Local Notes: Sam Maguire is welcomed to Kiltimagh
A section of the crowd as the Sam Maguire Cup is brought to Gilmartin Park, Kiltimagh. Picture: Sally Lavin
Kiltimagh may be a relatively small town, but when it comes to cultural capital it continues to punch well above its weight. That cultural wealth is set to grow again this week when the work of one of Mayo’s most celebrated literary figures, Antoine Ó Raifteirí, becomes the latest addition to the Kiltimagh Poetry Trail.
Raftery’s ‘Chondae Mhaigh Eo’, widely known by its opening line ‘Anois Teacht An Earraigh’ and also associated with ‘Cill Aodáin’, will be installed at the Sculpture Park at the Kilkelly Road entrance and officially unveiled on this Saturday, September 26.
Raftery was born near Kiltimagh in 1779 and became one of the last great wandering Irish-language poets. He is celebrated in the town square in the form of an amazing sculpture by artist, Sally McKenna. Blind from childhood, he later travelled through Galway, where he spent much of his life. His poetry survived largely through the oral tradition before being collected and committed to print.
The addition of his work to the trail will connect that literary inheritance with a cultural scene in Kiltimagh which has been tirelessly built up over decades.
The town has an unusual concentration of cultural and heritage attractions for a community of its size. The restored railway station area incorporates Kiltimagh Museum and the Sculpture Park, while the former Station Master’s House has also been put to cultural use. The town's public sculpture programme extends beyond the park, with works located around Kiltimagh.
Nearby, the Emigrant Park draws on Kiltimagh's long history of emigration and its railway heritage, while the 200-seat Town Hall Theatre provides the town with a dedicated venue for drama, music and other performances. Almost €500,000 was invested in developing the theatre and arts centre – a substantial cultural facility for a town of Kiltimagh's size.
The Wetlands Park, public sculpture, annual cultural events and the town's writers and musicians add further layers. The Poetry Trail is a relatively recent addition to that cultural landscape, but poet Terry McDonagh said the idea was always about more than simply displaying poetry.
“The idea for a poetry trail came about after one of my own poems was included in the poetry trail at the University of Galway,” Terry told the . “I was thinking about how that might work in Kiltimagh. I thought it had many possibilities for tourism and that it might awaken an interest in writing in the area.”
There are signs that ambition is bearing fruit.
“We have the Kiltimagh Writers Group now and that’s a very vibrant group,” Terry said. “We brought out a publication ‘Kiltimagh Writers Review’, recently.”
Terry also praised local volunteers for their work in developing the trail.
“I’m very pleased with how the trail has turned out,” he said. “The main person driving the project is David McNicholas of the Tidy Towns group. He is very interested. We’ll keep going adding poems as time and resources permit.”
Raftery will join a trail featuring poets including Terry McDonagh, Ger Reidy, Geraldine Mitchell and Colette Nic Aodha, among others, with poetry encountered as people make their way through the town rather than confined to a gallery or library. The latest installation is being supported by Bernard and Catherine Begley of New York, formerly of Carrandine, with the logistical work being undertaken by Dominic Fannon.
Following the unveiling at the Sculpture Park on September 26, guests will move to Kiltimagh Museum, where Dr Colette Nic Aodha will give a lecture on Raftery accompanied by traditional music. The event will bring together several strands of Kiltimagh's cultural life – poetry, music, history, heritage and community – in one event.
Cultural capital cannot always be measured as easily as jobs, investment or new buildings. It is accumulated through places, people, ideas and activity over many years. In Kiltimagh, the museum, theatre, parks, public art, writers and Poetry Trail have created a cultural infrastructure which would be impressive in a considerably larger town. Adding Raftery to that story places one of Kiltimagh's great cultural inheritances firmly within the living town of today.
The Church of the Holy Family in Kiltimagh has begun this year’s Pope John Paul II Award programme, with a strong response from young people in the parish.
A total of 52 students from St Louis Community School, together with young people from Youth Outreach, answered the invitation to “come and see” and begin their involvement in the programme. Inspired by Pope St John Paul II’s message to the young people of Ireland not to be afraid, participants will now begin a journey which encourages young people to become actively involved in parish and community life.
The parish welcomed the enthusiastic response to this year’s programme and expressed the hope that the experience will encourage lasting involvement among the young participants.
Kiltimagh Knock United are inviting expressions of interest from women aged over 30 who would like to play Masters football. No previous football experience is necessary, with the emphasis on getting involved and enjoying the game.
The team will compete in a winter league, with matches taking place on Tuesday evenings in Castlebar.
