Local notes: CCTV plan to tackle illegal dumping
John Morley as Saint Patrick surveys the scene at Saint Patrick's Day celebrations at the Community Hall in Ballyhaunis.
Ballyhaunis Tidy Town’s annual Good Friday cleanup will be held next Friday, April 3 from 10am to 12pm. “We invite everyone to come help tidy the town and or your own area,” said the group in a message to potential volunteers. “We will distribute gloves, bags and pickers from the Ballyhaunis Community Hall, and groups can self-organise from there.” The cleanup has become an annual tradition that elicits major efforts from local townlands with Mayo County Council providing free collection of the waste collected.
Ballyhaunis musician Keith Plunkett will play a show in Ballaghaderreen on April 24 under the new stage name of Kit James. Keith will play his new single ‘RUN’ at the first of a series of concerts billed Willowbrook Whispers at the Willowbrook Glamping & Hideaways near Ballaghaderreen.
Singer-songwriter Keith, who in 2023 supported Hothouse Flowers in Castlebar, has played several editions of the Night and Day music festival in Boyle. Previous acts at Willowbrook Whispers include Emma Langford, Charlie McGettigan and Liam Ó Maonlaí.
A group of Ballyhaunis-based Ukrainians led by popular local man Sasha Taraniuk were among the participants in a Ukrainian cultural group which was selected as one of the best in the annual Claremorris St Patrick's Day parade. Supported by Southwest Mayo Development Company, the Ukrainian group showcased some of the cultural traditions of their homeland. Sasha, who works in a local timber factory, is a popular presence in Ballyhaunis where he volunteers for the Tidy Towns and participates in Ballyhaunis Language Café.
Mayo County Council has opened a public consultation on plans to introduce a pilot CCTV scheme to tackle illegal dumping and littering in Ballyhaunis.
Cameras will be operative once again in the bottle bank area at a carpark located adjacent to St Gerard’s Crescent. The cameras will be overseen by a new Mayo County Council CCTV oversight committee which met in February and which will accept proposals for other CCTV schemes across the county.
CCTV has been an important tool for local authorities to identify illegal dumping under the Litter Pollution Act and the Waste Management Act. However, the use of CCTV for detecting illegal dumping was stalled for several years while local authorities drew up codes of practise to ensure the use of CCTV and drones for the detection of illegal dumping would be compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
In recent years household waste has on occasion piled up at the bottle banks, causing much irritation locally. A similar problem forced the exit from Ballyhaunis in 2024 of the Big Bin facility which allowed users without a bin service to drop their waste and recyclables for a fee. Fly tipping at the facility required constant cleaning, making business unviable.
Locals are encouraged to share their views on the proposed scheme. Submissions can be posted to the Environment Section, Mayo Co Council, The Mall, Castlebar or emailed to environment@mayococo.ie until 5pm on April 10.
The church run by Ballyhaunis’ large Brazilian population will run a series of cultural and religious programmes including music lessons from an upstairs room in the Community Hall which it is leasing.
“A new space for the church is born as a response to a deep longing of the faith community: to experience God's presence more intensely and mutual care among brothers and sisters,” said a statement from Agape after they moved into the space on March 23.
“More than a physical environment, this place aims to be a spiritual meeting point, where hearts align in prayer, lives are built up in fellowship, and disciples are intentionally formed.” Agape pastor Alexandro Carvalho and many members of his flock came to Ireland to work in Dawn Meats. Recruited from Brazil’s large meat processing industry, Brazilian workers have also become valued staff at other local businesses in Ballyhaunis and Castlerea.
In the new space the church hopes to create “an environment where learning and teaching go hand in hand, forming a vibrant community committed to the gospel.” The new space represents a movement, according to Agape. “A call to live faith in a deeper, more relational, and transformative way, impacting not only those who are part of the Church, but the entire surrounding community.”
A Conservation Plan for St Mary’s Abbey will be supported by a €30,000 grant under the Heritage Stewardship Funding funded by The Heritage Council. The funds were sought by the Abbey Trust which is chaired by Mayo County Council and which holds the property for the community. The Conservation Plan is necessary to secure funding for necessary conservation works and repairs to the church, known locally as the Friary.
Mayo Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has issued a plea for volunteers to staff the shelter during shifts from 10am to 1pm and afternoons from 3pm to 6pm.
“Training is hands on with the animals so be sure to dress for all types of weather and wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty,” said a spokesperson for the MSPCA.
The MSPCA is also organising a fundraising night with country singer John Molloy on April 17 at Julians of Midfield are hosting a fundraising night for Mayo S.P.C.A. Tickets are €10 and all proceeds go towards the care of vulnerable animals and continued running costs of the shelter.
MSPCA can be contacted at 086-8032592.
Gaeilge classes to resume next month A popular weekly Irish class for beginners and improvers will return on May 5 after breaking on March 31. Typically run in five-week blocks, the class is taught by Colm Bohan.
Run jointly by Ballyhaunis Community Council and Ballyhaunis Language Café, the Gaeilge class is now running for five years and was recognised with a Cathaoirleach’s Award for Best Irish Language Initiative at the recent Cathaoirleach’s Awards presented by Mayo County Council.
A dedicated walking and cycling lane from Ballyhaunis to the Western Brand factory on the Knock Road was among the key asks at a consultation on potential improved walking and cycling infrastructure for the town.
Mayo County Council staff told the they were happy with the attendance at a public consultation for a Transport Study of Ballyhaunis at the Community Hall on March 24.
Two people present at the consultation told this column that they raised concerns about illegal parking on streets in the town. “There is no point in building new infrastructure if we can’t enforce the rules and keep existing footpaths clear,” said a resident of Clare Street. “There are regularly cars parked on footpaths, which forces pedestrians out onto the street, creating a very dangerous situation.” Local Gardai are too busy or disinterested in enforcing the parking laws (it’s illegal to park on a footpath) but a parking warden hired by Mayo County Council could give out tickets, said the resident.
A local cyclist who attended the consultation echoed those remarks saying cyclists are frequently forced out into traffic to avoid pedestrians displaced from blocked footpaths. “It’s a really dangerous situation that dissuades others from wanting to cycle,” he said.
A resident of Ballyhaunis praised the walking possibilities in the town but said clarity is needed on local pedestrian crossings. “I walk the Friary riverside path every day and I frequently walk the bypass road and I think there are great walking opportunities. But I don’t like the pedestrian crossings, they’re dangerous because it’s not clear who has the right of way.”
A list of active travel priorities agreed by attendees at the monthly meeting of Ballyhaunis Community Council included a covered bus shelter, a pedestrian crossing at St Patrick’s Church and the installation of a footpath on the Ballinlough road. There was also a call for adequate parking at the railway station. This and the other suggestions will be sent to Mayo County Council which is accepting comments until April 1.
