Louisburgh, County Mayo
Encyclopedia
Louisburgh is a small town on the southwest corner of Clew Bay
in County Mayo
, Ireland
. It is home to Sancta Maria College
and the Gráinne O'Malley Interpretive Centre.
of Clooncarrabaun (an anglicisation of Cluain Cearbán). The town was constructed in 1795
by the 3rd Earl of Altamount, later 1st Marquess of Sligo, John Denis Browne of Westport
to house Catholic refugees who fled sectarian conflict in the north of Ireland. Originally a planned town
, it retains many of the eighteenth century features in style and scale. The 1st Marquess of Sligo named the town Louisburgh in memory of his Uncle - Captain Henry Browne - who fought on the British side, against the French, in the 1758 battle of Louisburg. Louisburg (or Louisbourg in French) was a French named fortress on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. As a result of the British victory, a Louisburgh regiment was formed, in which his Uncle was a captain.
and Inishturk
. There are a number of beaches in the area renowned for their cleanliness and each year, on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, the town hosts a traditional music festival - Féile Chois Chuan - which attracts a large number of enthusiasts from many parts of Ireland and abroad.
The main geographical features around Louisburgh are Croagh Patrick
to the east, the Sheaffrey and Mweelrea
Mountains to the south, the Atlantic
to the west and Clew Bay
to the north.
and Castlebar
, each of which have a growing industrial base.
Louisburgh has facilities for fishermen, surfers, hill walkers, beach-walkers and photographers.
Recently the theatre has received a major boost in the town with the addition of a second drama society. The new group entitled Ceol agus Dramá i gCluain Cearbán (Music and Drama in Louisburgh) formed with a focus on children's theatre and pantomime
. They then went on to perform the first ever pantomime in Louisburgh helping to raise over 1,000 euro for the local Order of Malta group. Since the group inception in 2006 they have produced 4 annual pantos Dick Whittington (2006), Cinderella (2007), Aladdin (2008) and Snow white (2009)
Clew Bay
Clew Bay is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. According to tradition, there is an island in the bay for every day of the year. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and the mountains of North Mayo. Clare...
in County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is home to Sancta Maria College
Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh
Sancta Maria College is a secondary school located in Louisburgh, County Mayo, Ireland. There are approximately 350 students enrolled. The school was Irelands first Catholic co-educational secondary school.- Subjects Offered :*Junior Certificate...
and the Gráinne O'Malley Interpretive Centre.
History
Most of Louisburgh lies within the townlandTownland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Clooncarrabaun (an anglicisation of Cluain Cearbán). The town was constructed in 1795
1795 in Ireland
-Events:*5 June - The Royal College of St Patrick established at Maynooth by Act of Grattan's Parliament to provide university-level education for Roman Catholic ecclesiastical and lay students.*21 September...
by the 3rd Earl of Altamount, later 1st Marquess of Sligo, John Denis Browne of Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
to house Catholic refugees who fled sectarian conflict in the north of Ireland. Originally a planned town
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, it retains many of the eighteenth century features in style and scale. The 1st Marquess of Sligo named the town Louisburgh in memory of his Uncle - Captain Henry Browne - who fought on the British side, against the French, in the 1758 battle of Louisburg. Louisburg (or Louisbourg in French) was a French named fortress on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. As a result of the British victory, a Louisburgh regiment was formed, in which his Uncle was a captain.
Geography
Louisburgh is built on the Bunowen River, part of which is a salmon fishery. Nearby Roonagh Pier, approx 6 km from the town, is the departure point for ferries to Clare IslandClare Island
Clare Island is a mountainous island guarding the entrance to Clew Bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It is famous as the home of the pirate queen, Gráinne O'Malley...
and Inishturk
Inishturk
Inishturk is an inhabited island off the coast of County Mayo in Ireland. It has a permanent population of about seventy people. There are two main settlements, both on the more sheltered eastern end of the island, Ballyheer and Garranty. Bellavaun and Craggy are abandoned settlements...
. There are a number of beaches in the area renowned for their cleanliness and each year, on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, the town hosts a traditional music festival - Féile Chois Chuan - which attracts a large number of enthusiasts from many parts of Ireland and abroad.
The main geographical features around Louisburgh are Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick , nicknamed the Reek, is a tall mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It is from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On "Reek Sunday", the last...
to the east, the Sheaffrey and Mweelrea
Mweelrea
Mweelrea is a mountain in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. With a height of 814 metres , it is the highest point in County Mayo, the highest point in the province of Connacht and the 34th highest in Ireland...
Mountains to the south, the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the west and Clew Bay
Clew Bay
Clew Bay is a natural ocean bay in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains Ireland's best example of sunken drumlins. According to tradition, there is an island in the bay for every day of the year. The bay is overlooked by Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, and the mountains of North Mayo. Clare...
to the north.
Economy and culture
Louisburgh experienced an upturn in its fortunes during the economic boom in Ireland. For many years emigration and joblessness prevailed. During the boom there was high employment especially in construction due to a large a number of holiday homes being built. Many local people commute to work in nearby towns such as WestportWestport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
and Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, each of which have a growing industrial base.
Louisburgh has facilities for fishermen, surfers, hill walkers, beach-walkers and photographers.
Recently the theatre has received a major boost in the town with the addition of a second drama society. The new group entitled Ceol agus Dramá i gCluain Cearbán (Music and Drama in Louisburgh) formed with a focus on children's theatre and pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
. They then went on to perform the first ever pantomime in Louisburgh helping to raise over 1,000 euro for the local Order of Malta group. Since the group inception in 2006 they have produced 4 annual pantos Dick Whittington (2006), Cinderella (2007), Aladdin (2008) and Snow white (2009)
Notable people
- Martin O'TooleMartin O'TooleMartin Joseph O'Toole is a former Fianna Fáil politician from County Mayo in Ireland. He was a senator from 1977 to 1989, then a Teachta Dala for two years....
(born 1925 in Louisburgh), Fianna Fáil TD and Senator - Austin O'MalleyAustin O'MalleyAustin O'Malley is a Gaelic football player for Wicklow and St Patricks. O'Malley won the Dublin Senior Football Championship with UCD in 2006. The Louisburgh native was involved in a messy transfer process which brought him to St. Vincents in Dublin. The story was leaked to Dublin newspaper, the...
, Mayo GAAMayo GAAThe Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
footballer - Michael VineyMichael VineyMichael Viney is an Irish artist, author, broadcaster, and journalist. He was born in Brighton.In the 1960s he wrote for The Irish Times about social issues such as the fate of people in institutional care. His articles were later incorporated into the Ryan Report on institutional abuse of...
- Writer for The Irish Times