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The West Coast of Ireland is one of the finest sailing areas in all Europe and as yet undiscovered by mass tourism. It has numerous secluded bays and islands which have remained unchanged for centuries, providing the sailor with an opportunity to step back in time and enjoy the beauty and wealth of culture in this unique region. Mayo comes from the Irish word Maigh Eo – the plain of the yew trees. Mayo has many historical connections including the Ceide Fields which contain many stone age tombs and monuments. Legend has it that St. Patrick spent 40 days on Croagh Patrick, fasting and praying. In addition, the famous 1952 film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was filmed in County Mayo. Granuaile (Grace O’Malley) – who was known as the Pirate Queen and was one of Ireland’s most incredible women – had a castle just outside of Newport at Rossyvera, which is still in good condition. Granuaile also anchored her ships in Clew Bay but her main fortress was on Clare Island. I recently spoke with Councillor Frank Chambers who is the mayor of the town of Newport, and he said this is an exciting time for his town. “We have substantial investment going on in Newport at the moment. The government has introduced a tax incentive town renewal scheme as part of refurbishment of old towns which have a lot of derelict buildings. There were eight towns in Mayo that qualified and Newport was one of them. “As a result we have a lot of investment in the private sector right now. For instance, if you bought one of those old buildings, you could write the investment off against your income tax. So, it encourages a lot of people from a lot of other sectors who are on high wages to invest in these properties and in doing that they create the activity and the investment. What’s happening at the moment in Newport is a whole refurbishment program. There are six or seven schemes in the process right now, with a new 40-room hotel being built with 30 apartments that will soon be for sale.” Frank Chambers was born and raised in Newport and as an elected official he has represented the people of Newport for the past 27 years. He is a real estate auctioneer and also owns a farm outside Newport. The population within the town itself is approximately 1,200 people but with no main industry, Newport is a commuting town to the bigger centres of Castlebar and Westport. “Newport is a comfortable place to live,” said Chambers. “It’s a comfortable distance to commute to work but not too busy and it is on the seaside with a lot of bridges, sea river ways, walkways and the harbour.” Tourism represents a major industry in the area and the Grace O’Malley or Granuaile Sea Festival, which is held the last week of July and the first week of August, is a major attraction for visitors to the area. The mayor said, “the August weekend of the festival is the busiest weekend of the year. Tourists come from all over and we have a lot of bands, music and entertainment laid on for that weekend to suit the visitors. We also have curragh and boat races, along with some sports and competitions. A lot of international handballers come over for the competitions, and it’s a great time for holiday making.” Speaking about the massive economic changes which have taken place in Ireland in the past few years, Frank Chambers said, “well, one of my main jobs is dealing with roads, housing, water and all the utilities in the area, and one of the biggest issues here is provision of sites and planning housing for young people. “There’s been huge development here and Ireland has become very wealthy, but there is a lot of pressure on a lot of things, including our environment. We welcome this change, but there is a price to be paid for it now. “Wealth has created a lot of individualism in business. The whole structure of Ireland is changing. We’re 10 to 20 years behind America and we are bringing on all the changes that they have gone through in a very short time. “We have a huge suicide issue in Ireland now, particularly in young males. I think it could be an element of people feeling that they are not achieving enough. There has been so much change so fast and people are making comparisons with others and it’s easy to be sucked into the system. “Everyone is also on the move now. In the past, people would take the time to talk to other people and I think that’s terribly important. It’s so easy to lose that connection, and it can happen so very quickly.” Mayor Chambers has been invited this year to the neighbouring town of Westport to take part in their St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebrations. He described the events which will take place to celebrate the feast day of the patron Saint of Ireland. “First, we will have a Mass in the morning and then the parade starts at 1 PM. It will assemble on the Distillery Road and we will then do the grand tour of the town. There will also be presentation or a passing out at the parade at the monument in Westport. “There will be all kinds of displays from the schools. There will be dancing and dancing troupes, army bands and local bands. A lot of the multi-national companies will have floats in the parade, along with the business community floats. “Off the top of my head, I would say there will be anywhere from 60 to 70 floats of good quality. Newport will also have some floats entered and they will be mostly on the cultural side with different dancing groups such as the straw boys type of dancing. Then, later we will retire to the hostelries for the afternoon...great enjoyment! * For more information about Newport, County Mayo visit: www.mayo-ireland.ie/Mayo/Towns/Newport/Newport.htm. In Canada, call Tourism Ireland: 1-800-223-6470, or visit: www.tourismireland.com.
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