Local Notes: Ballyhaunis jumps up rankings in sustainable travel index
Members of Ballyhaunis Golf Club with incoming officers Club Captain David Doherty, Lady Captain Eileen Jordan and Club President Marina Coyne. Picture: Glynn's Photography
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.
Ballyhaunis went from 25th place in 2022 to 12th place in 2024 in the Sustainable Mobility Index for Rural Towns in the Western Region, compiled by the Western Development Commission (WDC). The WDC screened 40 towns in seven counties on 30 indicators under three main headings: readiness for the low carbon transition, access to services and social facilities and access to employment and economic opportunities.
Ballyhaunis ranks higher than nearby Castlerea which went from 21st to 20th place in the 2022-2024 period but is some way off Claremorris which is now ranked fifth among the 40 towns for progress on low-carbon travel. Claremorris’ high score is in part down to its location on a primary road (the N17) as well as a prevalence of local services like two banks, making car trips to other towns less essential, as well as a day-long bus service to Galway that benefits students and workers. Likewise, the installation of cycleways in the town has helped its score. Cycleways have yet to be installed in Ballyhaunis while on weekdays the last bus to the town from Galway departs at 4pm.
Like Claremorris, Ballyhaunis scores well on its location on the main Dublin-Westport train line while it also scores well for its proximity to an international airport - and public transport links to that facility. Likewise, the availability of local employment - reducing the need to travel – also benefited Ballyhaunis in the index scoring. By contrast, Ballinrobe, which ranked 34th of the 40 towns, suffers from a high level of commuting to jobs and services while the town is also missing a rail connection or a direct bus service to Galway or Dublin.
However, Ballyhaunis scored poorly in the ‘walkability’ and the absence of services like banks, remote working hubs and an arts centre -requiring residents to go elsewhere – were minuses for the town.
The WDC’s index is compiled as a tool to measure progress in rural towns under the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan. The average score of the 40 towns surveyed in the 2024 index was 141, out of a maximum 300, suggesting there is still much work to be done to improve sustainable mobility in rural towns like Ballyhaunis.
“Investing in town mobility, such as better cycling facilities, better interconnection of modes, improved townscapes and planning for walkability should reduce differences among towns in terms of access to sustainable mobility,” notes the summary of the report.
Acknowledging that government investment in active travel and sustainable transport is now happening in rural towns, the report’s authors, however, stress it “takes time” to see the effects of this investment.
The WDC surveys also show the income discrepancy between towns: the average income of €37,226 recorded in Claremorris puts the town slightly above the national average whereas both Ballyhaunis (€32,926) and Castlerea (€28,929) are classed as “disadvantaged” on the Pobal HP Deprivation Index, which assesses local socio-economic conditions around the country.
Ireland has committed under national and EU law to reducing carbon emissions from transport. The country’s per capita emissions are among the highest in Europe.
People hosting Ukrainian refugees say a cut to the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) is unlikely to result in them asking the refugees to leave. However, several hosts who spoke to this column said they will be asking the guests to make up the €200 difference after the Government announced that the payment will be cut to €600 in June.
“We won’t be terminating the accommodation but we will be having a discussion with our Ukrainians about making up the difference so the payment will remain €800,” explained a Ballyhaunis resident who is housing the Ukrainians in a flat he owns in the town. “Our Ukrainian guests are doing some work so they should be able to afford it,” he added.
Another local ARP host said he also will be “having a conversation” with his Ukrainian guest, who takes a room at his home, with a view to making up the €200 which will be cut from June.
“The ARP programme is very good value for the state when you consider that providers of emergency homeless accommodation are charging local authorities €80 per person per night. That’s €2,400 per month. Hotels accommodating Ukrainians are getting similar figures, and more if they’re feeding them. We are getting €800, soon to be €600.”
A recent sampling of water in the Dalgan River shows a “marked degradation of water quality,” according to Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns whose Citizen Science team conducted the monitoring at several sites along the river.
