Admiral Brown remembered

FILLED WITH PRIDE Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Gerry Coyle and Argentine nationals laying a wreath at the Admiral Brown monument in Foxford at the weekend. Pic: John O’Grady

Admiral Brown remembered

Anton McNulty

FOXFORD was awash with blue and white as the townspeople – and many visitors from further afield – came out last Sunday to pay homage to its favourite son, Admiral William Brown as part of the week-long festival to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Argentine navy.
The national flag of Argentina hung from every second lamppost and the town was decked with blue and white flowers as Latin fever descended on the north Mayo town. Up to 170 Argentine sailors attended the ceremony in Foxford, which saw the opening of the Admiral Brown Centre and museum. Mass was celebrated by Bishop John Flynn and the lessons were read by the Captain of the Fragata Libertad, Pablo Marcelo Vignolles and by Captain of the LE Roisin, Pearse Robinson.
In the museum, the life story of the Foxford-born seaman is told through a 20-minute documentary video along with other artefacts on show. The centre also helps promote business links between the two countries and was opened by Augustine Brown, a direct descendent of the Admiral, Bernard O’Hara of the Mayo Galway Association and Peter Hynes of Foxford Resources.
The €25,000 restoration of the Admiral Brown monument in the town was also unveiled on the day, while the sod-turning of the proposed €500,000 Admiral Brown Park was carried out by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon Ó Cuív TD, whose department allocated €250,000.
Mr JJ O’Hara, President of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford, told The Mayo News it was a proud day for the society and for Foxford. He said 19 of the 21 projects outlined by the society have been completed and on Friday morning at eleven o’clock, the town of Admiral Brown which is located outside Buenos Aires will be twinned with Mayo. He said there were great links between the two countries but was disappointed in the efforts played by Fáilte Ireland in promoting those links.
“It was a very proud day for the town after many years of hard work. I never wanted to give up but there were dark days in between that I felt like giving up. But we kept at it, and the only disappointment was the lack of participation by Fáilte Ireland. We got no official help despite the growing links between the two countries and I hope the new Minister for Tourism [Seamus Brennan] will see sense and get on board,” he said.
JJ said he hopes to return to Argentina in October and bring Connemara marble and soil from Mayo which will be placed around the grave of Admiral Brown.
The Libertad was docked in Galway since last Friday and JJ praised the Mayo Galway Association for ‘pulling out all the stops’. It will leave Galway today (Tuesday) before heading to Dublin to take part in the national celebration in Dublin. A parade in honour of Admiral Brown will take place in Dublin on Friday before a wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the Admiral Brown monument at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay at 11am.
The celebrations in Mayo will continue next week and 30 Argentine musicians playing traditional Irish music will entertain the crowds in Ballina on Wednesday evening and will play in Matt Molloy’s pub in Westport on Thursday evening.