Edwin McGreal: It makes sense to move Mayo Day events around

Mayo Day made its debut in Belmullet this year and anyone fortunate enough to be there will testify it was a success.

It chimed perfectly with the town’s 200th anniversary celebrations and the town was a hive of activity on May 4th. It helped greatly that the weather stayed dry – such events will always be at the mercy of the skies and despite a forecast of occasional showers, Belmullet escaped any downpours that would clear the streets.

The main stage at the roundabout in the centre of the town rocked all day with the generations mingling about. On Main Street, a series of stalls and activities drew in the crowds. The craft tent on Barrack Street was heaving for most of the day as people came in to sample some wonderful products of Mayo.

The area down at the docks just below Barrack Street was a smorgasbord of Mayo’s most delectable food and drink. There was just a lovely atmosphere around. Locals couldn’t do enough to assist you and stallholders were very hospitable. It really did show the best of us.

From 10am onwards for the whole day, people filed through in their droves.

It is a behemoth of an event to put on and Mayo County Council and associated partners are to be commended for making sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. Traffic management alone was a tall act. The main thoroughfares through the town were closed off which took considerable conducting.

Being from outside Castlebar and having worked in Castlebar and Westport all my life, you build up a decent amount of people you know, particularly working in journalism. I was, therefore, quite taken by how few people I recognised at Mayo Day. A good few others said the same. It did get me thinking about the nature of Mayo Day.

Mayo Day has, since its inception until 2023 being based at either Castlebar or Turlough.

These are ideal locations in one sense in that both locations are central in the county and very capable of managing large crowds. However, it is a long hike from Erris and Achill to Castlebar – living in Achill for ten years, I can vouch for this.

It is a nice spin even from Ballina and beyond, Charlestown, Ballaghaderreen, Ballyhaunis etc.

So if we didn’t see too many from Castlebar in Belmullet for Mayo Day, then the opposite likely holds true – there was unlikely to be too many from Erris who ventured to previous Mayo Day celebrations. It makes complete sense for that reason alone to spread the love.

Mayo Day is a celebration of our great county and it is a great county in many ways, including size. When you are traversing its length and breadth on a regular basis, you get a good sense of this. I often use the tale of the Blacksod Mayo supporter as illustrative. If they are going to watch Mayo in Croke Park, they are almost halfway there when they pass Ballaghaderreen. Achill football teams often lament the almost cruel frequency at which they are drawn to play games away in Bonniconlon, Kilmovee or Shrule. Mayo is vast.

So moving the flagship event around the county is more than justified. Ballina broke the mould in 2023, hosting Mayo Day as part of the Ballina 300 celebrations. Belmullet followed in its wake.

It became a political football though in recent weeks with Castlebar councillors lamenting the loss of both Mayo Day and the Mayo.ie Western People West of Ireland Women’s Mini-Marathon to the town. And well they might – local councillors are entitled to fight for their own corner.

Cllr Donna Sheridan argued her understanding was the events were only leaving Castlebar on a once-off basis. But it looks like it is a policy that’s here to stay and rightly so.

Rotating such events ensures there is a fresh energy to them. The last mini-marathon in Castlebar had 910 participating. In Ballina in 2023, over 2,400 adults applied. That stands to reason. If left in Ballina indefinitely, the numbers will also start to dip.

More importantly than that Mayo is a big county and rotating the events around different corners of our county is only right and proper for all of our people. Let different pockets of the county play host. There is a huge sense of pride in the Mayo identity, something that wasn’t always the case. Bring these events to Westport, Achill, Ballinrobe, Charlestown, Claremorris etc etc. Don’t take that pride for granted and let them showcase their pride.

By not doing so, we’re also potentially guilty of doing the exact thing we rightly give out about vehemently at national level. How often do we decry how centralised our economy and society is to our country? How often do we ask for balanced regional development? For a chance for the West to at least hold its own by the provision of sufficient infrastructure and the expected greater job opportunities?

Are we not then being guilty of the same crime if we allow matters Mayo to become centralised around Castlebar?

Granted, the hosting of Mayo Day in various corners of the county is not going to transform local economies. But the optics of it are important. Mayo Day is a day to celebrate our county and why shouldn’t every corner of the county feel part of it?

There is a huge feeling of disconnect out there right now about local politics. The abolition of the town councils has been keenly felt in Westport and Ballina. Perhaps not as much in Castlebar because of the presence of Mayo County Council’s headquarters there.

The municipal districts structure are often seen as quite powerless. We have one of the weaker local government structures in the European Union.

That sense of disenfranchisement will only grow if different corners of the county are not given a fair shake of things. There is a need for much greater systemic change in local government at national legislative level but, in the meantime, we must do what we can in this county. So here’s hoping we see you all for Mayo Day 2025 in Achill!