Mayo

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County Mayo Contae Mhaigh Eo
Motto: Dia is Muire Linn  (Irish) "God and Mary be with us"
Location
Statistics
Province:	Connacht
County seat:	Castlebar
Code:	MO
Area:	5,397 km2 (2,084 sq mi)
Population (2009 estimate)	126,000
Website: www.mayococo.ie

County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Connacht. It was named after the village of Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo). Mayo is the second largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 15th largest in terms of population^[1]. It is the second largest of Connacht’s 5 counties in size and second largest in terms of population.

Geography

The highest point in Mayo and Connacht is Mweelrea (814 m/2,670 ft). The river Moy in the northeast of the county is renowned for its salmon fishing. Ireland's largest island, Achill, lies off Mayo's west coast. Mayo has Ireland's highest cliffs (third highest in Europe) at Croaghaun, Achill island.

Towns and villages

Castlebar and Ballina are by far the two most populous towns in the county, with 17,891 and 10,146 residents respectively according to the 2006 census; with Ballina being much larger by land area. These are followed by Westport, a popular tourist town, which has 5,140 residents. The fourth largest town is Claremorris, a market town, with a population of 3,170.

• Achill Island
• Balla, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballintober, Ballycastle, Ballyhaunis, Ballyglass, Ballyvary, Bangor, Belcarra, Belmullet, Bohola, Boytown
• Castlebar, Charlestown, Claremorris, Cong, Corroy, Crossmolina
• Derrew
• Foxford
• Geesala
• Islandeady
• Keel, Kilkelly, Killala, Kilmaine, Kiltimagh, Knock, Knockmore
• Louisburgh
• Mayo, Mulrany
• Newport
• Rossport
• Shrule, Swinford
• Tourmakeady
• Westport

Demographics

The county has experienced perhaps the highest emigration out of Ireland.^{[citation needed]} In the 1840s-1880s, waves of emigrants left the rural townlands of the county. Initially triggered by the Great Famine and then in search of work in the newly industrialising England, Scotland and the United States, the population fell considerably. From 388,887 in 1841, the population fell to 199,166 in 1901. The population reached a low of 109,525 in 1971 as emigration continued.

Places of interest

Cliffs along the Atlantic coastline of County Mayo, near Ballycastle

The Knock Shrine is in Mayo, close to the border with County Roscommon. Mayo is also home to Croagh Patrick, a mountain where St Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days and nights, although worship connected with the mountain is believed to have preceded the arrival of Christianity.

• Achill Island (Acaill)
• Ashford Castle
• Ballintubber Abbey
• Ceide Fields
• Clare Island
• Clew Bay
• Croagh Patrick
• Ireland West Airport Knock
• Lough Mask (Loch Measca)
• Mullet Peninsula
• Nephin Beg Mountains
• Partry Mountains
• Rockfleet Castle
• Tourmakedy
• Westport House

Notable people

• Admiral William Brown (1777 to 1857) - born in Foxford, founder of the Argentine Navy
• Browne family
• Patrick Browne (1720–1790) - doctor and botanist of Jamaica
• Michael Davitt - founder of the Land League, born in Mayo. The bridge to Achill is named after him as well as Castlebar's local secondary school (Davitt College).
• Seán Flanagan (1922– 1993) - senior Fianna Fáil politician and Gaelic footballer in Ireland. He served under Taoiseach Jack Lynch as Minister for Health (1966-1969) and Minister for Lands (1969-1973).
• Enda Kenny - politician, leader of Fine Gael since 2002
• Ciarán McDonald - Gaelic football player
• John McDonnell (born July 2, 1938) - athletics coach. He has won more national championships (42) than any coach in any sport in the history of American collegiate athletics.
• Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin (born in Carnacon in 1983) - winner of the 2005 Rose of Tralee contest. She is the 47th Rose and the first from County Mayo.
• William O'Dwyer - mayor of New York City from 1946-1950
• Grace O'Malley - pirate queen and chieftain of the clan O’Malley, also known as Granuaile.
• Mary Robinson - first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997), born in Ballina in 1944. Mrs. Robinson became the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 12 September 12, 1997, resigning the Presidency a few weeks early with the approval of Irish political parties in order to take up the post.
• Louis Walsh (born 5 August, 1952) - pop music manager

Sport

Mayo is also noted for its Gaelic football team, and their efforts to capture the All-Ireland Football Title in recent years. They last won the Sam Maguire Cup in 1951, when the team was captained by Seán Flanagan. Mayo's most recent All-Ireland final appearances have been in 1989, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006. They defeated a hotly tipped Dublin team in the 2006 All Ireland Semi Final in what is generally acknowledged to be one of the best games ever played in Croke Park, Mayo winning by one point.

Energy resources controversy

There is local resistance to Shell's decision to refine raw gas from the Corrib gas field at an onshore refinery. In 2005, five local men were jailed for contempt of court after refusing to facilitate Shell's work. Subsequent protests against the project led to the Shell to Sea and related campaigns.

See also

• Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo, Viceroy of India 1869-72
• Castlebar transmitter
• Connacht Irish
• Earl of Mayo
• List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Mayo)
• Marquess of Sligo
• Mayo College
• Mayo County Council
• Westport House

References

External links

• Mayo.ie
• Mayo County Council's website
• Connaught Telegraph
• Western People

v • d • e Counties of Ireland Connacht Galway (Galway City) · Leitrim · Mayo · Roscommon · Sligo Munster Clare · Cork (Cork City) · Kerry · Limerick (Limerick City) · Tipperary (North Tipperary • South Tipperary) · Waterford (Waterford City) Leinster Carlow · Dublin (Dublin City • Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown • Fingal • South Dublin) · Kildare · Kilkenny · Laois · Longford · Louth · Meath · Offaly · Westmeath · Wexford · Wicklow Ulster Cavan · Donegal · Monaghan · Antrim · Armagh · Down · Fermanagh · Derry · Tyrone Italics denote non-administrative counties. Parentheses () denote eponymous cities or non-traditional counties.

Coordinates: 53°54′N 9°15′W / 53.9°N 9.25°W / 53.9; -9.25