Meadow Sweet and Purple Flowers at Cúigiú Aug 2010.

Trees surrounding the church have been cut down and repainting has taken place.

There was a great turn out at the special event, among them many leading musicians, singers poets and historians.

THE LAUNCH

The Launch was done by Tom Shiel, regional editor of the Connacht Telegraph. Tom was the ideal person for such an occasion as he himself worked in the radio station in Ballyhaunis, was the main voice of the news on Mid West radio for many years and it was Tom who put in place most of the news network and systems in the fledgling station. Tom began by saying ”This is a unique and very special collection of music, song, lore, poems, talk and history that includes contributors from almost every corner of Mayo.” He then went on to praise the efforts made in recording and in gathering up such valuable material, – without the assistance of recording equipment or of any travel expenses. ”However the fruit of the labour is evident and I can only compare it to a diligent farmer who has husbanded his land carefully and is now gathering and saving a rich harvest into a granary.”

IN AID of MAYO – ROSCOMMON HOSPICE

The proceeds from the 6 C.D. Collection goes to Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and Cynthia Clampett, the director of the Hospice spoke next. She said that the Hospice Foundation was very pleased that the profits were being allocated to them, as they depend so heavily on voluntarily contributions. She was also anxious to make clear that all the work on this Mayo Collection from production to publicity, to the actual launch itself had been done by Dreoilín Community Arts, Achadh Mór and she stated that she particularly wanted to emphasise that fact and to acknowledge that at the outset. She then continued, ”I also want to take this opportunity to thank publicly two young men who are from the Achadh Mór area also – Gerard Burke and Dónal Byrne, both of whom organised a large and most successful Barn Dance in aid of The Hospice earlier in the summer. It was an outstanding success and raised very significant funding for the Hospice. Next she outlined briefly the beneficial work being done by Hospice and listed the annually increasing numbers of people who are seeking the service.

THANKS TO PERFORMERS

Joe Byrne then thanked all the 500 or so artists and performers who are featured on the 6 CD’s – choirs, bands, orchestra, groups and individuals.. all of whom gave of their time and talent entirely free of charge to this project and who also have performed and entertained for free on Mid West Radio over the past 20 years. He said he doubted if there was any group or body of people in Ireland that were more generous than musicians, singers, dancers, local historians, writers and artists. The launch was followed by a variety concert with recitation, poetry, music and song in the main function room. There was also a rollicking parallel informal seisiún of ceol in the bar.

CONTENT OF 6 C.D. SET

Music and Musings from Mayo – A Special 6 C.D. Collection with 99 Tracks – 8 Hours of Music, Song, Poetry, Lore and History with performers from every corner of Mayo….A Unique Mayo Gift.

The Collection contains 6 CD’s with a companion booklet in a gift wrapped set. It contains music, songs, poetry, lore, history and readings from contributors and performers from Erris to Shrule and from Ballyhaunis to Ballina..

In CD’s 1 to 3 each track contains poetry or readings or talk followed by a piece of music or a song. Each track in CD’s 3 and 4 involves history and lore sprinkled with some music and song also. The last CD – No.6 is mainly made up of music and song.

