Local Notes: All the latest news from Ballyhaunis
Cast members from 'Sister Act' musical, which was performed by students of Ballyhaunis Community School, from left: Leah Lyons (Nun), Sarah Keane (Sister Mary Robert), Erica Owens (lead role playing Deloris Van Cartier), Emily Moore (Nun). Picture: Denise Owens
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).
Data published in the report show income at the centre totalled €482,911 in 2024, up from €425,380 in 2023 according to the centre’s 2024 annual report, which was formally launched on October 22 at the Community Hall.
The annual report shows expenditure dropped from €438,000 in 2023 (when the FCRC ran a deficit of €12,260) to €421,963 in 2024, when the centre ran a surplus of €60,948.
The key source of funds is Tusla, the state’s child and family agency which paid €288,994 to the Ballyhaunis FCRC in 2024, an increase on the €232,592 paid in 2023. The other main source of funds was Pobal which supported the Community Pre-School through three funding streams worth over €150,000 in 2024.
Wages accounted for the bulk of expenditure with the Ballyhaunis Community Pre-School and the Greater Tomorrow creche ran by the organisation taking the bulk of the spend. Payments to the centre’s family support worker service totalled €68,307 in 2024, down from €70,121 in 2023.
Ballyhaunis FCRC employs 15 paid staff, including a coordinator and administrator as well as a family support worker and ten childcare staff, explained chairperson of the centre’s voluntary board of management Tzyy Wang in her address to the launch. She paid tribute to the centre’s staff, currently led by Ann Flynn, Interim Project Manager. She also paid tribute to Stephen Grogan who served 20 years as coordinator of the centre until his death in 2024.
Budget 2026 increased funding for a national network of family resource centres, which will expand from a current 126 centres to 136 in 2026, explained Fergal Landy, the Galway-based CEO of the Family Resource Centre National Forum, who attended the launch.
Funding for each centre through Tusla has been increased, said Landy.
“Ballyhaunis was one of the first centres to open nationally when family resource centres were launched by government in 2004,” noted Landy.
Recently the centre has come through “much change,” he added, with the appointment of a new interim centre manager and new board members.
Paying tribute to the “remarkable” local board, James Carty, Business Manager for family resource centres at Tusla, said the new website will increase engagement with the local community while also offering guidance to new family resource centres.
Local councillor Alma Gallagher said that the FCRC was a “lifeline” to the population of Ballyhaunis which, she said, is growing at three times the average growth of Mayo’s population in the most recent national census.
“We need diversity,” said Cllr Gallagher, pointing to the ethnic diversity of Ballyhaunis, which she said was now taken as a model of best practice in successful integration by the EU.
Among the various programmes hosted by the FCRC in 2024, the Ballyhaunis Learning Together project delivered at the centre was funded by Mayo Sligo and Leitrim Adult Literacy for Life Programme, a ten-year plan to help adults developing their literacy and numeracy skills.
The FCRC serves as a host for services such as MABS as well as Alcoholics Anonymous and Mayo Women’s Support Services all of which use rooms at the Resource Centre’s premises, the Friary House.
The organisation also noted in 2024 it continued to support groups in the community with their activities, among them the Men’s Shed, Le Cairde, the Abbey Pattern Committee and the Sustainable Energy Community Network.
A recent public information meeting was held by the newly formed Ballyhaunis Autism Friendly Town voluntary steering committee at the Communal House in Clare Court.
“The programme is project-led by a committee with representatives from the local community and autistic advocates,” explained William Nestor, Autism Friendly Towns National Manager at AsIAm, a national charity that advocates for those with autism.
Nestor, who provides the guidance and support to the steering committees across Ireland, said the Autism Friendly Towns initiative “requires the community to make a commitment to put in place measures to improve accessibility for and promote acceptance and understanding of autistic people".
Meetings of an autism parent support group locally drove the start of this Autism Friendly Town Initiative, explained Michelle Donohue, one of the committee members.
“I was approached by Aisling [Mills] who is the driving force behind this for Ballyhaunis to see if I would join the committee. Having three autistic children myself, I jumped at the chance as like any parent, I want to make a positive difference for my children and what better way than within my own town.
“It's important to note that this is a three-year process and changes don't happen overnight, but like so many parents said in our first meeting, every small step makes a difference. By creating a greater awareness and understanding of autism throughout the businesses, clubs, committees etc in our town, each autistic person's experience becomes that little bit easier.”
William Nestor explained the initiative empowers cities, towns and villages across Ireland to become “genuinely inclusive” of autistic people and their families. He said there are currently four communities nationally who have achieved the status of Autism Friendly - Maynooth, Killarney, Waterford City and Drumcondra Village, whilst more than 45 communities across the country are on the journey towards the accreditation.” Among those are five communities across County Mayo which have signed up to the Autism Friendly Towns initiative, namely Westport, Ballina, Belmullet, Balla, and now, Ballyhaunis.
A further announcement will be made by the committee in due course to invite business owners, voluntary organisations and public services in the locality to come on board in becoming an Autism Friendly Champion, said Nestor.
Michelle Donohue said: “We have a wonderful community and a strong volunteer network so I have no doubt that positive changes such as visual guides, communication boards, enhanced safety and greater sensory awareness will occur as a result of this initiative.”
The committee is open to volunteers and can be contacted by email at ballyhaunis.autismfriendlytown@gmail.com.
Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns has been announced as the North West and West regional winner of the Waters and Communities Special Award 2025 at the SuperValu Tidy Towns awards ceremony, held in Croke Park on Friday, October 24.
Volunteers with Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns actively participate in environmental awareness initiatives and campaigns organised by Mayo County Council and other bodies, as well as embark on projects to highlight the rich biodiversity and heritage of the town and surrounding hinterland. Their Citizen Science group monitors water quality quarterly, with results shared with Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) and other parties.
Speaking about the awards, Anthony Coleman, Director of Services at LAWPRO, said: “Congratulations to Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns for their excellent application which showcased a range of ways community groups can help protect their local water body and thank you to our partners SuperValu, Waterways Ireland and Inland Fisheries Ireland for their continued work and support with the award.”
