Theme Week County Mayo – Ballina

31 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Pearse Street © Milesoneill/cc-by-sa-3.0

Pearse Street © Milesoneill/cc-by-sa-3.0

Ballina (Irish: Béal an Átha, meaning ‘mouth of the ford’) is a town in north County Mayo, Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountains to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west. The town occupies two baronies; Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh, a barony within the County of Sligo, on its east banks. As of 2016, the population of Ballina was 10,171.   read more…

Theme Week County Mayo – Killala

30 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Street scene © geograph.org.uk - Liz McCabe/cc-by-sa-2.0

Street scene © geograph.org.uk – Liz McCabe/cc-by-sa-2.0

Killala (Irish: Cill Ala, meaning ‘the mottled church’) is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West (known locally as Enagh Beg), which contains a number of ancient forts. By the end of the 18th century, Killala had established a small sea port, where fishing was the primary activity. The town also produced coarse linens and woolen products.   read more…

Theme Week County Mayo – Foxford

29 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

OLYMPUS Church of Ireland church © geograph.org.uk - Liz McCabe/cc-by-sa-2.0

Church of Ireland church © geograph.org.uk – Liz McCabe/cc-by-sa-2.0

Foxford (Irish: Béal Easa, meaning ‘mouth of the waterfall’) is a village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. It stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Manulla Junction and Ballina.   read more…

Theme Week County Mayo – Balla

28 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Balla Round Tower © Bangers/cc-by-sa-3.0

Balla Round Tower © Bangers/cc-by-sa-3.0

Balla is a village in County Mayo, Ireland on the N60 National secondary road, the main road between Castlebar and Claremorris. The economy of the village survives mainly on passing trade, from the busy N60 which carries over 7,000 vehicles through the village every day. It is notable for its round tower. It used to be a significant shop and market centre. It fell into decline and lost its railway station, but has enjoyed something of a revival as a residential area for people working in Castlebar.   read more…

Theme Week County Mayo – Knock

27 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

The Apparition Chapel © KnockShrine/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Apparition Chapel © KnockShrine/cc-by-sa-4.0

Knock is a large village in County Mayo, Ireland. Its notability is derived from the Knock Shrine, a Catholic shrine and place of pilgrimage where, according to Catholic beliefs, that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and Saint John the Evangelist may have appeared on 21 August 1879. There is much international skepticism on this event due to the age of the witnesses and lack of evidence supporting the event. In the 20th century, Knock became one of Europe’s major Catholic Marian shrines, alongside Lourdes and Fátima. It was one of the focusses of Irish peace pilgrimage during the Second World War, when the Catholic Irish prayed for peace and to prevent the spread of war to the island. One and a half million pilgrims visit Knock Shrine annually. Pope John Paul II, a supporter of devotion to the Virgin Mary, visited Knock in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of the apparition. Knock is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Costello. On 26 August 2018 Pope Francis visited the shrine at Knock as part of a visit to Ireland for the 9th World Meeting of Families.   read more…

Theme Week County Mayo

26 December 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  13 minutes

Burrishoole Bridge © MickReynolds/cc-by-sa-4.0

Burrishoole Bridge © MickReynolds/cc-by-sa-4.0

County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning “Plain of the yew trees“) is a county in Ireland. In the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority. The population was 137,231 at the 2022 census. The boundaries of the county, which was formed in 1585, reflect the Mac William Íochtar lordship at that time.   read more…

Theme Week County Galway – Dunmore

26 March 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

High Street © Andreas F. Borchert/cc-by-sa-3.0

High Street © Andreas F. Borchert/cc-by-sa-3.0

Dunmore (Irish: Dún Mór, meaning ‘big fort’) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. It is located on the N83 national secondary road at its junction with the R328 and R360 regional roads.   read more…

Theme Week County Galway – Loughrea

25 March 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

© panoramio.com - Ahmet Colakoglu/cc-by-sa-3.0

© panoramio.com – Ahmet Colakoglu/cc-by-sa-3.0

Loughrea (Irish: Baile Locha Riach, meaning ‘town of the grey/speckled lake’) is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies to the north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains, and the lake from which it takes its name. The town’s cathedral, St Brendan’s, dominates the town’s skyline. The town has increased in population in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Although the town also serves as a commuter town for the city of Galway, it also remains an independent market town. Loughrea is the fourth most populous settlement in County Galway, with a population of 6,000.   read more…

Theme Week County Galway – Ballinasloe

24 March 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Society Street © LauraSheehan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Society Street © LauraSheehan/cc-by-sa-4.0

Ballinasloe (Irish: Béal Átha na Sluaighe, meaning ‘mouth of the ford of the crowds’) is a town in the easternmost part of County Galway in Connacht. It is one of the largest towns in County Galway with a population of 6,700. From 1828 to the 1960s, Ballinasloe was the terminus of the Grand Canal. Guinness Company used the town’s canal stores to store and distribute the Guinness to the midlands. The Grand Canal provided a route for Guinness barges to travel from Dublin to Shannon Harbour. The town features a public marina which was developed on the River Suck to allow traffic from the Shannon Navigation to access the town. Among the places of interest are:   read more…

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