There is a very wide inclusive variety of material – Traditional Meleodeon Music from Alan Morrisroe and Tommy Gallagher of Kilaturley, Swinford; Classical Piano with Maria McGarry, Ballyhaunis; a Christmas Story of 1964 by Colmán O Raghallaigh of Claremorris, Poems from Iarla Mongey and Peter Jordan of Castlebar; Readings from their Books by Terry Reilly, Ballina and Tony Jordan of Ballyhaunis; Pipe Bands from Achill and The Carracastle Fife and Drum Band; The Mayo Concert Orchestra and the Kilmovee and Bofield Céilí Bands, Italian Musicians at Moyne Abbey near Ballina and a Japanese Musician in Achadh Mór; Sean nós songs from Iorras and Ballads about Knock Airport and David Trimble’s Pimple; Grace Notes Choir from Ballyhaunis and Cór Cheathrú Thaidgh in Iorras; History and Lore from Westport and Kiltane, Foxford and Killala, Louisburgh and Loughlynn. Old and new pieces are aligned side by side, for example ‘The Sanctus of a New Millennium Mass’ by Noel Henry follows ‘Marthain Phádraig’ the ancient prayer of Saint Patrick spoken by the late Riocárd Bruadair of The Mullet Peninsula. ” Christina ” is the title of a newly composed piece of music by Spanish style guitarist Adrian Leonard of Achadh Mór that is preceded by a poem by Geraldine Mitchel of Louisburgh and a Bulgarian busker recorded on the streets in Ballyhaunis is featured with some Gypsy Waltzes. Terry Maughan one of the last practising tin smiths of the travelling community talks of his trade and travels and Tony Doneghue of Crossmolina tells of the Loch Conn Music Manuscripts that he managed to rescue from mice in a barn loft .Laoise Kelly the world renowed harper plays one of the unusual tunes from those precious manuscripts…………..Scores of Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes, Airs ,and Songs can be heard. There is a veritable treasure trove of material contained within the 99 tracks in this broad ranging collection from Mayo.

SALES -PRICE

The 6 C.D. set and companion booklet in gift wrap costs 25 euro.

Postage and packaging – In Ireland 2 euros and overseas 4 euros.

Proceeds to Mayo Roscommon Hospice .

Main Outlets in Mayo where available.

Castlebar – Castle Bookshop.

Ballina – Leonard’s Hot Shot Records .

Westport – Duffy’s Bookshop.

Claremorris – Smyth’s Bookshop.

Sets can be bought directly from Joe Byrne,Achadh Mór Ballyhaunis Co Mayo. (094- 93- 67189.) or by email at trishmb@eircom.net .

The Dreoilín Music and Lore Projects.

The first music project in the Dreoilín Series , “Songs of Past and People” VOL 1, a book and companion cassette recorfing of 15 songs with various singers from East Mayo, was issued in 1994.

This project, “Music and Musings from Mayo” in the 12th production in the Dreoilín Community Arts Series and was once again compiled by Joe Byrne who is a musician and singer and presents and produces the weekly arts programme ”Ceol agus Ealaíon” on Tuesday nights from 10.00pm until 1.00am on Mid West Radio. It is also intended of course as part of the Mid West Radio Twentieth Celebrations and many of the tracks represent a cross section of some of the material recorded and broadcast by Joe since the station started in 1989. The sound bytes are taken from the four programmes that Joe has been involved in over the past 20 years – ‘Ceol agus Fáilte’ a regular Saturday night music and song show from 1989 until 2007, ‘Seó Beo’ an occasional Irish language programme over the years, ‘Parish Pump and Town Crier’ a local history programme from 1994 – 1995 and from the more recent ‘Ceol agus Ealaíon’ the Tuesday night late show of Arts, Music and Gaeilge from 10.00.pm until 1.00am.

SLEEVE COVERS

The beautiful art work on the sleeves and booklet is by the artist Bernie Prendergast of Crois Árd, Tuairín. Bernie and all the performers have also given their talents free of charge. David Dwane of Dwane studios Ballina (originally from Ballyhaunis), refined and mastered the sound and also gave many of the hours involved in the project for free. Since many of the recordings were ‘one man’ efforts out in the field and were done on a variety of low-tech recording machines, the overall sound he achieved through mastery is exceptionally good.

