Members of Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District have paid tribute to Mayo County Council’s Director of Housing Tom Gilligan for performing well in terms of delivering social houses around the county.

A mother was involved in a serious car crash after consuming two bottles of wine the night before.

A Ballyhaunis resident who was detected driving at 150 kilometres per hour in a 100 km/hour zone has been put off the road for four years.

Passing of Brickens retailer in Yonkers The passing of a Brickens man in New York marks a farewell to a proud retailing tradition and the celebration of a generation who helped carve a path for a wave of Irish emigrants seeking a better life in ...

A training programme in Ballyhaunis this winter will prepare over 40 lay persons to help priests officiate at funerals in the Archdiocese of Tuam, which includes much of counties Mayo and Galway.

A 32-year-old motorist who lives in Ballyhaunis has been disqualified from driving for four years after being caught again without insurance.

A town in northern France has spent €30,000 on a garden to honour its links with Ballyhaunis.  The Square de Ballyhaunis in Guilers, a town in the Brettony region of northern France, has become very popular with locals.

Tidy Towns score jumps 15 points The judges for the national SuperValu Tidy Towns awards have commended Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns and supporters for major new improvements that saw the town’s score jump 15 points in this year’s competition.

Family Resource Centre launches annual report and website Progress and development were the key themes at the public launch last week of the first ever annual report and website by Ballyhaunis Family and Community Resource Centre (FCRC).

Retailers are dealing with “unbelievable levels” of shoplifting as the cost-of-living crisis persists, according to Jeff Nolan, whose Ballyhaunis SuperValu and Centra supermarkets have been targeted by shoplifters at a level not previously seen.

Connolly has edge among parents Catherine Connolly appears the favourite to win the presidential election judging by a survey of a dozen parents at the Parents and Toddlers Club which meets in the Community Hall on Wednesdays.

The Abbey Pattern was held in the Friary field on Sunday September 28th, after being postponed due to bad weather on August 30.

A codeine-addicted nurse stole prescription books from Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar and passed off forged prescriptions at pharmacies in seven different towns.

Builders may soon be back on site at Ballyhaunis Community School as management prepares for a €7 million investment in a new special needs unit.

Two councillors joined forces at last week’s meeting of the Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District to call for an upgrade to a dangerous road on the Mayo/Roscommon border.

The long-awaited health centre in Ballyhaunis will receive its first patients in the spring of 2025, a senior HSE official has stated.

Property interest from US nationals; energy audit planned; Annagh magazine deadline

Fascinating local history is revealed; drama group returns to stage

Ireland’s largest maker of pallets, the Laois-based company CJ Sheeran, is in expansion mode at its two plants in Mayo to meet demand from exporters. CJ Sheeran has facilities in Ballinrobe and Ballyhaunis.

Work resumes on healthcare centre; wastewater plant fails EPA test; twinning celebration is planned

Illegal dumping at clothes banks is "a total scourge" and must be addressed, a Mayo councillor has stated.

Singer-songwriter Gerry Carney, from Bekan, has released a brand-new single, Aghamore – Ceart go Leor, and it’s already proving a hit with listeners and radio stations across the country.

There has been no shortage of data this summer suggesting that the cost of living in Ireland continues its relentless rise.  The latest information from the Central Statistics Office revealed food prices rose 4.

Last May, I arrived in Ballyhaunis to conduct ethnographic research for my PhD project. I held numerous interviews with community members to explore how diverse communities co-exist in contemporary rural Ireland.

Permission refused for mastAn Coimisiún Pleanála has refused planning permission for a mobile phone mast in Ballyhaunis, overturning an earlier decision by Mayo County Council to grant permission.

Local water scheme finally switching to Uisce ÉireannOne of the largest group water schemes in the Ballyhaunis area could be switched over to the Uisce Éireann (Irish Water) supply from Lough Mask by the end of August.

A Mayo councillor wants financial assistance to be provided to people who cannot afford to purchase burial plots.

A pioneering project seeking to reduce textile waste is planning more workshops to help locals fix and repurpose clothing.

Walkability audit for town streets The footpaths of Ballyhaunis will be getting serious scrutiny next week when staff from Mayo County Council conduct a walkability assessment of local walkways.

Mayo County Council will be renting all the apartments in the former Bank of Ireland building in Ballyhaunis, according to the head of the building firm behind the project, who thinks the building will be occupied in the coming months.

A man who left another male with a “foot-long” laceration to his neck has been jailed.

More than 300 guests celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ordination of popular parish priest Fr Stephen Farragher on Friday evening, June 20th.

Former Mayo Senator, TD and MEP Jim Higgins has defended an Iranian opposition group of which he has been a long-time supporter after RTÉ News reported that the Department of Foreign Affairs had concerns about the organisation.

A coroner has warned of the perils of recreational helium use after the death of a 32-year-old man. Stefan Danicic, of St Gerald's Court, Ballyhaunis, was discovered in his bedroom by his parents on September 13 last.

