, Dec 02, 2016

Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary says owners of homes and businesses which were devastated by Storm Desmond last year are extremely worried about repeat flooding this year. Despite a raft of promises, no flood defence schemes have been progressed in the county, and home and business owners are seriously concerned that their premises could be put at risk.

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