Proceeds from the collection go to the Mayo – Roscommon Hospice Foundation. The price for the full package set is 25 euro with 2 euro extra for postage and packaging (within Ireland), and 4 euro extra to overseas destinations. The 6 C.D. set and booklet are available directly from Joe Byrne at Achadh Mor, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. The collection gift pack will also be available in outlets all across Mayo – for example in Castlebar it is on sale in Bernie’s Art Gallery On The Green (Bernie Prendergasts – beside The Old Imperial Hotel in the Mall); and in The Castle Street Bookshop also in Castlebar. In Ballina at Leonard’s Hot Shot Records and in Duffy’s Bookshop in Westport and Smyth’s News Agency and Warde’s pub in Claremorris. In the local Achadh Mór area it is on sale in Achadh Mór Post Office; in Moran’s Pub and Cluain Falach Post Office; in Ballyhaunis it’s in Seamas Caulfield’s of Upper Main Street and in Paddy Phillip’s Pub and The Gem; and in Kilkelly at Tarpey’s and in Cunniffe’s.

This collection is a unique and very reasonably priced package and is in aid of a very worthy cause. Selling at 25 euro, it would certainly make an ideal and very special gift for all Mayo people at home and away.

Training for the Achadh Mór under 6 and under 8 and under 10 teams has began last Saturday April 17 and continues each Saturday morning at 10 a.m. in the football pitch at Achadh Mór and will continue through uot the season..

Achadh Mór G.A.A. Club Lotto.

The Achadh Mor club lotto has now almost reached 19,000 €!  Try your luck and please support.  Ticket are available in all the usual outlets in the Knock, Achadh Mór and Cill Cheallaigh areas.

Achadh Mór G.A.A. Club – Management and Training Personnel for 2010 Season

Achadh Mór G.A.A Club members are gearing up and preparing for the 2010 football campaign.  Management personnel for the various teams have been put in place already. The following are in charge of training and selection for this year.

• Under 6s – Cathal Duffy.  Under 8s – Philip Lennon and John Hession.
• Under 10s. – Ger Grealy and Liam Lyons.
• Under 12s – Kenneth Walsh,Michael Joyce,Dara Kilkenny,David Morley,and Austin Kenny.
• Under 14s. – Richie Crinnigan, Pádraig Duffy and Liam Brady.  Under 16s – Brian Murphy, Colm Garvey and Noel Prendergast.
• Minors – George Leetch and Brendan Harrison.  Juniors – Tommie Feeney.
• Seniors – Michael Hunt. Seán Byrne and John Duffy.

There are many special features including some beautiful art work from students of the three local primary schools Achadh Mór, Tuairín, and Cúigiú.  There are  also some examples of excellent art work from local second level students.  The colourful imaginative  cover was drawn by Niamh Cunnane of Crois Ard  who is a student at Ballyhaunis Community School and there is also some stunning art work from Una O Brien of Eadar Gabhail who attends Kiltimagh Community School and from Claire Meagh of Cúigiú who is studying art in Dublin.

PHOTOGRAPHS.

There are over 400 photographs old and new.  Martin Devaney a young local photographer has a selection of glorious action shots of some of the underage football players.  There is another exceptional action shot of young showjumper SaoirseTarpey of Kilkelly competing for Ireland in Fontainbleau in France as well as a series of  snaps of dancers” throwing shapes ”at the Barn Dance for Hospice which was held last summer in Cúigiú.  There are several outstanding older archival photos also .  Three in particular from the 1920s stand out – The Eagney Family of Ceathrú an Eadain taken outside their house and a photograph of Achadh Mór church from that time taken by Sergeant Lyons who did a lot of historical research in the local area and took many early photographs of sites and people.  The Moran family of Doire Ghé can be seen in a picture taken at the January fair of Kiltimagh in 1929 and on the opposite page is a  great character shot of Seán Mháire Kneafsey of Mial Tráin (1840 – 1929) one of the last fluent gaelic speakers in the area.

