County Mayo Information & County Mayo Links at HealthHaven.com

**County Mayo**
	County Mayo; Contae Mhaigh Eo
Motto: Dia is Muire Linn (Irish); "God and Mary be with us"
	Location
	Statistics
Province:	Connacht
County seat:	Castlebar
Code:	MO
Area:	5,397 km2 (2,084 sq mi)
Population (2009 estimate)	126,000
	Website: www.mayococo.ie

For other uses, see Mayo.

County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Connacht. It was named after the village of Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo). Mayo is the second largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 15th largest in terms of population^[1]. It is the second largest of Connacht’s 5 counties in size and second largest in terms of population.

[edit] Geography

The highest point in Mayo and Connacht is Mweelrea (814 m/2,670 ft). The river Moy in the northeast of the county is renowned for its salmon fishing. Ireland's largest island, Achill, lies off Mayo's west coast. Mayo has Ireland's highest cliffs (third highest in Europe) at Croaghaun, Achill island.

[edit] Towns and villages

Castlebar and Ballina are by far the two most populous towns in the county, with 17,891 and 10,146 residents respectively according to the 2006 census; with Ballina being much larger by land area. These are followed by Westport, a popular tourist town, which has 5,140 residents. The fourth largest town is Claremorris, a market town, with a population of 3,170.

Achill Island
Balla, Ballina, Ballinrobe, Ballintober, Ballycastle, Ballyhaunis, Ballyglass, Ballyvary, Bangor, Belcarra, Belmullet, Bohola, Boytown
Castlebar, Charlestown, Claremorris, Cong, Corroy, Crossmolina
Derrew
Foxford
Geesala
Islandeady
Keel, Kilkelly, Killala, Kilmaine, Kiltimagh, Knock, Knockmore
Louisburgh
Mayo, Mulrany
Newport
Rossport
Shrule, Swinford
Tourmakeady
Westport

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	%±
1659	29,967	—
1821	293,112	878.1%
1831	366,328	25.0%
1841	388,887	6.2%
1851	274,499	−29.4%
1861	254,796	−7.2%
1871	246,030	−3.4%
1881	245,212	−0.3%
1891	219,034	−10.7%
1901	199,166	−9.1%
1911	192,177	−3.5%
1926	172,690	−10.1%
1936	161,349	−6.6%
1946	148,120	−8.2%
1951	141,867	−4.2%
1956	133,052	−6.2%
1961	123,330	−7.3%
1966	115,547	−6.3%
1971	109,525	−5.2%
1979	114,019	4.1%
1981	114,766	0.7%
1986	115,184	0.4%
1991	110,713	−3.9%
1996	111,524	0.7%
2002	117,446	5.3%
2006	123,839	5.4%
^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

The county has experienced perhaps the highest emigration out of Ireland.^{[citation needed]} In the 1840s-1880s, waves of emigrants left the rural townlands of the county. Initially triggered by the Great Famine and then in search of work in the newly industrialising England, Scotland and the United States, the population fell considerably. From 388,887 in 1841, the population fell to 199,166 in 1901. The population reached a low of 109,525 in 1971 as emigration continued.

[edit] Places of interest

Cliffs along the Atlantic coastline of County Mayo, near Ballycastle

The Knock Shrine is in Mayo, close to the border with County Roscommon. Mayo is also home to Croagh Patrick, a mountain where St Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days and nights, although worship connected with the mountain is believed to have preceded the arrival of Christianity.

[edit] Sport

Mayo is also noted for its Gaelic football team, and their efforts to capture the All-Ireland Football Title in recent years. They last won the Sam Maguire Cup in 1951, when the team was captained by Seán Flanagan. Mayo's most recent All-Ireland final appearances have been in 1989, 1996, 1997, 2004 and 2006. They defeated a hotly tipped Dublin team in the 2006 All Ireland Semi Final in what is generally acknowledged to be one of the best games ever played in Croke Park, Mayo winning by one point.

[edit] Energy resources controversy

Main articles: Corrib gas project and Corrib gas controversy

There is local resistance to Shell's decision to refine raw gas from the Corrib gas field at an onshore refinery. In 2005, five local men were jailed for contempt of court after refusing to facilitate Shell's work. Subsequent protests against the project led to the Shell to Sea and related campaigns.

[edit] Notable people

Earl of Mayo (Bourke)
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo, Viceroy of India 1869-72
Admiral William Brown (1777 to 1857) - born in Foxford, founder of the Argentine Navy
Browne family
Marquess of Sligo (Browne)
Patrick Browne (1720–1790) - doctor and botanist of Jamaica
Michael Davitt - founder of the Land League, born in Mayo. The bridge to Achill is named after him as well as Castlebar's local secondary school (Davitt College).
Seán Flanagan (1922– 1993) - senior Fianna Fáil politician and Gaelic footballer in Ireland. He served under Taoiseach Jack Lynch as Minister for Health (1966-1969) and Minister for Lands (1969-1973).
Enda Kenny - politician, leader of Fine Gael since 2002
Ciarán McDonald - Gaelic football player
John McDonnell (born July 2, 1938) - athletics coach. He has won more national championships (42) than any coach in any sport in the history of American collegiate athletics.
Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin (born in Carnacon in 1983) - winner of the 2005 Rose of Tralee contest. She is the 47th Rose and the first from County Mayo.
William O'Dwyer - mayor of New York City from 1946-1950
Grace O'Malley - pirate queen and chieftain of the clan O’Malley, also known as Granuaile.
Mary Robinson - first woman President of Ireland (1990-1997), born in Ballina in 1944. Mrs. Robinson became the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 12 September 12, 1997, resigning the Presidency a few weeks early with the approval of Irish political parties in order to take up the post.
Louis Walsh (born 5 August, 1952) - pop music manager

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. pp. 186-191.
^ For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy March 14 1865.
^ Census for post 1821 figures.
^ http://www.histpop.org
^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". in Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A.. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November), "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850", The Economic History Review Volume 37 (Issue 4): pp. 473-488, doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 53°54′N 9°15′W / 53.9°N 9.25°W / 53.9; -9.25

[0] Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. pp. 186-191.

[1] For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy March 14 1865.

[2] Census for post 1821 figures.

[3] ttp://www.histpop.org

[4] ttp://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census

[5] Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". in Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A.. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.

[6] Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November), "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850", The Economic History Review Volume 37 (Issue 4): pp. 473-488, doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Contents