Ballinrobe community celebrates centenary

Ballinrobe community celebrate centenary

Ciara Galvin

THE year of 1914 saw the start of the First World War and saw the British House of Commons pass the Irish Home Rule Bill.
It was also the year that the village of Rathredmond, Ballinrobe came into being and 100 years on the community is as alive as ever, celebrating its centenary on Saturday last.
A crowd of approximately 90 people gathered in Ballinrobe’s award-winning racecourse to share stories, meet old friends and celebrate the village’s existence.
A committee was formed after talks last year among the community centred around the village’s imminent centenary.
“We invited everyone with any connection to the village, people who used to live here and their relatives,” explained committee member Michael Coyne.
The evening’s proceedings were slightly delayed, as a Mass which took place to mark the celebration was delayed due to the nail-biting Mayo and Kerry replay. Those gathered then enjoyed a meal at the racecourse’s Coranna restaurant where guests were entertained by the local McGovern brothers.
Mr Coyne said people were ‘enthralled’ by the celebrations and said people who hadn’t seen each other in years thoroughly enjoyed the event. Michael’s own daughter Deirdre, her husband and their children also attended the event while home from England.
“There were people who couldn’t travel but others came from all around Ireland, Tipperary, Dublin...there were people there that I had never met,” said Coyne, who gave a brief history of the area to those in attendance on the night.
John Flannelly, racecourse manager, also addressed those gathered, while his daughter Claire put together a slideshow of photographs from each family in the village.
“It was a terrific and most enjoyable event,” concluded Mr Coyne.