Ballyhaunis Blog

This is the full text of the speech made by Enda Kenny to welcome Barack Obama and his wife to Ireland. Made on May 23rd 2011 in Dublin

“IF THERE’S anyone out there who still doubts that Ireland is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our ancestors is alive in our time; who still questions our capacity to restore ourselves, to reinvent ourselves and to prosper. Well, today is your answer.
Because today, on this day, the President of the United States, Barack Obama and his first lady, Michelle Obama, come to visit.
To show that he believes in Ireland. To make that precious connection with his Irish family, his Irish roots, as thousands before him have done.
Today, the 44th American president comes home.
When Fulmouth Kearney started out on the long Atlantic crossing, he might have dreamed, but hardly imagined, that one day his great-great-great grandson would return as the President of the United States.
That boy said goodbye to a ravaged island. Millions had died or were leaving, packing their hopes and their dreams in beside the remnants of a life. Stepping onto ships which, for some, was like stepping into space.
Every one of them, and all their people, are our people: ár muintir féin.
Their past is our past.
Their story is our story.
This evening, my call is directly to those 40-million Irish-Americans. Whether you’re listening or watching in New York or New Haven, or in San Diego or St Louis. And whether you’re Irish by blood, or by marriage, or by desire. We, your family, your Irish family, are right here to welcome you. To follow your president home.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth came to our shores and bowed to our dead. The Irish harp glittered above the heart of the English Queen. With pride and happiness, and two words of Irish, we closed a circle of our history.
A cháirde
Today, with President Obama, we draw another circle – one in which we tell the world of our unique, untouchable wealth. Wealth that can not be accumulated in banks, or measured by the markets or traded on the stock exchange.
Because it remains intact and alive, deep inside our people.
In the heart-stopping beauty of our country and in the transforming currency of the Irish heart, imagination and soul.
It’s like the spirit of Leinster last Saturday in Cardiff. Never give up. Never give up and never say die.
This is what we call our Uaisleacht. It has sustained us over the centuries. We pass from mother to daughter, father to son – in our dreams and in our imagining, in our love for our country – our pride in who we are. Long into what must be, and will be, a brighter and more prosperous future .
The president and his first lady are an extraordinary couple.
President Obama is part of that proud past and part of that prouder future.
In 1963, the 35nd President of the United States stirred our hearts. In 1995 the 42nd president lifted our country’s spirits.
But the 44th president is different. Because ladies and gentlemen, he doesn’t just speak about the American dream. He is the American dream. And that is the American dream, come home.
So ladies and gentlemen, let your voices be heard around the globe as I’m honoured to introduce the President of the United States, Barack Obama and the first lady Michelle Obama.
Let’s hear it.”

Tom Googan is a drummer in a San Diego band called 4th Guy Shining.
His father was from Ballyhaunis and he is a cousin of Patrick Gallagher - another Ballyhaunis (Derrintogher) man who was killed in the Vietnam war fighting in the US army.

From http://www.gallagherclan.org/military.aspx

“Born 1944 in Derringtogher, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, Patrick Gallagher emigrated to New York in 1962. He became interested in politics and canvassed for Bobby Kennedy. In April 1966, he was drafted into the US Marines and was sent to Vietnam - something he kept from his parents at home.

Patrick saved the lives of three comrades on 18 July 1966. Four of them had been manning a defence post at Cam Lo near the border with North Vietnam when it was attacked by Communist forces.

Patrick kicked a grenade out of their position before it exploded and, as the citation for the Navy Cross he was later awarded read, “another enemy grenade followed and landed in the position between two of his comrades. Without hesitation, in a valiant act of self-sacrifice, Corporal Gallagher threw himself upon the deadly grenade in order to absorb the explosion and save the lives of his comrades.” He was also awarded The Congressional Medal of Honour.

Unfortunately, on the day he was to collect his awards, he was being buried, having been killed in action in Vietnam”

The 31st. edition of the annual Ballyhaunis Pparish publication, Annagh , went on sale to the public on Monday, December 8.
The 138-page issue is a bumper production, packed with pictures, old and new, and with some fine articles, many of them of great historical interest.
The 2008 edition includes all the usual club reports, detailing all the activities from the local organisations throughout the past 12 months.

Anybody wishing to submit articles for next year’s publication, photos, old or new, or other items of interest are advised to forward same to annaghmag@eircom.net or, if it is more convenient, you may leave material in to Halpin’s, Main Street.
If any reader would like to send a copy of the parish magazine abroad to friends or relatives, it is of course an ideal Christmas gift for folks living abroad.
€25 will cover the cost of magazine and postage to anywhere in the world.
Further information can be obtained from the magazine treasurer John Halpin, Main Street.

According to Ireland Town Guide » Top 20 Ethnically Diverse Towns Ballyhaunis town has the biggest percantage of “non white irish” in Ireland. Figures from the 2006 census show that 45.93% of people living in Ballyhaunis gave their ethnic origin as something other than “white Irish”.

