Funding for town and village enhancement schemes announced

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

Minister of State for Regional Economic Development, Michael Ring, this week announced that €380,000 will be made available to Mayo County Council this year to support the regeneration of rural towns and villages across Mayo. 

€189,270 funding approval for Crossmolina — Minister Ring

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

Minister of State for Regional Economic Development Michael Ring has been informed by Minister of State Sean Canney that funding of €189,270 has been approved for Crossmolina Minor Works which were submitted by Mayo County Council.

Castlebar lakes need the attention of the OPW to benefit local tourism — Burke

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

Fine Gael Mayo senator, Paddy Burke, has asked the Minister for the Office of Public Works (OPW), to prioritise work on Castlebar’s three lakes to make them more accessible. “Castlebar’s three lakes, Lough Lannagh, Bilberry, and Islandeady are joined together by two small canals which are badly in need of clearing and widening. Such works would be of major benefit to Castlebar tourism and help the fishing and leisure industries for whom ease of access to these lakes is hugely important," said Sen Burke this week.

He added: “I have written to the Minister for the Office of Public Works, Sean Canney, asking him to prioritise these clearing works and ensure that the canals are upgraded. This will allow fishing and leisure boats to navigate the canals and access the lakes. These works would also be of great benefit to Lough Lannagh Holiday Village which is built on the shore of the lake, as well as to GMIT which is greatly dependent on the lakes. I have also asked Minister Canney to consider the installation of an electrical weir at the Castlebar end of the Castlebar lake, in order to keep the winter water levels consistent during the summer season. I am asking him to investigate this issue and to allocate funding to make it a reality. Tourism is hugely important to this part of Mayo. We must maintain and improve our local amenities to ensure continued success in our annual visitor numbers.”

The Woodstock of the west remembered

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

This month marks the 35th anniversary of one the boldest and most imaginative private ventures to be undertaken in Mayo. The year was 1981 and the plan was to transform a 65 acre site outside Castlebar into the biggest two-day rock festival ever staged in the province. The proposal was the brainchild of brothers Tommy and John Staunton and local hotelier Tony McHugh. The substantial sum of £120,000 was invested in the festival with half going toward enticing major acts to play over the August bank holiday weekend.

Choral festival to be launched on the waves

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

The organisers of the Mayo International Choral Festival invite all choir member and friends to join them on Saturday September 3 for a lovely trip on Lough Corrib, when the 2017 Mayo International Choral Festival will be launched. 2017 will be the sixth festival, which takes place at the end of May each year, attracting choirs and audiences from abroad and all over Ireland. This is a two-hour cruise, which includes a 40-minute visit to Inchagoill, the lake's most famous island. Departing from Lisloughrey pier, Cong, at 2.45pm, from where passenger steamers once operated, expect a trip filled with song and lively banter, and a final song when all will be invited to sing together to launch the 2017 festival.

Newport truck run takes to the roads of the county this Sunday

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

This Sunday the roads of the county will see a very interesting sight when a fundrasing truck run kicks off in Ballina, and will make stops in Foxford, Castlebar, Westport, before ending up in Newport.

Step back in time with the Bonamh Market in Castlebar

Fri, Aug 12, 2016

After the success of the last two years' Bonamh Market in Castlebar, the organisers are delighted to announce that this year will be a two-day event. The fun starts on the evening of Friday August 19 at 8pm with the Piggy Grand Prix, followed by live music. The market will take place once again in Rush Street. The market is being run in association with Mayo Heritage Week, the 1916 Commemoration, Gnó Mhaigh Eo, and by Craftworks Mayo to showcase the best of Mayo products.

1916 belongs to every Mayo town and village

Fri, Aug 05, 2016

The nationalist Irish Volunteers were established in November 1913 as a response to the formation of the unionist Ulster Volunteers in 1912. Members of the Provisional Committee of the Irish Volunteers selected areas around the country which they would visit with the aim of setting up Volunteer companies. Committee member Colonel Maurice Moore of Moorehall in Carnacon outside Castlebar chose to return to his home county to organise and mentor the men of Mayo. Moore had military experience since the 1870s with the Connaught Rangers and was well respected by both traditions.

Mayo gears up for influx of thousands to Croagh Patrick and Bonniconlon

Fri, Jul 29, 2016

Mayo will see an influx of some 40,000 people this weekend with both the annual Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage and the Bonniconlon Show seeing thousands come to the county to take part in the events.

On Sunday the annual Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage will see an estimated 25,000 people climb Ireland's holy mountain from the early hours of the morning. Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, will lead the 2016 national Reek Sunday pilgrimage on Ireland’s holy mountain Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo.

Go on, Go on, Take a Break campaign on Mayo roads this Bank Holiday weekend

Fri, Jul 29, 2016

Mrs Doyle has changed her brew, all for the cause of road safety,.Mrs Doyle has ditched the teas bags for coffee to drive home a very important safety message this weekend. The legendary image of Pauline McLynn is set to dominate the west of Ireland landscape with a plea 'go on, go on, take a break' and have a cup of coffee.

Making sense of the census

Fri, Jul 29, 2016

The preliminary results from Census 2016 were published earlier this month by the Central Statistics Office and they make for interesting yet perhaps also nervous reading for Mayo folk. The latest survey of the Republic’s population, which was taken on April 24 last, was definitely comprehensive, asking detailed questions ranging from religion to the type of fuel we use. But what is Census 2016 telling us and is it worth knowing?

Ireland has been part of many censuses since first being included in the British census in 1821. Sadly, only fragments of those decennial censuses survive for County Mayo. The first dependable island wide census for Ireland was taken in 1901. Together with the succeeding catalogue of 1911, valuable details of that particular generation can be gleaned. Due to the political instability of the early 1920s, the next census did not take place until 1926 by which time the Irish Free State had been established. A further 16 censuses have been taken since then, though the Statistics Act, 1993 placed a 100 year embargo on the publication of all recorded data. Thankfully, redacted versions of these censuses can tell us about one of the most important factors determining national government policy, that is, local population levels.

IFA president tours Mayo’s aquaculture sector

Fri, Jul 29, 2016

IFA president Joe Healy this week met with a number of aquaculture producers (fish and shellfish farmers) in Mayo. Aquaculture is a substantial industry in Mayo primarily located in Clew Bay and Achill. The latest figures from BIM, the Seafood Development Agency, show that 143 people are employed in the fish and shellfish farming industry in Mayo, and the local fish farming industry is worth in excess of €19 million. The county produces around 4,660 tonnes of high quality organic salmon, organic mussels, Pacific and native oysters.

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