Introducing Straide
County Mayo in the West of Ireland
Straide is an historic and picturesque village situated in the heart of County Mayo and located between Foxford and Castlebar in the diocese of Achonry. The Cathedral town of the Diocese is Ballaghadeereen on the Mayo / Roscommon border. Straide is the birthplace of one of Ireland's famous sons namely Michael Davitt founder of the Land league in 1879. A plaque and the Michael Davitt Musuem have been erected to his memory in the village and are well worth a visit.
It has a 3 teacher school and a thriving Community Centre where the locals enjoy the weekly bingo session and the senior citizens and childrens parties are held annually. It's noted for providing some fine football teams both at senior and underage level and our local GAA team is Moy Davitt's whilst our soccer team is known as Straide and Foxford United.
Another feature of Straide is its love and promotion of traditional Irish music with one of our local girls Cora Smyth being one of the backing group for last years Eurovision Winner and is currently on tour with Riverdance. At home Michael Smyth and his daughter Aoife are carrying on the tradition and the Murphy family from Aughaward are celebrated on the local music scene and also provide the music for the Sunday liturgy.
The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is situated on a hill marking the centre of the village and is bordered on one side by the Davitt Lounge and on the other side by The Copper Beech Lounge.
Adjacent to the Church is the historic well preserved Dominican Abbey, a testimony to our rich heritage and to a faith filled community which has given sons and daughters to the Priesthood and Religious life both at home and abroad. The Effegies in the Abbey are noted and unique because they depict all the images of the Saints and a Pieata with smiling faces.
With emigration over the years many of our people are living in far flung lands and in the past few years we've connected up with them in various venues namely London and Leeds the purpose of which is to get people together.
Population from Census
- 597 (1996)
