Rents on the rise in Mayo

Fri, May 13, 2016

The latest quarterly rental report by property website Daft.ie has reported that rents in Mayo have risen by 3.6 per cent in the first three months of the year compared to the rents that were being paid in the first three months of 2015. Nationally rents have risen by two per cent compared to the same three month period of last year.

CMS Distribution continues to expand its reach with new acquisition

Fri, May 13, 2016

Kiltimagh based value-added distributor CMS Distribution, which was founded by Knock born business man Frank Salmon has joined forces with Widget Group, an award winning distributor of emerging technology based in the UK, the Netherlands, and Sweden. This acquisition further strengthens CMS Distribution’s position in the European market.

Schoolchildren to pedal to safety through Castlebar

Fri, May 13, 2016

Almost 200 schoolchildren will pedal their way through the streets of Castlebar on Thursday next May 19  in a novel road safety campaign. Specially trained Garda cyclists and cycle instructors will pass on road safety skills that could help to keep the children safe and alive on the nation's roads.

New appointments to the board of Gnó Mhaigh Eo

Fri, May 13, 2016

The board of Gnó Mhaigh Eo has appointed four new board members in recent months.  Earlier this year, Colleen McMahon of Rua, Castlebar, and Caroline Price of Oileán Éadaigh – West Mayo Brewery, joined the board of directors, bringing with them their knowledge and first-hand experience of working in business in Mayo. Rua was the recipient of Gnó Mhaigh Eo’s Gradam Gnó – Business with Irish Award last year, and West Mayo Brewery was one of the other companies on the shortlist for the award.

Dark Skies leads to bright future in Ballycroy

Fri, May 06, 2016

Tourism in the county received a major boost this week, with the news that Ballycroy National Park and Wild Nephin Wilderness is to be jointly recognised as Mayo International Dark Sky Park. The park has received accreditation from International Dark Skies Assocation. There are just 31 other Dark Skies Parks in the world, with the majority of them being located in the USA including the famous Death Valley National Park in California. Ballycroy National Park is now the first ever International Dark Sky Park in Ireland. The park received Gold tier classification; according to the International Dark Skies Assocation a Gold tier classification is "an honor reserved for the most exceptional of dark skies and stunning nightscapes". This recognition completes the '360 degree experience' that this stunning region has to offer.

The news was conveyed at a special Mayo Dark Skies event which was held in the park yesterday. Sue Callaghan, district conservation officer at the park, told the Mayo Advertiser: "It's great to get the accreditation, it's been a great achievement by a number of stakeholders involved to get it to where we are today, a lot of work was put in by the likes of Georgina MacMillen to get the project accredited by the International Dark Skies Association. We've been awarded Gold status by the group which is the highest standard you can get, which means it's pristine dark skies for viewing. We're now planning to move ahead with a number of new events based around this."

Ballinrobe's Alan Murphy ready to tell his tale

Fri, May 06, 2016

The anticipation for Ballinrobe native Alan Murphy’s first book Beyond The Spotlight is reaching fever pitch as he’s just shot the book cover in Hollywood, California. Alan, who is a popular presenter with Galway Bay FM, is gearing up for the nationwide release of his book this September. Beyond The Spotlight will explore the world of fame and celebrity and will feature interviews Alan has done with everyone from A-List superstars Charlize Theron and Martin Sheen to Mayo’s own Louis Walsh and Rory “Panti” O’Neill.

Kilmovee man tells his story of losing a limb to urge drivers to mind cyclists

Fri, May 06, 2016

One of Ireland's elite Paralympic athletes has teamed up with the road safety office of Mayo County Council to produce an awareness video (https://youtu.be/ANHDtfuKCy4) to highlight the importance of giving cyclists a safe distance when overtaking with a minimum distance of 1.5m. Members of the general public were interviewed on what distance a driver should give when overtaking a cyclist, with some surprising results. The clips provides the feeling for cyclists as vehicles whizz by at speed just inches away from them.

Youth sent forward for trial

Fri, May 06, 2016

A youth was sent forward for trial in the Central Criminal Court for the murder of 17-year-old Dovydas Jenkas from Claremount Manor, Clarmorris at Claremount, Claremorris, on December 19 2015 this week. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was served with a book of evidence by Sgt James Carroll. He remains on high court bail ahead of his trial in the Central Criminal Court.

Eoin gets the Dragons to bite

Fri, May 06, 2016

Castlebar man Eoin Heverin made a successful pitch for investment in his fledgeling business Tellmystory.ie on RTÉ's Dragons Den last Sunday night. The Castlebar man was successful in persuading 'Dragon' Barry O'Sullivan to invest €40,000 into his business. Speaking this week to the Mayo Advertiser, Heverin recalled the experience: "It went on for over an hour, so what we saw was just condensed down to 15 minutes, but I was very happy with how everything went on the day. The ending especially, of course. I was grand, I was well prepared, now about half an hour before I went they did kick in which is normal, but I was confident about my product and I knew my stuff so it was just about going in there and showing that."

Westport's smartest travellers revealed

Fri, May 06, 2016

Singing, rapping, learning and dancing were all part of the Operation Transportation Award ceremony recently held in Westport Town Hall. Teams from the challenge came along to find out who Westport’s Smartest Travel Team was and also to enjoy the entertainment from special guests Luke Concannon and Jimmy Davis.

Planning restrictions will "close down rural Ireland"

Fri, Apr 29, 2016

Planning restrictions that are being enforced will "close down rural Ireland" it was alleged this week. At the April meeting of the West Mayo Municipal District, the councillors were informed that a planning application for a house in Achill was up for refusal as it did not meet the guidelines laid down in the county development plan. The councillors were told that the house would impinge on the scenic nature of the area.

Huge line-up of events for Mayo Day

Fri, Apr 29, 2016

Tomorrow, Saturday April 30, will see the second ever Mayo Day take place across the county and the globe, with 35 events planned for towns and villages in the county over the weekend. Mayo Day is a celebration of our 'Mayo-ness' in Mayo communities worldwide, it offers Mayo people at home and away an opportunity to celebrate all that is great about their progressive, can-do county.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.