Road and roundabout to IWAK to be named after Monsignors

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

The approach road to Ireland West Airport could be named after the late Monsignor Horan following a proposal at the Claremorris Municipal District's monthly meeting this week. At the meeting Fine Gael councillor John Cribben put forward a motion at the meeting to call the R376 road which links up to the airport the Monsignor Horan Road. He also put forward a second motion calling for the roundabout at the entrance to the airport to be named the Monsignor Dominic Grealy Roundabout. Both of his motions received full backing from the elected members in the Municipal District.

Belmullet's Michaela shortlisted for Headline Award for Student Journalism

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Michaela Deane, a University of Limerick student from Belmullet, was a runner up of the Headline Award for Student Journalism 2016. Her article ‘Mental health not just confined to anxiety and depression’, which was published online by The Irish Times, was one of five shortlisted entries from journalism students across the country. The competition was judged by the education editor of The Irish Times, Carl O’Brien.

Davitt Museum achieves accreditation award in The Heritage Council’s Museum Standards Programme

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

The Michael Davitt Museum, dedicated to the founder of the Land League, and based in his home village of Straide, has been awarded Interim Accreditation in the Museum Standards Programme of Ireland (MSPI), which is run by the Heritage Council. The awards’ adjudication was announced at a ceremony in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin this week by the chairman of the Heritage Council, Conor Newman.

Mayo Peace Park Somme commemoration event

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

The Mayo Peace Park committee is hosting a National Day of Commemoration ceremony for the Mayo area, at 12 noon on Sunday July 10 in the Mayo Peace Park in Castlebar.

Local emergency charity responds to medical emergencies

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

The Mayo branch of Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) has announced that quarter two of this year has been quite a busy period for its volunteer doctor. In the second quarter of 2016 Mayo ICRR has responded to a total of 37 calls for assistance from the HSE National Ambulance Service. This included five road traffic accidents, six cardiac arrests, and two sick children as well as other critically ill and injured patients.

The organisation's volunteer doctor responds to an average of three calls per week. In many cases, interventions were performed on-scene that otherwise would not have been done until after the patient arrived in hospital. In one particularly busy weekend the volunteer doctor attended two cardiac arrests and a serious road traffic collision. The doctor accompanied a patient to hospital on board the Irish Coast Guard Rescue 118 aircraft. This work was done in his free time and without financial support from the HSE.

Ireland West Airport welcomes its ten millionth passenger

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Ireland West Airport was delighted to announce that last Friday, it welcomed the 10 millionth passenger to use the airport since it officially opened in 1986. Lorna Conway from Athlone, who was travelling to Edinburgh with Flybe for a wedding with her parents, was the lucky 10 millionth passenger and on checking in for her flight today was greeted with champagne, a specially designed Lily O'Brien gift hamper, and a pair of return flights to Edinburgh, to mark the occasion.

Mayo Sports Partnership distributes grants to sports and community groups

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

At a recent Mayo Sports Partnership Board meeting €19,500 was allocated to 46 clubs/organisations in Mayo through the Partnership's 2016 Special Participation Grant Scheme. Special guest at the presentation event, Minister of State for Regional Economic Development Michael Ring, paid tribute to volunteers involved in sport at all levels throughout the county. “Without volunteers sport in Mayo like every other county would not happen. Its so important that we recognise the hard work of volunteers through initiatives such as the Mayo Sports Partnerships annual small grant scheme,” Minister Ring said.

New route map for the Reek launched

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Following the formation of the Croagh Patrick stakeholders group late last year which includes all the mountains stakeholders such as the church, Murrisk community, Mayo County Council, South West Mayo Development Company, Mayo Mountain Rescue, Croagh Patrick Archaeological Society, and the tourism and adventure sectors, the group has launched a a new map/information leaflet and signage for Croagh Patrick. The map is the first time that the route is clearly marked out on one ordnance survey sheet and will greatly assist users in navigating the route.

Will you be the Last One Standing?

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Do you love a competitive run? Are you a challenge junkie? Do you strive to do better by the minute? Then challenge yourself, become Ireland’s Last One Standing on Saturday July 23 in Westport. Runners will be running to beat the clock in completing a 3.8km loop in 30 minutes, easy! Can you complete it in 29 minutes, 28 minutes? Men and women will not compete against each other, only the last male and the last female will be rewarded for being the Last One Standing.

Sail from Erris to Achill this summer

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Geraghty Charters has commenced new boat trips in the Erris and Achill regions this week offering a unique way to explore this corner of the Wild Atlantic Way in northwest Mayo. Every Friday from July 8, the Nóirín Bán will depart Blacksod (An Fód Dubh) at 10.30am and arrive in Doogort (Dumha Goirt), Achill Island before 11am. This boat trip allows visitors and locals to explore lovely Achill Island by foot, bike, or even pony and trap. (The road distance from Blacksod to Doogort is almost 100km and can take 1.5 hours to drive.)

Oscail an Doras launched in Castlebar

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, a man known in every household as the voice of GAA and admired for his renowned ability to retain the most miniscule and abstract detail relating to imreoirí and bainisteoirí alike, arrived in Caisleán an Bharraigh last week to launch the Irish language scheme Oscail an Doras.

Has our best summer month just left us?

Fri, Jul 08, 2016

In terms of Irish summer months, June was very good to us. June does make a case for being Ireland’s best summer month. The highest temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3°C at Kilkenny Castle in June 1887. One of the highest temperatures recorded in Mayo since the early 1940s was 30.5°C, recorded at Claremorris in June 1983. What is in store for us weather-wise in the coming months? There are alternative forecasts to RTÉ’s nightly offering which often seems to hedge its bets and contradict itself by the end of the broadcast. Long before Evelyn Cusack appeared on television, local folklore determined what weather may be expected.

Being a largely rural county, it was commercially important for Mayo farmers to be able to predict the weather prior to the rise in popularity of radio announcements in the late 1920s. Our agricultural calendar is affected by the whims of an erratic Atlantic Ocean which often throws up four seasons in one day. It was important farmers had their own forecasting methods to fall back on. In 1949, a Mayo journalist thoughtfully shared these methods of local forecasting with his readership.

E-paper

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