Islandeady

Islandeady Oileán Éadaígh
Village
St. Patrick's church, Islandeady St. Patrick's church, Islandeady
Motto: Ar Aghaidh Le Chéile
Islandeady Location in Ireland
Coordinates:
Country	Ireland
Province	Connacht
County	County Mayo
Area
• Village	42.02 km2 (16.22 sq mi)
Elevation	57 m (187 ft)
Population (2011)
• Rural	1,008
Irish Grid Reference	M092879

Islandeady (Irish: Oileán Éadaí) is a village in County Mayo, Ireland, about halfway between the towns of Castlebar and Westport.

The parish of Islandeady meets Castlebar to the east, Westport and Newport to the west, and Aughagower and Killawalla to the south. There is a view of Croagh Patrick to the west and Nephin to the northeast. The main route by road is the N5. The parish has four national schools and a private secondary school.

History

The name Islandeady or Oiléan Éadaígh is arguably derived from Saint Áedan after whom a 13th Century church, located in the hillside cemetery is named after. Islandeady townland was historically called Illaneedan. Tradition says that St.Patrick, on his way to Croagh Patrick, visited Raheens. Also it is noted that Islandeady would have belonged to the 'Patrician lands of Connacht'. The date given by historians to St.Patrick's missionary work in Islandeady is 440 A.D., where he preached on the shores of a lake in the peaceful little parish. Today the modern village lies within the townlands of Rinnaseer and Cloonan.

Geography

Islandeady boasts many kinds of land, fertile plains, bog, marsh, moor land, mountain rock and stony soil. Lakes and rivers are abound in number and variety. The main lakes are Lough Bilberry and Lough Lannagh, but there are many lesser known ones too.

Sport and famous people

Boxer Ray Moylette, light welterweight gold medallist at the 2011 European Amateur Boxing Championships, is from Islandeady.

GAA

• Islandeady has a local GAA football team; their home games are played in St Eiden's Park.

Politics

• Islandeady is the birthplace of current Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.

Fishing

• The McConville Cup trout angling competition is held annually in July on Bilberry Lake and Lough Lannagh.

Education

National Schools:

• Cloggernagh N.S.
• Leitir N.S.
• Cougala N.S.
• Cornanool N.S.

Secondary Schools:

• St.Patrick's Academy (Private)

Transport

• Islandeady is served by the N5 (Westport-Dublin road) National primary road
• Islandeady railway station opened on 1 May 1914, but finally closed on 17 June 1963.

Business

Islandeady had a shop beside the church, but it closed in the late 1980s/early 1990s. An embroidery and sewing shop, "Celtic Cross Stitch", is running behind the church. There is also a B&B beside the GAA pitch.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

External links

• Mayo-Towns.ie
• [1]
• Island Eddy, an off-shore island in Co. Galway