Local Notes: Ballyhaunis boxers star at Mayo Championships
Ballyhaunis Boxing Club entered 24 boxers into the Mayo Boxing Championships with 18 of them winning titles. Back row, from left: Martin Peake (Coach), Cathal Conlon, Joshua Maughan, Mike Webb, TJ McShea, Peter Maughan (Coach), Darran Conlon (Coach) and John Paul Ward (Coach). Front row: Megan Swanick, Carlagh Peake (Coach), Jade Swanick, Gary Maughan, T Webb, Robin Webb, Bradley Maughan, JP Ward and Shannon McShea (Coach).
The chief executive officer of An Post, David McRedmond, has agreed to a meeting requested by local TD and Minister of State Alan Dillon concerning the proposed amalgamation of the Ballyhaunis sorting office into its counterpart in Castlerea.
“A formal request has gone into An Post, and the CEO has agreed to meet,” said Minister Dillon. “We are currently awaiting confirmation of a date...This level of direct engagement is unprecedented, as many of the discussions to date have taken place at union level. However, given the seriousness of the situation, I have requested and secured this meeting on behalf of the workers in Ballyhaunis.
“At the meeting, I will be presenting the concerns of the staff, the local businesses, and the wider community. The impact on Ballyhaunis is significant, and it is essential that An Post fully understands the consequences of any proposed changes.
“My priority is to ensure that the voices of those directly affected are heard clearly and respectfully, and that every possible avenue for a resolution is explored.”
The upper floor of the Credit Union building on Clare Street is being offered for rent at €30,000 per year.
Described as “self-contained offices within a detached two storey modern office development”, the property is being offered by Westport-based estate agents O’Toole & Co on behalf of the First Choice Credit Union group, which is headquartered in Castlebar.
Local members of the credit union petitioned the First Choice group when opening hours at the Ballyhaunis branch were last year reduced to three days per week. The issue was also raised at the recent annual general meeting of First Choice.
Opened in 2008, the Ballyhaunis Credit Union building was built on what was previously a filling station site. O’Toole & Co describes the property thus: “Purpose built to an excellent standard, the offices extends to some 232 square metres providing both cellular and open plan accommodation together with full conference/board room, toilets and staff kitchen facilities.”
A range of equipment and storage units from the former Fastway Couriers, which closed its Ballyhaunis depot in 2025, are being sold at Preloved Salvage Furniture and Antiques in Co Laois.
Fastway closed its Ballyhaunis depot, located on the Ballinlough Road, last year when the company collapsed.
What was previously the offices of the Connacht GAA Council -before it moved to the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence – will soon become home to the Ballyhaunis Engaging Youth (BEY) programme run by the national offices of Foróige with funding from government.
Several full time staff on the BEY programme run cultural and culinary programmes to engage youths from various local ethnic communities in Ballyhaunis.
Government grants for renovation of vacant and derelict houses is driving an increase in rural properties coming to the market, according to Ballyhaunis-based estate agent and auctioneer Kevin Kirrane.
A range of properties priced between €45,000 and €95,000 are listed for sale in the wider Ballyhaunis area, all rural homes derelict for a number of years.
“Of course, they are worth more now based on the fact someone could get their hands on up to €100,000 in grants to renovate the cottage and have a beautiful family home.”
The conditions attached to the grants are prompting some owners to sell the property rather than renovating it themselves, said Kirrane.
“People played around with the idea of doing up the old cottage themselves and keeping it for a family member or letting it out as an investment property but they find out they must keep the property for at least 10 years if they avail of the grants which ties them in.”
New rules requiring landlords to offer six-year tenures to tenants is also frightening owners off renovating for the rental market, said Kirrane.
“Often the cottage is in close proximity to the family home and they are afraid if they got the wrong tenant it would not be worth the hassle - not to mention taxation [of rental income] at maybe 52% - if there is already good income coming into the house.”
Criticism by local Aontú TD Paul Lawless of the labelling practices of Irish-based retailers echoes long held Green Party policy on Irish horticultural production.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Agricultural Committee, Deputy Lawless raised several examples of vegetables which are ostensibly sold as Irish-produced but are in fact imported from Spain and other countries.
The Knock-based representative underlined several points made over recent decades by the Green Party over the diminishment of Irish horticulture and an over-reliance on imported fruit and vegetables.
Deputy Lawless highlighted the misleading labelling of vegetable products like broccoli, sold in Irish supermarkets “out of season” in packaging which appeared to suggest it is an Irish product when in fact it’s imported from southern Spain where much of northern Europe’s vegetables are sourced in winter. Such marketing methods are misleading, said Lawless, who had much criticism for Bord Bia for failing to protect and promote Irish producers.
The website of the Green Party currently states: “Our current system is over-reliant on dairy and meat. We are mass producing a handful of foodstuffs for export and importing most of the food we actually eat. The pricing structure favours large-scale retailers and not the producers. We can change this. We can protect the planet for the future at the same time as we safeguard farming livelihoods.”
Local historian Billy Lyons will guide members of a local genealogy and history group through the 1841 and 1851 censuses on February 17 while also looking at pension records with a view to using these resources to research family history.
The group, which meets at the Community Hall every fortnight, will likewise look at grave records and workhouse unions while taking a look at local farm records in Griffith's Valuation from the late 1800s. The group meets at 7pm at the Community Hall.
Contact ballyhauniscommunitycouncil@gmail.com for more details.
It’s a special time of year for Ballyhaunis’ large Muslim population this week as Ramadan begins.
"It depends on the full moon, we follow the lunar calendar,” explains Luqman Ahmed, imam at the local mosque. “Ramadan is a season of forgiveness during which local Muslims make a special effort to attend the mosque and to visit each other,” explained Luqman.
“During this season of forgiveness the devil is shackled,” said Ahmed who described the mosque as extra busy during the 30 days of Ramadan as worshippers come to pray.
The reward for praying at the mosque is 25 times greater than when you pray at home alone, he said.
Luqman explained how many Muslims from across the west make an effort to come to Ballyhaunis mosque as it was the first purpose-built mosque in the country and remains the largest in the west.
“The west of Ireland is special. The Christians have Knock and the Muslims have the mosque in Ballyhaunis.”
During Ramadan locals Muslims fast daily.
“You can’t eat or drink or have sex from dawn to sunset,” said Luqman. "Not eating all day is a sacrifice but if you know the reward and the payoff from God then it is worthwhile.”
Ramadan also brings the local Muslim community together, says Luqman.
“Visiting relatives is also rewarded by the Lord. People gather and break fast together. They come together.”
The recent passing of Jarlath Fahey has left the Abbey Trust without one of its longest serving members.
Fellow Trust member Pat Higgins recalled how Jarlath was asked by the Augustinian Order to be its representative when the Trust was set up in 2002 to hold the historic St Mary’s Abbey (known locally as the Friary) in trust for the community.
“He was greatly dedicated to the preservation of the Friary church,” explained Pat, who like Jarlath studied at St Jarlath’s boarding school in Tuam prior to training as a teacher.
Jarlath taught Maths and Geography when he joined the teaching staff of Ballyhaunis Community School, established in 1977 with the amalgamation of the local convent and St Patrick’s boys school.
The Abbey Trust, which is made up of representatives nominated by the Augustinian Order, Mayo County Council and Ballyhaunis Community Council, will pay tribute to Jarlath when it meets on February 26th.
“He was a tremendous community person, and a great teacher,” said Pat of someone he described as a “great friend”.
“He had a great sense of humour. Even in school he would see the humorous side of things. He was a peacemaker; he would calm troubled waters.”
