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| A short history of Co.Mayo |
| Mayo is the third biggest county in Ireland, with a wild
and rocky Atlantic coastline studded with inlets and islands. Inland are
numerous lakes and rivers and, in the north-west, a vast tract of bogland,
the largest single expanse in the country. In agricultural terms, the land
is poor, but there is a wild magnificence to the landscape which is unique.
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| The region was granted to the Norman William de Burgh (Burke)
in the twelfth century, but the tenacity of the Gaelic chieftains and the
fact that the Burkes were rapidly absorbed and soon became Gaelic chieftains
themselves meant that the county retained its original character well into
the seventeenth century. The county's loose allegiance to the northern O'Donnells
remained, and it was only after the mass confiscations of the mid-seventeenth
century that English families such as the Binghams, (later earls of Lucan),
Altamonts and Brownes came to prominence. Also at this time, attempts were
made to transplant settlers from Ulster to Mayo. |
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| Brief History |
| Situated on the northwestern shore of Connaught, County Mayo
contains the towns of Killala, Castlebar, Crossmolina, Westport, and Ballina. |
| The main Gaelic families in the area were O'Malley, O'Flaherty,
McEvilly, O'Henaghan, and O'Flannery. Among the Norman families who settled
in this county were the Burkes, Barretts, Nangles, Costelloes, and Jordans.
Other septs related to these Norman families and now found in the county
include the McPhilhins, McAndrews, Prendergasrs, and Fitzmaurices. |
| After the seventeenth century redistribution of Mayo land
to English adventurers, the major estate holders included Browne, Altamont,
and Cuffe. During the seventeenth century, there were a few attempts to
settle parts of Mayo with people from England or northern Ireland. One such
settlement was that of the Mullett Peninsula, with families from Ulster.
Several Of these, including the Dixons, established themselves in the area.
Many families who were forced to leave the northern counties because of
the sectarian fighting of the 1790s also settled in Mayo. These incidents
have been relatively well documented. |
| In 1798, the French landed 1100 men in Mayo under General
I Humbert to assist the rebellion of United Irishmen. This invasion was
too late to he effective, however, as the main rebellion had been defeated
earlier in the year. Assisted by local rebels, this army took Control of
Mayo, but was eventually defeated at Ballinamuck |
| The land in Mayo is relatively poor. In spite of this, the
county was one of the most densely populated at the beginning of the nineteenth
century, when there were 474 people per square mile of arable land in the
county. This dense population was very badly affected by the Great Famine
of 1845 to 47. The population dropped from almost 390,000 in 1841 to 274,000
in 1851. |
| Approximately 45,000 people died between 1845 and 1850, and
huge numbers emigrated. Between 1850 and 1855 alone, over 21,000 people
emigrated. By 1891 the population had dropped to 219,000, and is currently
around 115,000. |
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