Ballinrobe’s Fly Mayo festival to mark 80th anniversary

Ciara Galvin

BALLINROBE’S ninth annual Fly Mayo Festival will remember the historic transatlantic flight of Lithuanian pilot Felix Waitkus later this month.
The popular festival takes place over the weekend of September 25 to September 27 next.
This year’s festival is a very significant one with the emergency landing of Waitkus occurring 80 years ago.
Waitkus survived the crash landing in Cloongowla, Ballinrobe after weather conditions affected his flight.
At the official launch of the festival, which took place in Flannery’s Bistro on Wednesday, festival committee member David Hall urged local people to join in celebrating the anniversary.
“This year, we want the people of Ballinrobe and surrounding areas to take an active part in the festival. There will be music, song, dance, food and much more besides,” said Mr Hall.
Lithuanian Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Rasa Adomaitiene was also in attendance at last week’s launch, along with members of the local Lithuanian community. Award-winning Lithuanian choir Jauna Muzika, from Vilnius, will perform in St Mary’s Church, Ballinrobe, on Friday, September 25 at 8pm.
Speaking about the talented choir, Mr Hall said the festival organisers were ‘honoured to have them’ and paid tribute to Canon Conal Eustace, PP for his efforts in making the choir’s visit possible.
Lithuanian Ambassador Rasa Adomaitiene said that she was glad to visit Ballinrobe and wished the organising committee good luck with the upcoming festival.
The ambassador said she hoped that the old and new monuments will lead to greater tourist numbers visiting the town.
On the Saturday of the festival, the official opening of the new Lithuania Flight Monument will take place at 3pm. It will be a 12 ft by 12 ft replica of Mr Waitkus’ plane. The old monument will be moved to a site near where the emergency landing took place in Cloongowla. Later on, at 7pm, Irish and Lithuanian folk music will form the centrepiece of a festival party in Ballinrobe Racecourse.
On the Sunday of the festival, Mass will be celebrated in Ballinrobe Church, followed by a Lithuanian Fair, which also takes place at the Racecourse.