Local Papers Commentary
Western People - 12 November 2002
By Declan Holmes
Nov 14, 2002, 17:57

Funding for Castlebar to Westport Road at risk
Deputy Michael Ring, FG spokesperson for Social and Family Affairs, has said that the national Primary Road from Castlebar to Westport is now in serious difficulty. The deputy said he had raised the issue with Mayo County Council and with the NRA. “It now looks likely that the funding is not going to be provided for the road, for the next planning stage. That will put back the road a couple of years again.

Kilmovee in a new Celtic light
The exciting discovery of two chambers in the back wall in a cashel in East Mayo that are said to show perfect solar alignment could cast new light on how our Celtic ancestors lived and farmed the land. One theory being explored by Jon Grainger, the man who claims to have made the discovery, is that the chambers may have been built to mark the end of one agricultural year and the start of the next.

Mayo Shock: county now diverging into two regions
There is a real danger of Mayo splitting into two defined geographic areas, with one prospering, the other fading away. The stark warning comes from the community activist Seamus Caulfield who has examined the preliminary results from the 2002 Census. He points out that the population of south and east Mayo grew by over 7000 while that of north and west Mayo has declined by over 1100 in the same period.

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