Ballyhaunis
Encyclopedia
Ballyhaunis is a town in County Mayo
, Ireland
. It is situated at the crossroads of the N60
and N83
National secondary road
s and on the railway line
connecting Dublin to Westport
and Ballina
.
It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augustinian Friary (popularly referred to as "the Abbey"), founded in 1348. The town and the surrounding hinterland is steeped in history and contains one of the highest concentrations of megalithic monuments in the West of Ireland.
The population of Ballyhaunis in the 2011 Census
was 3,008. The town is a mixed community where farming, private business and industry are the main sources of employment. Employment, infrastructure and continued development of the town are key issues addressed by the Ballyhaunis Local Area Plan 2010 - 2016, adopted by Mayo County Council on February 8th 2010.
Over the years, Ballyhaunis has become a cosmopolitan area. Even prior to Ireland's recent period of economic growth
, there were children of at least seven nationalities attending schools in the town. These included Pakistan
i, Syria
n, Russian
, English
, Polish
and Lithuanian
. In recent times more nationalities have been attracted to Ballyhaunis, with immigrants from several countries in Africa
and Eastern Europe
now settled in the area. This is illustrated by the fact that, as well as two Catholic
churches, the town is also home to Ireland's only purpose built mosque
outside Dublin, which is the second most westerly mosque in Europe
, after the Lisbon Mosque. The results of the 2006 census showed that some 36% of Ballyhaunis residents are non-Irish.
Ballyhaunis is located in the parish of Annagh (Roman Catholic), part of the Diocese of Tuam.
during the Irish War of Independence
, Ballyhaunis witnessed a number of incidences. On August 2nd 1920, the Volunteers ambushed a British Army lorry on the Claremorris
road from Ballyhaunis. This resulted in the capture of arms and ammunition for the Volunteers. A high cross marks the spot of the ambush. On April 1st 1921, Sean Corcoran, O/C of the East Mayo Brigade, was shot dead by British soldiers after a short gunfight at Crossard crossroads (6km north of Ballyhaunis). A high cross marks the spot where Corcoran died. Later that same day, a member of the Black and Tans
was killed by a sniper. In retaliation, the Black and Tans executed Michael Coen, a man that was later proven not to have taken part in fighting of any kind. A monument to Coen was placed on the Cloonfad/ Galway road from Ballyhaunis.
, four buildings in the town are protected under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These include:
*Ballyhaunis Community School was opened in September 1977 after the amalgamation of the towns three post-primary schools - St. Joseph's Convent Secondary School, Ballyhaunis Vocational School (commonly referred to as "the Tech") and St. Patrick's College.
Dr. John Heavey, Bishop of Cairns, Queensland, Australia
, (1941 - 1948)
Patrick Gallagher, Vietnam War Hero
Dr. Liam Harte, Author and University Lecturer
Dr. James McGarry Biomedical Engineering Award Winner http://www.nuigalway.ie/mechbio/jmg.html
team.
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is situated at the crossroads of the N60
N60 road (Ireland)
The N60 road is a national secondary road in Ireland, linking Castlebar, County Mayo to Roscommon town. The quality of the road varies significantly, with County Roscommon having a better alignment. The worst section of the route is between Castlebar and Claremorris where some stretches are...
and N83
N83 road (Ireland)
The N83 road is a national secondary road in Ireland that runs from its junction with the N17 just south of Ireland West Airport Knock in County Mayo to a point just north of Tuam, County Galway where it rejoins the N17.Total length is ....
National secondary road
National secondary road
A national secondary road is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network, but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those...
s and on the railway line
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
connecting Dublin to Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
and Ballina
Ballina, County Mayo
Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...
.
It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augustinian Friary (popularly referred to as "the Abbey"), founded in 1348. The town and the surrounding hinterland is steeped in history and contains one of the highest concentrations of megalithic monuments in the West of Ireland.
