Mayo, County Mayo Explained

Mayo
Native Name:Irish: Maigh Eo
Native Name Lang:ga
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Connacht
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:County Mayo
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Density Km2:auto
Utc Offset1:+0
Timezone1 Dst:IST (WEST)
Utc Offset1 Dst:-1
Coordinates:53.7622°N -9.12°W
Elevation M:72
Blank Name:Irish Grid Reference

Mayo or Mayo Abbey [1] is a village in County Mayo, Ireland. Although it bears the same name as the county, it is not the county seat, which is Castlebar. Mayo Abbey is a small historic village in south Mayo approximately 16 km to the south of Castlebar and 10 km north west of Claremorris. The village is in a civil parish of the same name.[1]

History

The village was an important centre in the Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon Christian world in the seventh and eighth centuries. St. Colmán, Bishop of Lindisfarne, founded a monastery here for a group of Saxon monks, called the School of Mayo. Saint Gerald became its first abbot in 670. Danish raiders attacked the monastery in 783 and again in 805.[2] Finally Turgesius completely destroyed it in 818 The village was the centre of the diocese of Mayo from 1152. It was suppressed in the thirteenth century.[3] Bishops were appointed, however, as late asthe sixteenth century. One of its bishops, Patrick O'Hely, who died in 1589, is numbered among the Irish martyr saints. The diocese was formally joined to Tuam by papal decree in 1631.

Culture

The BBC four-part documentary Amongst Women was filmed in Mayo Abbey using the Old Catholic Church, the graveyard and the post office/shop.

Sport

Mayo Gaels is the local Gaelic football team. They compete at all underage levels as well as senior and junior football. [4]

Annalistic references

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maigh Eo/Mayo . Placenames Database of Ireland (logainm.ie) . 13 October 2021.
  2. The Heritage of Mayo by Áine Ní Cheanáinn 3rd edition 1988, page 94
  3. https://www.tuamarchdiocese.org/history-of-the-tuam-archdiocese/ Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam history site
  4. Web site: Mayo Gaels GAA . 21 January 2022.