It’s your community — have your say with Mayo PPN

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Mayo Public Participation Network is holding a countywide information evening in Breaffy House Hotel on Wednesday, November 8, at 7.30pm. The evening will focus on gathering views/ideas from community groups that will form Mayo PPN's submission to Ireland 2040 - Our Plan. The meeting is open to community groups registered or wishing to register with Mayo PPN.

Ireland 2040 – Our Plan is a spatial expression of Government policy and will provide a national planning framework to guide national, regional, and local planning and investment decisions for the years ahead, building on and co-ordinating the existing regional and local authority planning processes, regional spatial and economic strategies (RSESs), and city and county development plans. Ireland 2040 – Our Plan will, among a range of issues, address the future development direction of our cities, towns, and rural areas. The framework will specifically address: (1) The role of our cities and towns, (2) The potential of our regions, (3) Rural development, (4) Providing better quality of life for people and communities, (5) Provision of homes to meet future needs, (6) Our coastal and marine areas, (7) Co-ordination of place making with our neighbours, (8) The role of planning in responding to climate change, and (9) The context for future infrastructural investment.

Westport's Harry Hughes named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Westport's Harry Hughes, of Portwest, was named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2017 at the 20th annual awards ceremony held in Dublin last week.

Westport House deal signed, sealed, and delivered

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, confirmed last Friday that the Hughes family has now successfully completed the acquisition of Westport House and estate from the Browne family. In February 2016, the family placed the historic house and estate on the market, having owned it for generations. The estate has been overseen in recent years by the personal representatives of the late Jeremy Browne Lord Altamont, namely Con Casey of LHM Casey McGrath accountants and Dermot Furey of Gartlan Furey solicitors.

From Mayo to Peru and the Inca Trail with 25kg on your back

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Plenty of people have had mad thoughts or ideas while away on holidays, but there are not too many of them who follow them through to the end. But that is exactly what one Castlebar man did after walking the Inca Trail as a tourist in 2016, Jarlath McHale was so taken by the workload carried out by the porters who lugged everything he and his fellow tourists needed, from food to tents to toilet facilities from stop to stop, along with everything for themselves for the four day trek, that he came up with the idea of becoming the first non-Peruvian to do the trail as a porter and film his journey - from their eyes.

House Of Plates to challenge customers to Dine in the Dark

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Next Wednesday, November 8, House of Plates in Castlebar will challenge local customers to Dine in the Dark as part of Ireland’s first national Dine in the Dark Week.

St Joseph’s, Castlebar set to Rock You!

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Following the success of its musicals in recent years, St Joseph’s Secondary School, Castlebar, once again is delighted to present its TY musical of 2017, Schools Will Rock You, based on the songs of the legendary band Queen and the iconic Freddie Mercury.

Wellness Fest promises to be a novel and interesting event

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Wellness Fest 2017 – Féile na Folláine, Castlebar’s newest festival, will take place in the Ivy Tower Hotel on Saturday, December 9. The festival is being organised by the CRCfm Events Team, as a fundraising event for Mayo Cancer Support-Rock Rose House and CRCfm. The event will be a celebration of all aspects of wellbeing; it will explore different treatments and therapies, and will also hosts talks from experts in a range of different fields.

Diversity Mayo aims to reach out

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Diversity Mayo has two aims: to enable refugees and vulnerable third country nationals in Mayo to access high-quality information, advocacy, activities, supports and services appropriate to their legal status; and to build the capacity of front-line services to respond to the needs of this target group in a culturally competent way.

Third country nationals refers to people from outside of the EU. People have been migrating to Mayo in increasing numbers over the past 15 years or more. Many come from other EU countries such as Poland and Lithuania. As EU citizens these people have a right to travel and work within the EU, just as Irish people do.

Ballina councillors thankful for town and village funding

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Ballina Municipal District councillors have agreed to communicate their thanks and appreciation to Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring following the recent allocations for projects as part of the Town and Village renewal Scheme in the county. At a Municipal District meeting last week councillors were informed that all four projects in the county which had applied for funding were successful.

Munnelly hopes road works will help boost Killala

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

An opportunity will soon present itself for Killala to enhance the entrance to the town according to one member of the Ballina Municipal District. Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly says the soon to be completed relief road at the north Mayo town will “make traffic flow more smoothly in Killala and could afford the council the opportunity to create a more aesthetically pleasing entrance to the town.”

Educate Together holds meeting in Westport

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

Equality-based education provider Educate Together held its first public meeting in Westport last Thursday night in the Castlecourt Hotel. Featuring talks by Educate Together regional development officer, Jennifer Buttner, and Castlebar ETNS principal Sarah Calvey, according to the organisers the meeting attracted a large turnout and has raised hopes that Educate Together’s Westport campaign will succeed in opening a primary school in 2018.

A new rhythm coming to Ballina next year

Fri, Nov 03, 2017

North Mayo production company Atlantic Rhythm Productions is preparing to launch a new summer show that is set to take Mayo by storm. Tradbeats, a fully choreographed contemporary show featuring seven talented musicians and 14 champion Irish dancers, will take place in Ballina Arts Centre on Wednesday, July 18, and Wednesday, August 8, 2018, and is expected to attract significant interest from visitors and locals alike at the height of the tourist season. Tradbeats will showcase the very best of north Mayo’s traditional Irish music talent, and the show is composed and choreographed in its entirety by its young and vibrant cast of performers.

The dance troupe will be led by world champion Irish dancers Lisa Lavelle, Stephen Gallagher, and Cian Lavelle, accompanied by 11 other champion Irish dancers. Lisa and Stephen recently appeared on RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show on Saturday, October 28, to share the tale of how a recent performance of The Mayo Beat at a fundraiser for Rock House House in Castlebar went viral, and has been watched more than two million times to date online. Other members of Atlantic Rhythm Productions are no strangers to the spotlight either, having featured on The Late Late Toy Show in 2016 and reached the final of TG4’s An Ríl Deal earlier this year.

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