Castlebar newspapers of old
ON St. Patrick’s Day this year, the oldest provincial newspaper in Ireland, The Connaught Telegraph, celebrated its 192nd anniversary. I thought it might be interesting to see what other local newspapers were published at Castlebar in bygone years, writes Alan King.
The Mayo Constitution (1805-72), a staunch bulwark of the British establishment and Protestantism, was founded by William H. Busteed, a native of County Kerry. It was located in Ellison Street (near to the Ryan family’s old house and was later the offices of JC Garvey, Solicitor).
Busteed resided for a while in Spencer Park and in March 1820 had nearly 1,500 trees planted in the grounds.
When he died suddenly in 1824, the family sold the paper to Alexander Bole from Knappagh, Westport, who operated it together with his brothers John and Norman. The Busteed family owned considerable property in town, particularly at Spencer Street (sixteen lots in all). In 1901 they sold eight of the houses (including the property which later became my grandfather’s pub, Paddy King’s).
In 1935, the remaining properties were sold when they moved back to Tralee. A daughter of Alexander Bole married a nephew of the Rev William Baker Stoney, Rector of Castlebar, who was also a distant relation of the late Queen Mother (1900-2002). One of the paper’s editors was the Rev William H. Maxwell, author of ‘Wild Sports of the West’.
When the last surviving Bole brother died in April 1872, the paper was sold to Arthur W. Malley who later closed the title and sold the printing press to the Sheridan family. The Sheridans had launched the Mayo Examiner four years previous. Malley left Castlebar to take up a post with the Sligo Champion where he worked for the remainder of his life.
The Mayo Examiner (1868-1903) was founded by brothers Alfred and Martin Sheridan, members of a very old Castlebar family going back to the 1798 Rising. They were related to the famous opera singer Margaret Burke Sheridan and other family members included the Resident Medical Surgeon and Matron of St. Mary’s Hospital, Alfred Sheridan and Mary Chance.
Some of the family lived variously at Spencer Park and in Marsh House. The Sheridan brothers operated their paper from premises at Mountain View, located to the right of the Egan family home which was later the residence of Liam McLoughlin, Mayo county manager.
In 1881, Alfred died at the young age of thirty-three but his brother Martin continued the title until 1903 when it ceased publication following his death. The premises were later sold at public auction in 1907. Martin’s son Michael Sheridan was a journalist with the Leinster Express and his granddaughter Dympna edited the Mayo News in the 1940s.
The Mayo Messenger was a Castlebar newspaper published in 1827 but not a single copy is extant.
Another Castlebar paper was the Aegis and Western Courier (1841-42), owned by John O’Beirne from Chapel Street. It supported the Temperance Movement founded by the well known Fr. Theobald Mathew (1790 – 1856) which was concerned with levels of drunkenness amongst the poor. A number of court cases involving the non-payment of wages and the printing of copies on unstamped paper (each copy of a paper had to have a government stamp and a tax was paid on each stamp) caused the newspaper to close in 1842.
Another short-lived paper was the Mayo Mercury & Connaught Advertiser (1840-42), founded by Captain TH Gleeson, a former Sub-Inspector of Constabulary from Carlow.
It was located at the Mall (Green), to the left of the hotel (Sheridan’s Great Rooms, owned by relations of the future owner of the Mayo Examiner). This building was formerly owned by George Ormsby, Agent to the Earl of Lucan. When Gleeson lost his position as a Justice of the Peace due to a failed libel case, the title was taken over for a short time by William Campbell. However, due to financial difficulties, it eventually closed and Captain Gleeson left to take up a position as a Barrack Master in the Bahamas.
The Mayoman (1919-1921) was a Nationalist newspaper founded by John J. Collins, Davitts Terrace, Castlebar, who was an auctioneer/estate agent like his grandson Thomas Collins of Castle Street. His uncle was the Archbishop of Tuam, Thomas Gilmartin (1861–1939). Collins served on the local UDC with his brother T.R. (Thomas Richard) and was a noted musician – he regularly broadcast on Radio Éireann. The newspaper existed at the height of the War of Independence but after his printer (Athlone Printing Works) was burned down by the Black & Tans, it ceased publication in 1921.
The Mayo Echo (2004-2009) was a free, weekly newspaper which circulated in County Mayo, edited by Tony Geraghty.
The Mayo Post & Advertiser (1971-1992) was a free, weekly paper founded by Aiden Redmond, Castlebar, and edited by John Healy (now of the Mayo News). When it ceased publication, it was the country’s longest established free paper and also printed the local telephone directory for many years.
(Alan King is a member of the staff of Mayo County Library).