Swinford
Encyclopedia
Swinford, historically called Swineford , is a town in County Mayo
, Ireland
. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km (11 mi) from Ireland West Airport Knock
(formerly known as Knock International Airport). Situated on a tributary of the River Moy
, Swinford is known for its fishing waters, including the Callow lakes and the lakes of Conn and Cullin. Swinford was bypassed in 1993 by the N5 route and was the first town in Mayo to be bypassed.
dancing, and heritage displays depicts much of the traditions of East Mayo. The first day features Love Fest, a 12 hour long free music festival.
was a long-serving Member of Parliament for East Mayo at Westminster
. His major policy issue was the resolution of the Land Question
. Dillon took an uncompromising position in favour of the smallholders (small farmers) who sought to gain ownership of the land which they held as tenants from the largely Anglo-Irish landlords. From the middle of the 19th century, ongoing attempts were made at Westminster by the Liberal Party under William Ewart Gladstone
to resolve the issue by passing the Irish Land Acts
. Irish opinion, while welcoming of the initiative to resolve the injustice, was divided between the moderates, led by William O'Brien, who favoured a conciliatory approach (known as the doctrine of conciliation) and the hardliners. The hardliners supported an aggressive agrarian struggle and sought to advance simultaneously the struggle for Home Rule
. On the 25 August 1903, Dillon, addressing a meeting of his constituents at the Swinford Workhouse, spoke vehemently against the doctrine of conciliation. This divided the Party and led to the departure of William O’Brien. It became known as the “Swinford Revolt”. Despite the turmoil, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, George Wyndham
's Irish Land (Purchase Act) 1903 passed at Westminster, resolving the Irish Land Question.
, the struggle to free the country from British occupation. According to the Galway Observer of Saturday, July 24, 1920, an article entitled "Shots in Swinford":
Local folklore has it that other British patrols were ambushed in rural areas outside the town, and that local Volunteers from the (Old) Irish Republican Army
climbed onto the roof of the Royal Irish Constabulary
barracks (now the site of the Gateway Hotel) and burnt it to the ground by breaking slates and pouring petrol into the building.
During this period British soldiers were also billeted in the town.
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,...
. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km (11 mi) from Ireland West Airport Knock
Ireland West Airport Knock
-Ground transport:BusBus Éireann currently provide services from the Airport on the Derry-Sligo-Galway and Galway-Sligo-Derry Route 64, Ireland West Airport Knock - Castlebar - Westport - Achill Island route 440, Dublin - Athlone - Ireland West Airport Knock - Westport route 21, and connects with...
(formerly known as Knock International Airport). Situated on a tributary of the River Moy
River Moy
The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Northwest of Ireland.- Geography :The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo. It flows for 110 km...
, Swinford is known for its fishing waters, including the Callow lakes and the lakes of Conn and Cullin. Swinford was bypassed in 1993 by the N5 route and was the first town in Mayo to be bypassed.
Events
Swinford hosts one of County Mayo's largest summer festivals and has done since the mid 1980s: Siamsa Sraide Swinford, (Fun in the Streets of Swinford). This Street festival of pageantry, céilíCéilidh
In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...
dancing, and heritage displays depicts much of the traditions of East Mayo. The first day features Love Fest, a 12 hour long free music festival.
Education
Up to the mid 1980s the town had 3 second level schools: St. Patrick's college, St. Mary's Convent and the Vocational school. All 3 schools amalgamated in August 1992 to Scoil Muire agus Padraig.Transport
Swinford railway station opened on 1 October 1895, closed for passenger traffic on 17 June 1963 and finally closed altogether on 3 November 1975. At present there is work being carried out to reopen the line.The Swinford Revolt
John DillonJohn Dillon
John Dillon was an Irish land reform agitator from Dublin, an Irish Home Rule activist, a nationalist politician, a Member of Parliament for over 35 years, and the last leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party....
was a long-serving Member of Parliament for East Mayo at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. His major policy issue was the resolution of the Land Question
Irish Land Acts
The Land Acts were a series of measures to deal with the question of peasant proprietorship of land in Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Five such acts were introduced by the government of the United Kingdom between 1870 and 1909...
. Dillon took an uncompromising position in favour of the smallholders (small farmers) who sought to gain ownership of the land which they held as tenants from the largely Anglo-Irish landlords. From the middle of the 19th century, ongoing attempts were made at Westminster by the Liberal Party under William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
to resolve the issue by passing the Irish Land Acts
Irish Land Acts
The Land Acts were a series of measures to deal with the question of peasant proprietorship of land in Ireland in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Five such acts were introduced by the government of the United Kingdom between 1870 and 1909...
. Irish opinion, while welcoming of the initiative to resolve the injustice, was divided between the moderates, led by William O'Brien, who favoured a conciliatory approach (known as the doctrine of conciliation) and the hardliners. The hardliners supported an aggressive agrarian struggle and sought to advance simultaneously the struggle for Home Rule
Home rule
Home rule is the power of a constituent part of a state to exercise such of the state's powers of governance within its own administrative area that have been devolved to it by the central government....
. On the 25 August 1903, Dillon, addressing a meeting of his constituents at the Swinford Workhouse, spoke vehemently against the doctrine of conciliation. This divided the Party and led to the departure of William O’Brien. It became known as the “Swinford Revolt”. Despite the turmoil, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, George Wyndham
George Wyndham
George Wyndham PC was a British Conservative politician, man of letters, noted for his elegance, and one of The Souls.-Background and education:...