With its unique design, high level of comfort and numerous innovative solutions, combined with petrol hybrid and fully electrified drivetrains, the Opel Grandland makes a clear statement as the brand's top-of-the-line model.

Local brewery closes The Black Donkey, a microbrewery on the Ballyhaunis road in Ballinlough, has announced its closure.  Owner and chief brewer Richard Siberry shared the sad news in an email to customers in recent days.

A 25-unit social and affordable housing development is to go ahead on a site at Abbeyquarter, Ballyhaunis. The project was unanimously approved by members of Claremorris Swinford-Municipal District at their meeting last week.

It has been confirmed that the long-awaited primary healthcare centre in Ballyhaunis will be open before the end of this year.

Ladbrokes closed Ballyhaunis store as part of digital push The exodus of British-owned betting company Ladbrokes from the traditional model of bookmaker shops in favour of online gambling has left one more vacancy on Main Street in Ballyhaunis.

Gorthaganny public meeting planned on fires Two helicopters hired by Roscommon County Council crossed the border to lift water from the lakes in Derrylahan near Ballyhaunis during the recent bog fires which wiped out a precious biosphere and ...

Bus Éireann 'considering' expanded service Bus Éireann is considering expanding the bus service connecting Ballyhaunis to Galway, according to the company.

A South Mayo GAA club is encouraging players, members and the wider community to take simple but important steps to protect their skin as we head into the summer months.

Ballyhaunis’ unique ethnographic make-up continues to draw international academics with a Brussels-based researcher selecting the East Mayo town as the focus of her doctoral research.

Mayo Co Council has declined to say whether it was asked to seek a community use for the former post office building on Bridge Street which was sold recently.

40th anniversary of twinning to be marked The twinning 40 years ago of Ballyhaunis with Guilers, a town in northern France, is to be marked later this year.

Gardai caution casual traders Casual trading is not permitted in Ballyhaunis, according to a Mayo County Council official.

Modern, compact, and with an unmistakable design, the award-winning Opel Mokka is already a bestseller for the German brand, earning legions of fans since launch four years ago.

Ballyhaunis has leaped up the rankings in a regional index of towns’ efforts to make themselves more amenable to sustainable travel as part of the Government’s broader efforts to cut carbon emissions and encourage healthier lifestyles.

A man, aged in his 50s, has died following a single-vehicle collision in Co Mayo on Monday evening

Ballyhaunis’ burgeoning population means action needs to be taken on a series of issues in the town.

Survey reveals local priorities Preliminary findings from a survey of Ballyhaunis’ population suggest local disquiet over the continued conversion of retail properties into residential spaces as well as worries over the long-term employment ...

Students of Ballyhaunis Community School impressed judges from Schools of Sanctuary Ireland who visited recently for an inspection of efforts to make the school a welcoming place to its diverse population.

Mayo County Council is to hold a civic reception in honour of the late Irish Defence Forces Private Billy Kedian, who was killed in May 1999 while on United Nations peacekeeping duties in the Lebanon.

Opel’s all-new Grandland SUV, already a Golden Steering Wheel award-winner, has added to its trophy list, honoured with a prestigious Driving Vision News Award 2025 in the 'Best Front Lamps' category.

Multi-agency raids of Ballyhaunis premises Several Ballyhaunis business premises were visited on February 20th by a group of officers from multiple state agencies including the Gardai, Revenue Commissioners and welfare authorities.

The recent intervention by US President Donald Trump in Ukraine’s fight against invading Russian armies may have made Mayo-based Ukrainians less willing to return to their homeland, with some telling the Western People that Trump’s recent overture ...

Parenting when separated Ballyhaunis Family Resource Centre (FRC) is facilitating a parenting course, starting on March 5th, for parents who are going through or have gone through separation and divorce.

Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns planted an orchard of Irish apple trees in the Friary Grounds on Saturday last, writes Mark Godfrey. The trees were sourced from Burren Beo as part of its 'Hare's Corner' grants.

A firewood processor near Ballyhaunis is angry that local authorities don’t clamp down on unlicensed vendors of timber who sell products that don’t meet national standards.

The chief consultant hired to draft a report on Ballyhaunis’ future development said he’s very satisfied with a series of public consultations held last week at the Community Hall and at other venues around the town.

"Delivering apprenticeships within the community so that people do not have to travel can result in many positive externalities"

A Mayo councillor has requested that Uisce Éireann urgently convene a meeting with elected representatives over a group water scheme that cost €2 million but is yet to be connected to the main public water supply.

It wasn't just householders who were left without power after Storm Éowyn.

Ballyhaunis branch of St Vincent de Paul is set for a boost in funds with the opening of a new Vincent’s charity shop on Bridge Street in the town.

It’s 7am on Saturday morning, a day after the storm and a cold grey-blue pallor shrouds the town, unpunctuated by any of the normal lights of commerce and residence.

