Mayo Alive - 6 August
1996
The Mayo Millennium Project
by
Joe Brett
The South Mayo village of Mayo Abbey, which gave its name to County Mayo, could be transformed into a major tourist/pilgrimmage centre over the coming years if the ambitious plans of the local community and Mayo Abbey Resource Development Company Ltd. come to fruition. A five year plan of development for the thirteen hundred year old village is presently being formulated.
The focus of this plan is two-fold:
- The investigation, preservation and development of
the Internationally important Monastic site at Mayo
Abbey.
- The development of a visitor/pilgrimage centre, museum and Conference facility in the Famine Church of St. Colman's, Mayo Abbey.
The local community in Mayo Abbey have been very active over the past number of years and enormous efforts have been made in developing and enhancing the area. This work has been generously supported by FAS, Mayo County Council, South Mayo LEADER Company, Mayo County Enterprise Board and many other agencies, groups and individuals.
Research into the Archaeology and History of the parish is been carried out by the Mayo Abbey FAS Heritage Project which is based in the local GAA centre. University College Galway are becoming actively involved in the development at Mayo Abbey. Several UCG Departments, including the Applied Geophysics Unit, Archaeology, Botany, Geology and History, are combining their skills and experience to provide technical advice and resources to the project. Work to date has included the setting up of a network of survey points using the satellites of the Global Positioning System, a preliminary site mapping survey and the use of Ground Probing Radar to "see" beneath the concrete floor of the Famine Church. A preliminary survey has also been carried out to source material for pollen analysis which should enable a description of the ancient landscape to be made. An M.Sc. research project will be starting in October 1996 which will investigate archaeological monuments in the vicinity of the Abbey. All this work will aid the implementation of the Mayo Millennium Project and help to present the story of human activity at this important ancient site.
Transnational links have been re-established with centres in Scotland and Northern England which had been lost for more than a thousand years. In 1995 and 1996 two International Conferences were held in Mayo Abbey which explored the foundation and development of the early Christian Saxon Monastery there. Recently architectural plans for the development of St. Colman's Church were presented to the people of Mayo Abbey as a gift from Iona Abbey in Scotland. Two weeks ago an official delegation from Mayo County Council visited Iona. A return visit to Mayo by Argyll an Bute County Council is planned for Spring 1997.
The project will be called "The Mayo Millennium Project" in recognition of the fact that Mayo Abbey named County Mayo and that the project is set to become THE major Archaeological, Historical and Community Development Project in County Mayo by the year 2000. The project has received widespread acclaim and support from academics, church authorities, politicians and development agencies in Ireland and Britain.
The development plan and a fundraising plan will be launched in the late Autumn.
If you would like to become involved in this exciting
project or would like further information on any aspect of
it contact Joe Brett joebrett@mayo-ireland.ie
Mayo Alive - weekly Magazine. E-mail michael@mayo-ireland.ie
Mayo Abbey Home Page
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
