St Joseph's Catholic Church in Caledon, Co Tyrone and (inset) stock image. Photo: Google Streetview.
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07 Oct 2025
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07 Oct 2025
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St Patrick's Church in Aughagower (Pic: Mick Reynolds) and Mark Carney in the circle frame (Pic: Flickr)
Mayo County Council have been asked to invite the new Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney to Mayo in recognition of his strong roots to the county.
The proposal to invite the Canadian Prime Minister to visit Mayo was made by Westport-based councillor Peter Flynn at the monthly meeting of the Westport/Belmullet Municipal District.
Mark Carney, a former Governor of the Bank of England, became the Prime Minister of Canada in March after assuming the leadership of the Liberal Party. He called a Federal Election for the end of April and remained as Prime Minister after his party won the election.
His grandparents Robert and Nora Carney were both originally from Aughagower outside Westport before they emigrated to Canada.
Fine Gael councillor Peter Flynn said that with the strong connections between Canada and Mayo at the moment it was the right time to invite the Prime Minister to the county.
Huge connection
“Canada has over 40 million of a population with a huge connection to Mayo. We often concentrate on the US side and Lord knows how that will go in the months and years ahead. We should forge links with Canada and the fact they have a Prime Minister whose grandparents are linked into this municipal district, I would propose that a formal letter of invitation would go out to him.
READ: Planning refused to demolish and redevelop Mayo pub site
“We would try to identify the links with Canada and Mark Carney and we would make it a special occasion and invite him back to our municipal district in the year ahead,” Cllr Flynn commented.
His proposal was supported by Independent councillor John O'Malley who said there was great excitement in Aughagower following his election as Prime Minister.
“They are already excited in Aughagower at the possible chance he will visit. His father visited Aughagower and possibly his grandfather but they are excited in Aughagower about it and we should go ahead and invite him. If it goes ahead it will be as big as Biden coming to Ballina.”
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