Castlebar (Irish: Caisleán an Bharraigh, meaning 'Barry's Castle') is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. Developing around a 13th-century castle of the de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal point for the surrounding hinterland.[2] With a population of 13,054 in the 2022 census (up from 7,648 in the 1991 census),[1] Castlebar was one of the fastest growing towns in Ireland in the early 21st century.[3]
Print depicting the "Castlebar Races" of 1798Castlebar, circa 1880
The modern town grew up as a settlement around the de Barry castle, which was built by a Norman adventurer in 1235 and was later the site of an English garrison. The castle was located at the end of Castle Street, where the town river is thought to have originally flowed.[4]
The town was granted a charter of incorporation in 1613 by James I of England. Under the charter the town had a portreeve (mayor) and a fifteen-member corporation and was entitled to elect two members to the Parliament of Ireland.[5] The Linen Hall, established as a clearing house for local linen materials, was completed in 1790.[6]
Armed conflict has been the centrepiece of the town's historical heritage. French forces under the command of General Jean Humbert aided in a rout of the British garrison in the town during the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798, which was so comprehensive it would later be known as "The Races of Castlebar".[7] A short-lived provisional Irish Republic had been declared upon General Humbert's arrival at Killala. Following the victory at Castlebar John Moore, head of the Mayo United Irishmen and the brother of a local landowner, was declared president of the Province of Connacht. His remains are today interred in a corner of the town green, known as the Mall, previously the cricket grounds of Lord Lucan, whose family (the Binghams) have owned and still own large tracts of the town and county.[8]
Castlebar Military Barracks was established in 1834:[9] it was finally closed in March 2012 and the buildings and grounds have been purchased by the local town and county councils.[10]
The name of the town comes from the castle built in 1235 (see above).[12] This castle is depicted in the top of the crest, with two yew trees on either side because Castlebar is the county town of Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo, meaning 'plain of the yew trees'). The crosses represent the parish of Aglish (the official name of the parish of Castlebar). The 1798 'Races of Castlebar' is commemorated with the Pikes in the top left-hand corner. Underneath, the words 'Ar Aghaidh' can be found, which means 'Forward'.
Castlebar expanded rapidly during the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.[20] Castlebar's population grew in the late 1990s, rising by one-third in the six years between the 1996 and 2002 census. According to the 2016 census, the population stood at 12,068,[19] a threefold increase in the 90 years since 1926, when the population was 4,256.[21]
Culture
Aerial view of Castlebar
Castlebar is the location for important festivals and traditions, among which is the International Four Days' Walk.[22] A well-established blues music festival in venues across the town took place for many years on the weekend before the first Monday in June, but has not taken place since 2011.[23] During the 1970s and 1980s the town hosted the International Castlebar Song Contest which was televised nationally on RTÉ.[24] The Museum of Country Life is located on the outskirts of Castlebar, and is the only branch of the National Museum of Ireland located outside Dublin.[25]
Castlebar is home to the Linenhall Arts Centre, which exhibits visual art throughout the year, as well as hosting live drama and music performances.[26] The Royal Theatre and Event Centre has capacity of 2,200 people fully seated or 4,000 people standing.[27] hosts larger-scale productions and popular music concerts.
There are Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland (Anglican), Elim Pentecostal, and evangelical (Calvary Church Castlebar) churches in the town. A mosque was opened in October 2023.[28]
One of the oldest pubs in Castlebar is John McHale's pub, located on New Line. The pub is known for its sale of a Meejum of Guinness, which is slightly less than a pint. It once had 'the best pint of Guinness in Ireland' according to a national tabloid.[29]
Economy
Museum of Country LifeFormer Linen Hall, Castlebar
Castlebar is also home to the health care company Baxter Healthcare and manufacturer Fort Wayne Metals.[30]
Transport
Road
Castlebar is served by the N5national primary road and the N60 and N84national secondary roads. In 1990 a relief road was built around Castlebar, removing through traffic on the N5 from the main street. This road is a basic two-lane road. It suffers from chronic congestion, particularly in the summer months when thousands of tourists have to negotiate the bottleneck en route to neighbouring Westport and Achill Island. A bypass of Castlebar of dual-carriageway standard was approved by An Bórd Pleanala in July 2014,[31] and construction began in late 2019. It was completed in 2023.[citation needed]
Castlebar used to have a commercial airport; the site where it once stood is now occupied by Castlebar Retail Park.[34] The airport's IATA code was CLB and its ICAO code was EICB.[35]
MacHale Park in Castlebar is one of the larger GAA grounds in Ireland, with a capacity of approximately 28,000.[39] In the early 21st century, the Mayo county board oversaw the building of a new stand with dressing rooms and offices underneath.[citation needed]
Soccer
Local soccer teams include Castlebar Celtic F.C., which was established in 1924. As of 2014, it had a team playing in the Mayo Super League and a senior women's side playing in the Continental Women's National League.[40] There is also a youth program which provides teams from under 10s to under 18s for boys and under 14 to under 17 for girls, as well as an under 8 academy. They play their home games in Celtic Park, in the centre of the town. Castlebar Town FC were formed in the 1970s (as Castlebar United) as an alternative to Celtic. Other local teams include Snugboro United, Ballyheane FC, Manulla FC and Ballyvary Blue Bombers.[citation needed]
Rugby
Castlebar RFC, a rugby union club and one of the original founding members of the Connacht branch of the IRFU in 1885, reformed 1928 and again revived in the 1970s. Its grounds are located at Cloondeash on the outskirts of the town, with two pitches and a club house. The club, which plays in a navy and light blue strip, participates in provincial (Connacht Junior League Div.1B) and national league competitions. Castlebar won the Cawley Cup in 2009 and reached the final in 2017. The ladies team, which was formed in 2012, won the Connacht Development League Final in November 2013.[citation needed]
Other sports
There is an 18-hole golf club in the town, as well as athletics, basketball, racquetball, tennis and other clubs. The council provides an indoor heated swimming pool and there are numerous gyms.
There are also several martial arts clubs in the area,[citation needed] and Castlebar hosted the WOMAA World Martial Games in both 2007 and 2008.[41][better source needed]
^"Booming Castlebar grows and grows". The Irish Times. Irish Times. 8 January 2001. Retrieved 29 June 2022. Castlebar is now the second fastest growing town in the State
^"Castle Street". The Street Names of Castlebar. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
^For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee “On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54
^New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 by Joel Mokyr and Cormac O Grada in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 1984), pp. 473–488
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