's Irish Land (Purchase Act) 1903 passed at Westminster, resolving the Irish Land Question.
War of Independence
Swinford, like most areas in the West of Ireland saw its share of action during the Irish War of IndependenceIrish 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...
, the struggle to free the country from British occupation. According to the Galway Observer of Saturday, July 24, 1920, an article entitled "Shots in Swinford":
"
A military patrol of the Border regiment from Claremorris was fired at on Saturday night at Swinford and two soldiers were severely wounded. The soldiers halted at Swinford courthouse, from which four streets branch and immediately shots were fired at them by unknown parties. The lorry was riddled in several places with several bullets.
The military returned the fire, discharging as many as 500 rounds, with what result did not transpire. The wounded soldiers were conveyed to Claremorris, where their wounds were dressed prior to removal to the Curragh Hospital."
Local folklore has it that other British patrols were ambushed in rural areas outside the town, and that local Volunteers from the (Old) Irish Republican Army
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
climbed onto the roof of the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
barracks (now the site of the Gateway Hotel) and burnt it to the ground by breaking slates and pouring petrol into the building.
During this period British soldiers were also billeted in the town.
People
- Joseph Patrick Lydon, double Olympic medalist
- Mary DavisMary Davis-Motion pictures:Davis debuted in Hollywood with a role in Leave It To Cissy . This appearance was followed by parts as Mary I. Davis in I Accuse and Mary G. Davis in The Haunted Manor, both from 1916....
, Presidential Candidate and disability rights activist is from Kinaffe, between Swinford and KiltimaghKiltimagh' is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It was referred to in the popular Irish song 'Horse it into ya Cynthia' by Conal Gallen.-Transport:The rail link is closed, but is pending re-opening as part of the Western Railway Corridor. Kiltimagh railway station opened on 1 October 1895 and finally closed...
. - Liam GallagherLiam GallagherWilliam John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
and Noel GallagherNoel GallagherNoel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, formerly the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and principal songwriter of the English rock band Oasis. He is currently fronting his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.Raised in Burnage, Manchester with his...
("OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
") frequented Swinford to visit family - Ulick and Des McEvaddyUlick McEvaddyUlick McEvaddy, a former Irish army officer and native of Swinford County Mayo.In 1984, along with his brother Desmond McEvaddy, he established Omega Air Inc; a Washington-based US Corporation that specialises in the sale and lease of aircraft. Omega Air has become one of the biggest supplier and...
, founders and owners of Omega Air - Caitríona RuaneCaitríona RuaneCaitríona Ruane MLA is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down....
, Stormont Minister for Education and South Down MLA - Jane LynchJane LynchJane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest's improv mockumentary pictures such as Best in Show and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee...
, actress in the GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
TV series, is reportedly descended from Swinford natives - Donncha O'Connell, Dean of Law, National University of Ireland, GalwayNational University of Ireland, GalwayThe National University of Ireland, Galway is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland...
and former Director of Irish Council for Civil LibertiesIrish Council for Civil LibertiesThe Irish Council for Civil Liberties is an Irish non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting the civil liberties and human rights of people in Ireland.-History:... - Tony McDonnell, former President of the Union of Students in IrelandUnion of Students in IrelandThe Union of Students in Ireland is the national representative body for third-level students' unions in Ireland. The Union of Students in Ireland is the sole national representative body for students in Ireland but does not represent students from two of the seven Irish Universities, namely...
- David Heaney, 2006 Mayo Senior FootballMayo GAAThe 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:...
captain - Martin Hennigan, 1984-85 All Ireland HandballGaelic handballGaelic handball is a sport similar to Basque pelota, racquetball, squash and American handball . It is one of the four Gaelic games organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association...
40x20 Singles and 1984 RTÉ Top Ace champion - Jack Judge, musician and composer ("It's a long way to TipperaryIt's a Long Way to TipperaryIt's a Long Way to Tipperary is a British music hall and marching song written by Jack Judge and co-credited to, but not co-written by, Henry James "Harry" Williams. It was allegedly written for a 5 shilling bet in Stalybridge on 30 January 1912 and performed the next night at the local music hall...
") - Enda MarrenEnda MarrenEnda Marren is a solicitor and a member of the Irish Council of State. Born December 12, 1934 in Killasser, Swinford, Co. Mayo. The son of Patrick Marren and Eileen Horkan. After a primary education at Knocks National School, where his parents were his teachers, he went to Rockwell College near...
, a member of the Council of State and a former member of the Law Reform Commission, is from Killasser - Patrick O'Connor, former President of the Law Society of IrelandLaw Society of IrelandThe Law Society of Ireland is the educational, representative and regulatory body of the solicitors' profession in the Republic of Ireland...
- Hardy BucksHardy BucksHardy Bucks is an Irish mockumentary TV show written by Martin Maloney, Chris Tordoff and Mike Cockayne. The Hardy Bucks started out with a series of largely improvised online webisodes directed and edited by Tordoff who had studied Media Production. A six-part webisode series went on to win the...
, a web series which won the RTE Storyland competition bases its fictional town of Castletown on Swinford and is also filmed there - Ciana Campbell, former RTE broadcaster
Wiki fame
This Wikipedia article was featured on an Irish comedy show, The Panel, after a vandal claimed, amongst other things, that Swinford was infested with werewolves.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland