’Newport – Our Own Place’

Third edition of ‘Newport – Our Own Place’ to be launched by youth club adults


Neill O’Neill

TWENTY-EIGHT years after they first produced ‘Newport – Our Own Place’ as teenage members of the local youth club, a group of now adult residents in Newport will see the third edition of the historical journal released next month.
Containing 33 new and updated articles, the latest edition of the 40 page book will be launched in Hotel Newport on October 12 at 3pm. All are welcome to attend and original youth club members are now being contacted in the hope they will be able to make the launch.
In 1972, a representative of the local youth organisation approached the Sisters of the Mercy Order in Newport and asked if they could use the lace room – a part of the national school – for their youth club.
From this point the sisters began working with the youth group in the town and it was a relationship that would publish ‘Newport – Our Own Place’ five years later.
“In 1977 we decided we could do with a tourism guide for the area and the members of the youth club showed immediate interest,” Sr Brady, the only surviving member of the Mercy Order Convent in Newport told The Mayo News. “It was suggested that each member be given specific topics to research and write and in October we decided to enter the National Citizenship Awards with the book.”
The youth club and nuns then set up a co-op to raise money to produce the book, and sold shares to parents and ads to the businesses in Newport. Fund-raising events continued throughout 1979 and in 1980 a rough draft of the book was ready, with 2,000 copies of ‘Newport – Our Own Place’ on sale in April for £2 per book. In September 1980, the industrious group learnt they had come joint second in the National Citizenship Awards for the project.
“The first round of fundraising left us with £1,000 profit,” said Sr Brady, “and in 1989 we got 500 more copies printed as the first draft had sold out. We have been prudent with the money we raised over the years, and have retained enough to publish this run of 2,000 copies.”
The original members of the youth club have all grown up and married, had children and moved away, but those who are aware of the latest edition of the book have once again embraced the project. Sr Consilio Murphy – who died last year – was among the main group of people who guided the original project, and before she got sick in November 2007 she had it in mind to produce a third edition of ‘Newport – Our Own Place.’
When the draft was finished late last year, some members of the original youth club brought it to her in hospital, and she knew before she passed that her vision for a third edition had become a reality.
“There are a few new contributors now and the town has changed a lot – such as the old seaweed factory being gone, and Main Street looks different – so those changes have been taken into consideration,” said Sr Brady.
“The youth club members remember making the original book and all the fun they had, and were happy to get involved again.
Sr Consilio was the main person behind the project, along with myself, Sean Kelly (RIP) and Maureen McGee.”
The convent in Newport closed in 1977, and Sr Brady added that it was lovely to be able to make contact with the members of the original youth club again. Some children from the local national school were also involved this time around – helping with typing up articles – making the third edition a real cross-community project.
‘Newport – Our Own Place’ has up-to-date and practical information on the town and surrounding areas, and all the places of historical interest locally. The informative journal also contains a map and illustrations by members of the youth club.

All are invited to attend the launch in Hotel Newport on October 12 at 3pm.