Article from Mayo Abbey Parish Magazine 1995

Welcome to "Mainistir Mhuigheo '95", the second Mayo Abbey Parish magazine. This edition is full of interesting articles and features relating to the parish and its overseas connections. We thank the people who have written these articles and provided the many wonderful photographs which appear in this year's issue.

1995 has seen continuing progress in our parish with the ongoing development of Ballyglass, Facefield and Mayo Abbey villages and the research into our ancient history. The re-establishment of the ancient ties between "Mayo of the Saxons", Inishbofin, Iona and Northumbria led to the highly successful International Workshop in February. The seed sown during that weekend is now blossoming with continued exchanges between these ancient centres of faith and learning.

We hope it will mature into a unique bond of renewed knowledge and understanding of our common heritage. The nucleus of this research and renewal is the FÁS Heritage project which commenced in May. Already much has been learned as was demonstrated at the exhibition in Abbey Park in November. We look forward to exciting new discoveries over the coming years.

It was also a year of sadness which saw the deaths of seventeen of our senior citizens, ranging in age from 67 to 98, and including our pastor of the past fifteen years, Canon Patrick McDermott. They typified a generation of people who were decent and hard working, with a deep Faith and a vast knowledge of and respect for their heritage and traditions, their families and neighbours, their locality and environment. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a nanamacha go léir. Their passing also highlights the importance of the present heritage project as vast amounts of local knowledge and lore has gone unrecorded over the years and have been lost forever.

We propose to continue to publish the parish magazine on a yearly basis. Journals will also be published from time to time on various aspects of the research project. We ask you, our readers, to contribute to these publications either by writing articles or by participating in the ongoing collection of local knowledge and folklore. We especially ask our emigrants abroad to send us suggestions and items for publication.

Mainistir Mhuigheo '95 has been produced and edited by members of Mayo Abbey Community Council and the Mayo Abbey FÁS Heritage project.

Editorial team: Joe Brett, Anne Conboy and Áine McNeely

Layout: Joe Brett and Michael Hambly

Advertisement Layout and Graphics: Martina O'Kane

Typesetting: Mary Brett, Anne Conboy, Mary Henry, Ann Mannix and Martina O'Kane

Photography: Tricia Forde, Michael Hambly, Michael Kelly and Leo Morahan

Photographic Restoration: Tricia Forde

Front Page Layout, Photographic setting and printing: Ballina Printing Company,

Advertising: Paddy Gibbons

Joe Brett, Editor