ARTICLES

As usual the magazine contains dozens reports and  of articles of interest from new and from regular writers – Joe Coen of Bruff who has written articles for every issue of Glór since 1989 has two pieces in this current magazine and there are pieces also from other seasoned contributors such as Séamas Duffy, Sister Rose Patricia Mc Hugh, Michael O Grady, Máire Mulligan, Eddie Neafcey, Terence Flanagan, and Tom Waldron.  There are features on Local Puppet Makers in Shammer by Vincent Fahey and one on noted fashion designer Máire Forkin of Tuairín.   Bernard Mallee writes about being present at President Obama’s Inaurguration in Washington while James Moran describes life in Canada.  Linda McLoughlin Larkin seeks a photograph of her grandmother , Anne Marie Moran Beddis writes warmly about her relatives The Lohans of Lios Míogáin,  John Mulligan reports on a Mayo -   Mulligan Reunion in Malta while back at home Michael Nolan in an extensive article traces the families in part of his native village of Cloongoonagh and has included a marvellous selection of photographs from each household. There is a fascinating  account of Monsignor Hugh Curley’s arrest in 1920 during The Troubled Times, Paul Waldron has put together a carefully researched articles on Achadh Mór Memorials in the Friary Graveyard in Ballyhaunis and another scholarly piece details The Geaelic Learned Family of O Neachtain ,a talk given by Dr. Nollaig O Muraile at the 2009 P.D.Kenny – Bill Naughton Autumn School in Achadh Mór.

SELLING OUTLETS

Glór can still be bought in the local shops – Achadh Mór in Rogers .P.O. and in Moran’s Pub.  Ballyhaunis in The Gem.  Kilkelly in Tarpeys and in Cunniffe’s  and in Knock at Henegghan’s P.O. or contact Joe Byrne at Achadh Mór , Ballyhaunis , Phone (094 – 93- 67189.).  There are some back issues of Glór still available for several years since 1989.

There has been an issue of the magazine each year since then – except for the year 1993.

The latest edition of Glór Achadh Mór ( the 21st)  was issued at Christmas 2009.

Back copies of the annual are available for the years 1992,1994 to 1998, 2000 to 2001, and 2003 to 2009.  Contact person is Joe Byrne at Achadh Mór, Ballyhaunis , Co. Mayo. Phone 094 – 93 – 67189 or email at trishmb@eircom.net Copies cost 10 euro each with 7 euro pp in Ireland and 10 euro overseas.

Persons wishing to receive future editions of the annual can send us their namees and addresses and will be added to our mailing list.  The new edition will be forwarded in December so as to be received in time for Christmas.

Articles and photographs memoribilia etc. are always welcome and can be forwarded to the above addresses at any time.

CONTENTS  of GLOR ACHADH MOR

The magazine has 3 main sections – A. Contemporary stories and photographs.  B. Arts and Review pieces and Photographs.  C. Reminiscence aand Reflection. Stories  thoughts and photographs from the past.

