Preparing for the invasion of Mayo

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

"People in the country in a position to know have stated that a national emergency may arise any moment, and an attack on the country may be imminent", so warned MJ Egan, County Commissioner for Mayo at a public meeting in Ballyhaunis in August 1940. An official state of emergency had already been in place since being proclaimed in the Dáil on September 2 1939, the day after Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Egan was principally Mayo County Secretary, but as County Commissioner his role was to create a network of parish councils that would maintain services in the event of an invasion and the possible incapacitation of central government. The Ballyhaunis meeting created its own council, bringing the figure to over 100 councils formed in 76 Mayo parishes. Since the fall of France to the Nazis in mid-1940, Britain was forced to tighten its own rationing programme. This had knock-on effects for Ireland. A key function of the parish councils would be the securing and distribution of food in a post-invasion scenario. Egan reported to, and received instruction from the new Department of Supplies under Minister Seán Lemass. It was through Egan as County Commissioner that a series of emergency precautions and directions were issued to the Mayo public.

The practical patriotism of the ICA

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

I was fortunate to have been invited this week to give a talk on the history of Castlebar to the local branch of the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA). The evening went well, and my thanks to Maura McGuinness, Patricia Larkin, and all the membership for their hospitality. It was in preparing for that talk to an all-female audience that I was reminded of how devoid our local history is of women and women's groups, when compared to their male counterparts. In the 400 years I covered, only five women featured publicly and briefly. We know the reason for this was because a male dominated society had structured a degraded role for women which was almost impossible to break from. For those women who wanted to express themselves, the ICA was and remains an important outlet since its inception in 1910.

Looping back to Lecanvey

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

The community in Lecanvey have come up with a proposal that could see the wear and tear on the traditional pilgrimage path on Croagh Patrick halved. The West Mayo Municipal District held their march meeting in the Lecanvey Communty Centre and before the meeting got going, they were briefed on the proposal by members of the Lecanvey Community Centre Committee

Mayo eateries clean up at Restaurant Awards

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

There were nine food and drink establishments celebrating this week at the Connacht finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Radisson Blu in Sligo. In the overall provincial awards, Café Rua in Castlebar picked up the win in the Best Kids Size Me section. When it came to the Mayo specific awards, Sage in Westport was the winner of 'Best Restaurant', with Johnathan Keane from The Lodge at Ashford winning Best Chef. The Best Gastro Pub award went to Flanagan's Gastro Pub in Claremorris and Bar One in Castlebar was the winner of the Best Casual Dining gong.

Mayo literary evening at The Linenhall

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

Something About Home, is an evening with Mike McCormack, Dr Liam Harte and Mayo writers, taking place at the Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar on Monday 10 April at 8pm, which ties in with the recent publication of an anthology of the same name.

National Children’s Choir to host regional concert in Mayo

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

The National Children’s Choir is a school-based choral experience for primary school children. Affiliated pupils from fourth, fifth, and sixth classes in Irish primary school learn a common repertoire of songs. The repertoire challenges the pupils to perform a broad range of songs from Bach to The Beatles. The choir enables young people to experience the sheer joy and involvement in music and song. The National Children’s Choir aims to foster a love of choral singing among primary school pupils and to enhance the musical education of those involved.

All eyes will be on the skies of Westport this summer

Fri, Mar 31, 2017

It certainly will be destination Westport this May as the town hosts an airshow, loop-the-loops will swirl around the sky, and pilots will conduct nifty tricks with precision and a daredevil attitude, creating a day for the whole family to enjoy along Westport Quay on Sunday, May 14.

Recovery mission continues in Blacksod

Thu, Mar 16, 2017

An operation to recover the three missing crew members of the Rescue 116 helicopter, which crashed into the sea off Blacksod in the early hours of Tuesday morning, was continuing yesterday afternoon, as this paper went to print. Captain Dara Fitzpatrick (45), who was recovered in a critical condition on Tuesday morning after the crash, passed away in hospital later on Tuesday. Ms Fitzpatrick, a mother of a three-year-old son, was spotted in the sea by the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter at daybreak on Tuesday and was picked up by the Achill based lifeboat and brought ashore.

Temperance, teanga and throw-ins

Thu, Mar 16, 2017

Though a feast day on the Catholic calendar since the 1600s, St. Patrick's Day only became a public holiday in Ireland in 1903. Prior to the early 20th century and a structured national approach to honouring the saint, the Briton was resurrected from time to time and pushed to the front of many campaigns. The feast day's events, which drew large crowds, were always managed either directly, or were heavily influenced, by the local Catholic church. That is not surprising, Patrick was a Christian after all. Many pre-Famine St Patrick's Day events were organised by the temperance movement, headed by Fr Theobald Mathew. The movement encouraged the Irish nation to pledge to abstain from alcohol for corporal and spiritual betterment, but sometimes with mixed results. The St Patrick's Day teetotallers procession through Castlebar in 1841 was not one of that organisation's high points. The march was to be a show of strength, an opportunity for the Rev Gibbons to display his and his members' accomplishments. Frustratingly for Gibbons, a large number of the group arrived to take up their places in the parade’s ranks while under the influence, having soundly violated their pledges. The non-teetotaller band abandoned the depleted parade midway through to join the town’s festivities, causing the temperance leaders to consider organising a teetotal band of their own that they could depend on.

Do you want to put a smile on a sick child’s face?

Thu, Mar 16, 2017

Do you have two to three hours to spare weekly? Would you like to make hospital a happier place for a sick child? Children in Hospital Ireland (CHI) would love to hear from you. CHI is one of Ireland’s leading children’s charities providing play and fun for sick children in hospital around the country for 45 years.

Be road safety smart this St Patrick's Day

Thu, Mar 16, 2017

The road safety office and Oifig na Gaeilge of Mayo County Council and An Garda Síochána are partnering throughout the county this weekend to encourage everyone celebrating St Patrick's Day to act responsibly and designate a sober driver. St Patrick’s Day falls in Seachtain na Gaeilge so the message is "Go dté tú slán", or in English, "Arrive alive" which will be displayed around the county on VMS roadside signs. Also leprechauns are coming out of the woodwork to assist road safety professionals and the gardai in Mayo to spread the road safety message in novel road safety campaign.

Big Start campaign informs Mayo County Council of crisis in early years sector

Thu, Mar 16, 2017

A delegation from the SIPTU Big Start Campaign attended a meeting of Mayo County Council last week to inform councillors of the problems and growing crisis within the early years education sector. Thirty councillors heard from early years educators within their local communities how services are struggling and workers are demoralised. There were 13 early years professionals present in the gallery.

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