Anyone interested in joining can send a private message to the Kiltimagh Knock United Facebook page or contact the club on WhatsApp at 083-0850159.
There were big celebrations in Kiltimagh last week as the GAA club welcomed Mayo’s All-Ireland champions and the Sam Maguire Cup to Gilmartin Park while marking the 50th anniversary of the official opening of the grounds.
The anniversary celebrations were held in conjunction with the club’s Family Day, Lá Teaghlaigh, and attracted generations of Kiltimagh people from near and far.
There was particular pride in welcoming the Sam Maguire Cup to the club’s new facilities at Gilmartin Park, adding another memorable chapter to the ground’s 50-year history.
The club thanked its executive members and the many volunteers who contributed to the organisation and running of the event.
Kiltimagh GAA said there had been a “fantastic atmosphere and wonderful positivity towards Kiltimagh GAA” throughout the day and thanked everyone who contributed in different ways to making the anniversary celebration such a success.
Kiltimagh Museum will become an intimate theatre space next month when an Australian professional ensemble brings a performance to the town as part of an international tour.
BYTE – Back Yard Theatre Ensemble, from Melbourne, will present an hour-long play in the museum on Sunday, October 4th at 2.30pm. The company is led by German-born playwright, poet and theatre-maker Joachim Matschoss, who is now based in Melbourne and serves as BYTE’s Artistic Director.
Matschoss has created theatre in countries across Europe, Asia and Australasia and has written and directed more than 50 productions for BYTE. His work extends beyond conventional theatre, with projects addressing subjects including human rights, racial harmony and the experiences of disadvantaged young people. He is also a published playwright, novelist and poet.
International touring is an established part of the company's work. Previous BYTE productions have travelled extensively through Europe and Asia as well as Ireland. The 2023 production ‘The Problem is the Ending’ toured internationally during 2024, including performances in Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Portugal.
The ensemble has developed a distinctive approach to creating new work, often devising productions collaboratively rather than beginning with a conventional finished script. BYTE describes itself as interested in creating ensemble work “from scratch”, while its productions frequently combine contemporary writing with music, movement, improvisation and material drawn from established theatrical texts.
The company has also tackled subjects with a particular resonance in Ireland. Earlier productions have explored the experiences of women confined in convent laundries, while other work has addressed identity, relationships, family, loss, mental health and the experiences of young people.
The Kiltimagh performance will therefore provide a rare opportunity to see an international touring theatre company in the particularly intimate surroundings of the museum.
It also adds another dimension to what has become a busy cultural programme in Kiltimagh, where the museum is increasingly being used not simply as a repository for local history but as a setting for talks, literature, music and live events.
There will be no formal admission charge for the performance, although a hat will be placed inside the door for anyone who would like to make a contribution.
BYTE – Back Yard Theatre Ensemble will perform at Kiltimagh Museum on Sunday, October 4th at 2.30pm.
Bobby O’Brien from Bohola was the winner of the Kiltimagh Knock United 50/50 draw last week, taking home a prize of €310.
The club congratulated Bobby on his win and extended its thanks to everyone who continues to support the weekly fundraiser. Tickets are available online and through local shops and pubs, with the proceeds helping to support the club’s ongoing activities.
Sinead Boyle was the winner of Kiltimagh GAA Club’s weekly 50/50 draw last week, taking home a prize of €735.
The club congratulated Sinead on her win and expressed its appreciation to everyone who continues to support the draw. Tickets are available online and through local shops and pubs, with the funds raised contributing to the club’s activities and development.
There was another closely fought evening at the weekly 25 Card Drive, with two pairings sharing the honours at the top of the table.
Philip Moore and Jack Pidgeon finished joint first alongside Tom Durkin and Brian McNulty, while Michael Carney and Michael Costello took third place.
The Last 10 prize went to Alo Langan and Aiden Lydon, with Tom Conroy and Joe Boyle picking up the spot prize.
Raffle winners on the night were Anne Rowley, Francis McNicholas, Paddy Carney and Alo Langan.
The death has occurred of John Hoster of Cloonmore, Ballyfarna, Claremorris. John died peacefully on September 10th, 2026, in the wonderful care of the staff of the Dalton Community Nursing Home.
John was predeceased by his parents Nora and Patrick, and sisters Kathleen, Margaret, Mary and Nora. John will be deeply missed by his brother Patrick (P), brother-in-law John Keeley, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews and his Dalton Home family.
John’s Funeral Mass was held on Sunday in the Church of Our Lady, Barnacarroll, followed by burial afterwards in Barnacarroll Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