The population of Ballyhaunis in the 2011 Census
Census of Ireland 2011
The Census of Ireland 2011 was held on Sunday, 10 April 2011. It was administered by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland and found the population to be 4,581,269 people.. Before the census, the latest population estimate was published in September 2010 and calculated that the Irish population...
was 3,008. The town is a mixed community where farming, private business and industry are the main sources of employment. Employment, infrastructure and continued development of the town are key issues addressed by the Ballyhaunis Local Area Plan 2010 - 2016, adopted by Mayo County Council on February 8th 2010.
Over the years, Ballyhaunis has become a cosmopolitan area. Even prior to Ireland's recent period of economic growth
Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger is a term used to describe the economy of Ireland during a period of rapid economic growth between 1995 and 2007. The expansion underwent a dramatic reversal from 2008, with GDP contracting by 14% and unemployment levels rising to 14% by 2010...
, there were children of at least seven nationalities attending schools in the town. These included Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and Lithuanian
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
. In recent times more nationalities have been attracted to Ballyhaunis, with immigrants from several countries in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
now settled in the area. This is illustrated by the fact that, as well as two Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
churches, the town is also home to Ireland's only purpose built mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
outside Dublin, which is the second most westerly mosque in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, after the Lisbon Mosque. The results of the 2006 census showed that some 36% of Ballyhaunis residents are non-Irish.
Ballyhaunis is located in the parish of Annagh (Roman Catholic), part of the Diocese of Tuam.
War of independence
Due to the active East Mayo Brigade of the Irish VolunteersIrish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, Ballyhaunis witnessed a number of incidences. On August 2nd 1920, the Volunteers ambushed a British Army lorry on the Claremorris
Claremorris
Claremorris , is a town in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, at the junction of the N17 and the N60 national routes. The population of Claremoris in the 2011 Census was 3,979....
road from Ballyhaunis. This resulted in the capture of arms and ammunition for the Volunteers. A high cross marks the spot of the ambush. On April 1st 1921, Sean Corcoran, O/C of the East Mayo Brigade, was shot dead by British soldiers after a short gunfight at Crossard crossroads (6km north of Ballyhaunis). A high cross marks the spot where Corcoran died. Later that same day, a member of the Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
was killed by a sniper. In retaliation, the Black and Tans executed Michael Coen, a man that was later proven not to have taken part in fighting of any kind. A monument to Coen was placed on the Cloonfad/ Galway road from Ballyhaunis.
Protected Structures
According to Mayo County CouncilMayo County Council
Mayo County council is the local authority which is responsible for County Mayo in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The county council is governed by the Local Government...
, four buildings in the town are protected under Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000. These include:
- St Patrick's Parish Church (RC).
- The former St Joseph's Convent.
- St. Mary's Augustinian Friary.
- The Ulster Bank.
Media
- Midwest Radio is based at Ballyhaunis. It is a local radio station for Counties Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim.
- It has also a dedicated internet radio, Midwest Irish Radio.
- The "Annagh Magazine" is a yearly publication. It usually includes articles relating to local events in the year immediately prior to the date of publication as well as interesting articles on Ballyhaunis history and culture.
Education
- Originally there were two primary level schools located in the town - St. Mary's Boys' National School and St. Joseph's Girls' National School. Those two schools have been amalgamated into a single co-educational school, Scoil íosa National School.
*Ballyhaunis Community School was opened in September 1977 after the amalgamation of the towns three post-primary schools - St. Joseph's Convent Secondary School, Ballyhaunis Vocational School (commonly referred to as "the Tech") and St. Patrick's College.
Notable people
Blessed Fulgentius Jordan, Augustinian Friar. Martyred 1642Dr. John Heavey, Bishop of Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, erected initially as a vicariate apostolic in 1877 and elevated to a diocese in 1941, covering the far north region of Queensland, Australia....
, (1941 - 1948)
- Bill NaughtonBill NaughtonWilliam John Francis Naughton, or Bill Naughton was an Irish-born British playwright and author, best known for his play Alfie.-Early life:...
(1910-1992), playwright. Wrote Alfie (1963), the basis of two film adaptations. - Jim Higgins MEPMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
.
Patrick Gallagher, Vietnam War Hero
Dr. Liam Harte, Author and University Lecturer
Dr. James McGarry Biomedical Engineering Award Winner http://www.nuigalway.ie/mechbio/jmg.html
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
team.