Murrisk is one of the Baronial divisions

Barony (Ireland)

In Ireland, a barony is a historical subdivision of a county. They were created, like the counties, in the centuries after the Norman invasion, and were analogous to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. In early use they were also called cantreds...

 of County Mayo and also a village in County Mayo

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

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

, on the south side of Clew Bay

Clew Bay

Clew Bay is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. According to tradition, there is an island in the bay for every day of the year. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and the mountains of North Mayo. Clare...

, about 8 km west of 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 4 km east of Lecanvey

Lecanvey

Lecanvey or Leckanvy is a seaside village in County Mayo, Ireland, between Westport and Louisburgh, about 2 km west of Murrisk. It has a small beach with Lecanvey Pier. To the south is Croagh Patrick...

.

Murrisk lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick

Croagh Patrick

Croagh Patrick , nicknamed the Reek, is a tall mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It is from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On "Reek Sunday", the last...

 and is the starting-point for pilgrims who visit the mountain. Every year, on the last Sunday of July, thousands of people converge on the village to make the pilgrimage. There is a small interpretative centre in the village, which focuses on Croagh Patrick.

Places of interest

The ruined Murrisk Abbey just to the seaward side of the village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 was an Augustinian

Augustinians

The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

 abbey founded in 1457 by the O'Malley

O'Malley (surname)

O'Malley is a surname of Irish origin , later changed in some members when they emigrated to Malia, and may refer to:* Bryan Lee O'Malley , comic book creator* Catherine Curran O'Malley , Maryland state judge...

 family. It was suppressed in the Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...

, but survived for some time.

Murrisk is also the site of Ireland's National Famine Memorial, designed by Irish artist John Behan

John Behan (sculptor)

John Behan is an Irish sculptor from Dublin.He helped establish the Project Arts Centre, Dublin in 1967 and the Dublin Art Foundry. Notable sculptures include "Arrival", commissioned by the Irish Government and presented to the UN in 2000 and "Wings of the World" in Shenzhen, China, 1991...

, which abstractly resembles a coffin ship filled with dying people. The monument was unveiled in July 1997 by President

President of Ireland

The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...

 Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson

Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...

.

Religion

Murrisk is part of both the Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 and Church of Ireland

Church of Ireland

The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...

 parishes of Oughaval. Catholic records consist of marriages (from 1825) and baptisms (from 1845) and Church of Ireland records of baptisms, marriages and burials (all from 1802). These records are held at the South Mayo Family Research Centre in Ballinrobe

Ballinrobe

-Early history:Dating back to 1390, Ballinrobe is said to be the oldest town in South Mayo. The registry of the Dominican friary of Athenry mentions the monastery de Roba, an Augustinian friary whose recently restored ruins are one of the historical landmarks of the town today...

 which is 32 km southeast of Westport.

Towns and villages in the Barony of Murrisk

• Murrisk
• Louisburgh
• 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....
  
  
• Carrownisky
• Killary Harbour
  Killary Harbour
  Killary Harbour/An Caoláire Rua is a fjord located in the West of Ireland in the heart of Connemara which forms a natural border between counties Galway and Mayo. It is 16 kilometres long and in the centre over 45 metres deep...
  
  

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland