Mayo parish's 48th Annagh magazine on sale now

Annagh 2025 is now on sale in all the usual outlets throughout Ballyhaunis, writes Mike Byrne.

This is the 48th edition of the annual parish magazine, which this year runs to 200 pages of articles, reports and photographs documenting Ballyhaunis and the parish of Annagh, past and present.

The 2025 edition is indeed a great publication, certainly up there with the best of the past editions.

Some fascinating articles uncovered in this issue includes an account of the visit of Maud Gonne McBride to Ballyhaunis in May 1899 by Bekan historian Michael Kelly in an article entitled 'The Day Maud Gonne Came to Ballyhaunis'.

Elsewhere, celebrating the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, Ballyhaunis pastor Fr. Stephen Farragher charts his life's journey from The Neale, which began in 1961, taking him through work in Ballinrobe and the US before his ordination in 1995 which, in between, saw him graduate at St. Jarlath's College, Tuam, before taking up a number of appointments. He was appointmented Parish Priest of Ballyhaunis in 2001.

Meanwhile, retired Ballyhaunis Community School teacher Chris Pratt, a native of Nottingham in England, gives a fine account of life for him in Ballyhaunis since taking up the teaching post at the Convent of Mercy back in 1973 before the amalgamation of the three secondary schools in the town in 1977, and how an English man with no local connections adapted to life in Ballyhaunis, with his wife Xanthe, in those years of the early 1970s.

A most interesting piece from the distant past is Annagh editorial committee member Paul Waldron's article on Melice Clune, entitled 'Melice Clune – Writer and Visionary'. Melice was well known through the mid-20th century through his books and newspaper contributions on Gaelic sports and local history. His two best known books chronicle Gaelic football in Connaught and Mayo through the 1930s, '40s and early '50s, both of which are hailed as indispensable to sports enthusiasts.

'Celebrating the Legacy of Lee Pullen' is another interesting piece about British-born Lee Pullen, whose mother, the former Mary Glynn, hailed from Clare Street in Ballyhaunis. This summer (2025) marked the retirement of Lee Pullen as senior podium coach at GB Boxing, and with it the end of a remarkable chapter in the story of British boxing. It's a brief tribute to a boxing coach with close Ballyhaunis connections. Lee's mother, the former Mary Glynn, was daughter of the late Frank and Delia Glynn, Clare Street.

Ned Murren adds to his fine collection of articles written for the magazine over so many years with an account of his memories of his native place and the folks who lived there, Waldron's Terrace on Upper Main Street, where he was born 70 years ago.

There's a nice article too by Bekan native John Higgins, who was a key player in the Ballyhaunis Gaelic football team in the mid 1950s before moving to work in Ballina and playing for the Stephenites against his home club in the Mayo senior county final of 1958, only to end up on the losing side. John now lives in Clonmel in County Tipperary, where he runs a successful business in hospitality and property development.

The 2025 edition of Annagh also has its usual scattering of wedding pictures, photos from past and more recent times, with some special wedding anniversary shots featured among the 200 pages.

Congratulations and well done to the dedicated editorial committee who spent many long hours putting this year's production together. It is indeed another gem from the magazine society. Well done to all.

The Annagh Magazine Society editorial team is comprised of: president Jim Lundon; vice-president John Halpin; chairperson Tommy Caulfield; assistant chairperson Seamus Mulrennan; treasurer Edward Mulhern; assistant treasurer John Kilduff; secretary Noreen Ruane Dalton; assistant secretary Paul Waldron; PRO Nell Rochford; assistant PRO Gabriel Smyth; and patrons officer Mike Griffin.

Past editions of the magazine up to 2022 are now available to view on the society's website – www.annaghmag.ie.