The destruction of the Connacht GAA Air Dome during Storm Éowyn is a devastating blow and it’s impossible not to feel deep sympathy for John Prenty in particular, the man who made the impossible possible.

Queen’s University to join public consultation for Town Centre First Residents of Ballyhaunis will be invited to give their views and ideas on the town’s development on February 7th and 8th during a public consultation run by the Town Centre First ...

A Tractor and Truck Run took place in Brickens on December 27th last, organised by the local community and spearheaded by Eoin Delaney.  More than 70 tractors and other assorted vehicles assembled at 4.

A Ballyhaunis man volunteering in India helped to save the lives of two people who were drowning and has had a lasting impact on the young Indian students he worked with.

Social housing bodies, also known as approved housing bodies, are becoming central to solving Mayo’s housing needs but even as the sector has greater access to financial support than ever an increasing level of regulation will mean many will have to ...

After a four-year delay, work has resumed on the Ballyhaunis Primary Healthcare Centre with an expected completion date this year.

A company based in Carrick-on-Shannon in Co Leitrim has been appointed by Mayo County Council to draw up the Ballyhaunis Town Centre First Plan. The contract was secured by TBLA through a procurement process.

A Ballinlough-based transport company is grappling with longer trips to get goods to and from Contintental Europe in the wake of the closure of Holyhead port in Wales.

My final Western People article of 2024 was not in keeping with the spirit of ‘Happy Christmas’ or indeed a ‘Happy New Year’, but one I felt compelled to write as a social historian, but also a proud native of this part of Ireland.

Gardaí and immigration officials have targeted residents of Ballyhaunis in recent months as part of a ramp-up in deportation orders.

A deluge of Chinese e-commerce into Irish homes is leaving some locals feeling shortchanged in the wake of Christmas, writes Mark Godfrey.

Ballyhaunis estate agent Kevin Kirrane is prepared to cut his fees in order to hold onto what he sees as a dwindling number of properties coming to a market characterised by high demand.

Mayo County Council’s record when it comes to enforcing fines levied on the owners of derelict properties is among the worst in the country. In 2023, the council imposed charges on 126 sites totalling €709,000.

Derelict property numbers continue to fall The number of officially derelict buildings in Ballyhaunis continues to fall, with 11 properties with a Ballyhaunis address on the latest list compiled by Mayo County Council compared to 12 in June of this ...

The 40-year history of Eastern Gaels, one of Mayo’s youngest GAA clubs, was recounted at a special launch event for a booklet documenting the events and figures central to the rise of a club that serves the parish of Bekan.

The local Supermac’s outlet is expecting a 5% to 10% increase in sales in 2024 compared to 2023, with passing trade from the GAA Centre of Excellence key to the performance, according to franchise owner and manager Dinal Swaris.

Fine Gael Cllr Alma Gallagher has said she wants to seen an increase in social and affordable housing in Mayo in the coming years.

Life with Ballyhaunis Brazilians There are no vestments, no incense and not much ritual at the Agape per Nation church.

Opel’s new Grandland flagship is available in both Hybrid and Electric with first units of the Hybrid arriving in dealer showrooms last month, followed by the fully Electric version in December.

He is spending €1.7m on acquiring and refurbishing the shop.

The HSE has acknowledged that construction work on the long-delayed primary healthcare centre in Ballyhaunis has been "intermittent" since it resumed earlier this year.

House prices in Westport are almost twice as expensive as Ballyhaunis, data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has revealed.

A Ballyhaunis-based couple has set up a thriving business delivering hot meals to local schools out of their own personal experience of school meals for their autistic son.

Ballyhaunis could in many ways be a microcosm of Irish society as the population goes to vote: there’s plenty of employment locally but not enough housing.

The recent TG4/Ipsos opinion poll on the upcoming general election in the Mayo constituency put Aontú candidate Cllr Paul Lawless in contention for one of the five seats.

Ballyhaunis’ revolutionary women in the spotlight Inspirational women from the Ballyhaunis area who were involved in the War of Independence and the Civil War will be the focus of an exhibition and lecture on November 30th at the Community Hall.

Consulting engineers have been appointed to undertake upgrade works on a long-awaited crash barrier and footpath under the bridge in Ballyhaunis, writes Paul O'Malley.

Ballyhaunis property price dataThe average price of a house in Ballyhaunis at €148,250 is less than half the national average of €350,000, according to the most recent batch of data on property prices from the Central Statistics Office.

A man who left another male with lacerations to his neck and head has been found guilty of assault causing harm. Eddie Cleary, aged 25, of Headford Road, Galway City, contested the case before a jury at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.

 Ballyhaunis native Austin Boyle celebrated his 100th birthday on October 15th in the UK city of Coventry.  Austin was born in Ballinphuill on October 15th, 1924, and left Ireland at a very young age, eventually settling in Coventry.