“From the northernmost site in Cave to the southernmost site at Drumbaun, all of samples suggest the water in the river is of moderate quality,” noted the Tidy Towns, which conducts the sampling on a regular basis with the guidance of the Local Authorities Water Programme. The programme advises Mayo County Council and other local governments on how to improve water quality in local waterways and a spokesperson told this column recently that the wider Ballyhaunis area is a priority for its work in 2025.
The team monitoring the Dalgan made a presentation on the project at a recent networking event at the McWilliam Park Hotel in Claremorris organised by Mayo County Council. Local councillor Alma Gallagher commended Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns for safeguarding Ballyhaunis’ unique biodiversity.
“Their hard work plays a crucial role in preserving the ecosystems that sustain us. Community engagement is vital and Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns have consistently demonstrated initiatives and enthusiasm in reaching out to all members of our community, inviting everyone to participate in various exciting projects and social events. Their inclusive approach fosters a sense of unity and responsibility among residents, creating a sense of a greener, healthier Ballyhaunis.
"I urge everyone in Ballyhaunis to rally around the efforts of Ballyhaunis Tidy Towns and I look forward to continuing to support the town's biodiversity to ensure that these initiatives receive the support they require from Mayo County Council.”
Two Ballyhaunis men running the successful Night and Day music festival in Boyle have secured one of the country’s best-known artists, Paul Brady, to play on Saturday, June 28.
Festival promoter Craig Hughes, who runs the festival with his uncle Brendan Hurley from Gorthaganny, explained: “Paul Brady is distinguished by his unique storytelling abilities through music, and is also credited for adopting many musical styles incorporating folk, rock blues, traditional Irish and classic pop into his song-writing.”
An Aghamore organic dairy farm has planted 1,600 trees on a recent weekend with the help of local volunteers.
Sinead Moran, who runs the Gleann Buí Farm with her partner Mick McGrath, explained: “We are part of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) farm scheme. It’s one of the best farm [environmental] schemes about. We work with an ecologist to maintain and or improve nature on our farm, it’s very specific to our site.”
Rather than a blanket adoption of actions as required under other schemes like the Department of Agriculture’s ACRES, Gleann Buí was funded by the NPWS to develop a plan for nature on the farm with an ecologist.
“One of these actions was to improve hedgerows. We are improving 650 metres of hedgerows with native trees that we plan to lay in the future," explained Sinead. “At approximately 2.5 trees per metre, that's about 1,600 trees.
"We are using only native, Irish-grown trees supplied by Wild Oaks in Clare. They include hawthorn, hazel, elder, crab apple, gulder rose, spindle and dotted with scots pine, hornbeam, oak and more.
"With the help of our 'milk club' and some of their friends we got just over 1,000 trees in the ground on a day that would have been traditionally a Celtic/druid time to plant seeds, namely the Spring Equinox.”
Gleann Buí Farm sells raw milk direct to the public from a farm shop called the Bainne Barn on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The milk comes from a ten-cow herd of Shorthorn cows who share with a flock of 50 hens.
“In return for everyone's help, we had a picnic feast of sourdough breads, cakes, Irish charcuterie and Irish cheese, served alongside strong tea with the first of our own bainne.
“We're grateful for everyone's help, in particular our local sourdough bakers. As this morning, another three calves arrived which means our milking season is now officially in full swing. We hope to be back on the shelves in the next week or so.”
Congratulations to Mike Dillon, Ballindrehid, winner of €1,100 in the Ballyhaunis GAA 50/50 draw on an envelope sold in Curley's.
The second prize of a Kodak Pixcam went to Claire Kearney, Ballinlough while a third prize of a €50 Val’s voucher went to Pete and Kay Higgins, Ballinphuill.
Several Ballyhaunis events are on the Social Inclusion Awareness Month programme published by Mayo County Council.
One of the events is the fortnightly Games Night at the Community Hall in Ballyhaunis. The event has become a popular social outlet for people of all ages who invite newcomers to play board games and cards from 4 to 6pm on Sunday, April 13 and April 27th.
Mayo Social Inclusion Awareness Month is an initiative of Mayo Local Community Development Committee’s (LCDC) Social Inclusion and Community Development Working Group, which is chaired by Ballyhaunis native Cllr Neil Cruise of Foxford.