Occupations in Ballyhaunis - according to the Census 2006
The total workforce in Ballyhaunis in May 2006 was 855.
Manufacturing jobs account for 272 of those workers (31.8%) - This is the second highest percentage of manufacturing jobs in the whole country (Ballyjamesduff in Cavan is top). The Dawn Meat plant probably accounts for many of these numbers.
Sales and commerce workers account for 102 of the Ballyhaunis population (12% of the workforce)
Only 78 people said they were working in construction (9%) - exactly the same number work in the group classified as “Clerical, Management and Government” (9%).
67 people in Ballyhaunis are classed as “Services Workers” - this would include jobs like chefs, waitresses, cleaners, mechanics. (8%)
Also 67 people work in the Professional, Technical or Health area (8%)
Workers in Communications and Transport totalled 36 (4.2%)
Farming , Fishing and Forestry workers totalled just 15 (1.75%)
113 workers are classed as “Other occupation” (13%)

Timetable of Trains to Dublin Heuston departing from Ballyhaunis :
Updated July 2010

Depart Ballyhaunis Arrive Dublin
06:00 08:50 (Mon to Fri Only)
08:03 10:45
14:05 16:50
18:35 21:20

Sunday departure Times are
8.33
14.03
16.34
18.33

As part of their heritage week celebrations Mayo County Council is hosting a talk on the life and work of one of Ireland’s greatest stained glass artists, Harry Clarke, by art historian, Dr Nicola Gordon Bowe. This talk will take place on Saturday 1st September in the Friary, Ballyhaunis at 8.30pm. Gordon Bowe is the author of the excellent Harry Clarke biography “The Life and Work of Harry Clarke” and has published and lectured widely on early 20th century decorative arts, especially the stained glass and Arts and Crafts revivals early this century. Her illustrated talk, which promises to be a highlight of Heritage Week, is open to everyone and admission is free.

The talk is being organised in conjunction with a photographic exhibition of Clarke windows in Mayo, by local photographer Michael McLaughlin. Windows by Harry Clarke and the Clarke studios are to be found in 18 churches throughout the county” explains Deirdre Cunningham, Mayo County Council’s Heritage Officer, “and these windows are the subject of both the photo-graphic exhibition and a Harry Clarke stained glass window guide of Mayo recently published by Mayo County Council, which will be launched on the night”. The photographic exhibition will run daily from the 28th August to the 2nd September from 12.30pm to 5pm in the Friary, Ballyhaunis. Further information and a full listing of Heritage Week events are available on www.heritageweek.ie or from Deirdre Cunningham, Mayo County Council, 094-9047684. A full listing of events is also available from local libraries

The 2006 Irish Census 2006 show significant changes to the population of most Mayo towns.

Castlebar now has a population of 10,655 according to Census 2006. The town saw population growth of 3.6 per cent in the last four years.
Ballina had a six per cent jump in population between 2002 and 2006. The population of the north Mayo town is now 10,056.
Westport saw a decline in population of 2.8 per cent; the town now has 5,163 inhabitants. The next largest town in the county, Claremorris, saw a jump in population of 23.5 per cent. It now has 2,595 inhabitants.

Ballinrobe saw its population grow by more than a quarter in the last four years. The south Mayo town now has 2,098 inhabitants and saw growth of 29 per cent since 2002. Ballyhaunis is the 6th largest town - and has a population of 1,708 according to the Central Statistics Office, which means a jump of 23.7 per cent in 5 years

Population growth for other East Mayo towns was not as marked. Swinford has 1,502 inhabitants, but saw growth of just 0.3 per cent. Kiltimagh saw more significant growth, at 9.6 per cent, taking its population to 1,096.

The next largest town in the county, Belmullet, saw its population grow by 12.8 per cent to 1,074. Foxford, with a population of 1,058, experienced growth of 20.5 per cent between 2002 and 2006, according to the CSO.

Knock now has 745 inhabitants, and saw a 25.2 per cent rise in its population since 2002. Charlestown saw a 10.2 per cent jump in population, with 745 inhabitants. Newport now has 590 residents, and saw population growth of 12 per cent.

Smaller towns which experienced a very high rate of growth in the last four years include Balla, whose population increased by 32.3 per cent. There are now 586 people living there.

Shrule grew by 30.4 per cent. It now has a population of 425. Kilkelly saw the highest rate of growth of any Mayo town at 69.1 per cent. The town now has 389 inhabitants, according to Census 2006. Louisburgh, meanwhile, saw its population more than double. It now has 314 inhabitants, after growth of 51.7 per cent.

Bangor Erris now has 295 residents, after population growth of close to 11 per cent.

Elsewhere, the population of Crossmolina dropped by half a percentage point to 930. In Killala, a drop of 12.5 per cent in population was recorded, leaving the population at 569. Gob an Choire (Achill Sound) saw its population drop by almost 15 per cent, leaving 302 residents.

Ballindine experienced a population slide of just over 16 per cent, leaving 249 inhabitants. Ballycastle now has 215 inhabitants after experiencing a drop of almost 14 per cent. Kilmaine saw a 22.8 per cent drop in population, leaving 142 inhabitants. Cong saw the largest population drop of any town in Mayo with a fall of just over 30 per cent. The population is now 101, according to the CSO.

St. Patrick’s Church is situated in Upper Main Street Ballyhaunis. The building of the church commenced in 1903 and it was dedicated to St. Patrick by Archbishop Healy of Tuam on October 10th 1909.

The walls of the church are sandstone from Leow and they are faced with limestone from Hazelhill. The pillars of polished red granite came from Aberdeen in Scotland. The white marble came from Italy and the coloured marble from Connemara, France and Belgium. The panels are Brazilian onyx.

All the stained glass windows were made by Joshua Clarke, the father of Harry Clarke whose stained glass windows became world famous.

A nice article about Ballyhaunis Station on the blog from Pol O’Duibhir - the son of a Ballyhaunis man. (His grandfather was Luke O’Dwyer - and he was an RIC officer in Ballyhaunis .
There are some photos of the station and the soon to be redundant signalling equipment.