Large crowds expected in Achill for Bank Holiday

Large crowds expected in Achill for Bank Holiday activities


Anton McNulty

A BUMPER weekend is in store on Achill Island this Bank Holiday Weekend with a large influx of visitors expected to travel to the island.
The May Bank Holiday weekend is usually a busy time on the island but a number of events taking place is expected to add to the influx of visitors. The first Achill 10k race will be held on Saturday, May 1, while the annual Heinrich Boll memorial weekend also takes place and two national schools on the island celebrate their centenary.
The Achill 10k race is expected to attract between 300 and 400 participates from the race, the majority of which will be from outside Mayo. This is the first year of the race and is organised by 26 Extreme, a Co Down based company who specialise is adventure races.
The Race Director, Ian Cumming told The Mayo News that he has been going to Achill since he was a child and said it was an ideal location for the race. He said that they are delighted with the interest in the race and had already pencilled in next years race for the May Bank Holiday weekend.
“We are delighted with the interest in the race because we have not spent a lot of advertising this year and just put it out there. A lot of the people who have booked are from the North and Dublin and this will be great for the islands tourism. The same thing happened with the Achill Half Marathon where the numbers have quadrupled since it began and we are hoping this will be an annual event,” he said.
The race will take the runners from Keel towards the Deserted Village and back towards Dookinella where the final three kilometres will take place on Keel Beach. An Achill Mountain Marathon was also due to take place but the slow uptake in numbers meant it had to be cancelled. However Ian explained that they hope to run it next year and will start advertising for it in the summer.
The island is also expecting an influx of past pupils from both Saula and Bullsmouth National Schools who are celebrating their centenary on Saturday, May 1. Past pupils from both schools are expected to travel from as far away as America for the celebrations, which both schools have been organising for the last year. A series of events are planned by both schools over the weekend with over 500 people with connections to the schools expected to attend.
The sixth annual Heinrich Boll Memorial Weekend will take place on the island from Friday,  April 30 until May 2, with the Minister for State with responsibility for the Arts, Martin Mansergh, TD performing the official opening in the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall in Dugort.
Following the official opening on Friday evening, a lecture by Dr Brian Kennedy on Paul Henry’s work in Achill, and by Jim Cruickshank, on the life and work of Grace Henry will take place. The following day, Booker prize winner, John Banville will give a reading in the Cyril Gray Memorial Hall at 9pm. More information on the Heinrich Boll memorial weekend is available from the Achill Tourism website, www.achilltourism.com.