US company supports breast unit at Mayo General Hospital
Fifteen thousand US dollars have been contributed to Mayo General Hospital to the breast cancer unit. The US company, DeCare, is a dental insurance company and a Mayoman heads the company. The money will be used to fund mammography training for two radiologists and training workshops in breast care for nurses. CEO and President of DeCare International, Michael Walsh, travelled to Ireland to make the presentation and tour the hospital.

Virtual poets launch CD
The Mayo Education Centre has launched a CD of poems from students from secondary and primary schools. Over the past 18 months the young writers e-mailed their poems into the virtual writer in residence for Mayo. Out of hundreds of poems, seventy were chosen to be published on the CD-ROM that was launched last week. The project was a first for Ireland. Some of the writers are featured reading their poems on video clips and sound clips. The poems are illustrated by Mayo artist, Steve Dunford, and the music for the backing track is by Mayo musician, David Munnelly.

Mayo's first "green" dump for recycling household rubbish
Mayo County Council have set up a civic amenity recycling centre at Derrinumera landfill site. The site, just outside Newport, has been transformed in recent times and now it has facilities where one can recycle anything from clothes to building materials. The service is free except for small charges for people who are leaving fridges and washing machines because they are hazardous waste and need to be exported. The centre is open six days a week and is licensed for 40,000 tonnes of landfill a year. Plans are being made for centres similar to the Derrinumera civic amenity centre to be built in Ballina, Westport, Belmullet and Claremorris.