The night began with music and song from “The Bearded Troubadour“, the inimitable Paddy Joe Tighe and ended three hours later with lively dancing of The Stack of Barley, Shoe the Donkey and some old time waltzes. Singers who performed were Eimear Flatley, Bernie Tighe Lily, John and Vinny Kelly, Tommie Doherty, Niamh Cunnane, local duet Ivan Hynes and Siobhán Wilcox and Scór winning Ballad Group, Sinéad Niland , Deirdre and Michaela Durkin and Emma Duffy.  Recitations were given by Michael Nolan, Martin Forde and the effervesecent Micky Hopkins.  Main guest for the night was multi instrumentalist Tony Howley the noted saxophone player with the Shaskeen Band.  Tony had flown over specially from Manchester and he received a rousing reception.  He went on to give a marvellous performance of traditional music as well as sax favourites such as Stranger on the Shore and Whistling Rufus and some beautiful slow airs.  Joining Tony on stage were Vinny Kelly, guitar, Brian Scahill, banjo and Maébh Rattigan on keyboard.  As usual there were some great displays of dancing – Orna Hession and Ellen Hynes did some superb step dances and there was a brilliant performance from another troupe of sean nós steppers, Mairéad Mooney, The Three Hessions and The Three Frains.  There were three groups of set dancers, the junior set with David and Seán Kenny, Fergal Boland and Damhóg Frain and the multi talented ladies of the ballad group Emma Duffy, The Durkin Twins and Sinéad Niland.  The All Ireland Winning Set of the 1990s has come together again and several members of that famous group took the floor, Imelda Hession Byrne, Michael Duffy, Debbie Lane Lennon, Cathal Duffy, Adrian Hession, Brendan Mc Guinness, Aoife Coyne, Maébh Rattigan and Siobhán Mc Loughlin.  The regular mature set who practise each winter in Moran’s also showed their paces, Mary Caulfield Duffy, Sandra Walsh, Mary O Loughlin, Bridie Cassidy, Mary Jordan Niland, Frances Cunniffe Murphy, Anne Hession and the lone brave man himself Michael Nolan.  Other musicians who took part were Stephen Doherty and David Doocey who play with the band Gráda and other local stalwarts  Anne Conboy, Joe Byrne and Michael Nolan.  Thanks to all who supported the gig and to all who helped in any way.  The following provided free food and sandwiches – Josie Folliard junior, Chris Glavey, Mary Pa Duffy, Sandra Walsh, Eibhlín Loftus Lily, Eibhlín Waldron, Mary Hession, Anne Glavey,(Screig), Mary Niland, Teresa Loftus, Teresa Caulfield, Cláir Robinson and Mary O Loughlin.  Raffle Prizes: Curley’s Chemist Ballyhaunis, Mary O Loughlin and Moran’s Pub.  Raffle Ticket Sellers: Bernie Prendergast Cunnane, Trish Murphy Byrne and Orla O Loughlin.  Doormen: the solid and utterly reliable Gerry Tarpey and Liam Dooley.  Help with sound and travel to O Neill’s in Glenamaddy Risteárd Byrne.  Articles, ideas, photos and memorabilia for Glór 2010 are all welcome and can be forwarded to Joe Byrne , Achadh Mór.  Some copies of the latest Glór annual 2009 are available in Moran’s and in Roger’s PO in Achadh Mor, in The Gem in Ballyhaunis , in Tarpey’s and Cunniffe’s in Kilkelly and in Heneghan’s P.O. in Knock.  Some back issues of Glór from the past 21 years are also available from Joe Byrne , 094 93 67189.

Afterwards he worked as a journalist in Glasgow and subsequently became editor of the Newcastle Daily. Moving to Brighton he became literary critic for the prestigious Saturday Review where he worked and befriended the famous Winston Churchill.

On the death of his parents P.D. returned to Aghamore to farm the family holding and he immersed himself in the ‘new’ scientific methods of agriculture and horticulture. However, he continued his writing with contributions to various newspapers and journals. Some of his articles in The Irish Times were published in booklet form in 1902 under the title Connacht Ranging, Sealy Bryers and Walker, Dublin and Walter Scott, London.

Books: How to Prevent Strikes, J. Hayward, Manchester, 1894. Economics for Irishmen, Dublin, Maunsel, 1904. Official Philosophy: A Criticism of Co-operation in Ireland, Navan, 1905. The Sorrows of Ireland, Dublin, Maunsel, 1907. My Little Farm, Dublin, Maunsel, 1915. Five Years of Irish Freedom, Henry J. Drane, 1927.

At the request of W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, he chaired the Abbey Theatre debate on Synge’s controversial drams The Playboy of the Western World. On hearing their decision to appoint him as chairman P.D. professed to be most surprised since he felt that he himself was “surely the most unpopular man in all Ireland”.

He certainly was unpopular among many segments of Irish society. An interesting and enigmatic figure he became involved frequently in political and ecclesiastical controversies and in various court cases.

He died in 1944 and is buried in Aghamore cemetery where a fine headstone now adorns his grave.