A Welcoming Community
Located in Co. Mayo
Straide is an historic and picturesque village situated in the heart of County Mayo, 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. Michael Davitt was born on March 25th 1846 during the Great Famine, at a time when Straide was a place of poverty and emigration. He was christened in the pre-penal church, which today houses the Michael Davitt Musuem.
Davitt and Charles Stewart Parnell formed the Land League at the end of the 19th century to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmers to own the land on which they worked. A plaque to his memory has been erected in the village and Davitt is buried in the grounds of the 13th Century Straide Abbey, beside the Museum.
Straide is the birthplace of one of Ireland’s famous sons, namely Michael Davitt, founder of the Land league in 1879. Michael Davitt was born on March 25th 1846 during the Great Famine, at a time when Straide was a place of poverty and emigration. He was christened in the pre-penal church, which today houses the Michael Davitt Museum.
Michael Davitt Museum.
Straide, Foxford,
Co Mayo, Ireland, F26 FX37
T: 094 903 1942
W: https://www.michaeldavittmuseum.ie
E: davittmuseum@gmail.com
Straide Friary was founded c. 1240 by Jordan de Exeter, or his son Stephen, at the bequest of Jordan’s wife Basilia, daughter of Meyler de Bermingham. It was inhabited by the Order of Friars Minor (Observant Franciscan Friars), before being refounded by the Dominican Order in 1252/53. It was burned in 1254.
Straide Abbey
Straide, County Mayo
Coordinates: 53.921478°N 9.128848°W
Community and Support
Strengthening Faith
Education and Guidance
Opportunities for Service
Straide has a thriving primary school and a Community Centre which is used extensively by the locals. Senior citizens’ and children’s parties are held there annually. Straide is also noted for providing some very fine football teams both at senior and underage level.
Our local GAA team is Moy Davitts, whilst our soccer team is known as Straide and Foxford United. 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 thirteenth century 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 of note and are unique for their period as they depict all the images of the Saints and a Pieata with smiling faces.
Another feature of Straide is its love and promotion of traditional Irish music with many local families having attained recognition at national level, for their musical prowess and skills.
The parish of Straide has 37 townlands as listed below. The names have been anglicised over the years and, in many cases, bear no resemblance to the original Gaelic names. Regrettably, many of these townlands no longer have any residents.
In most cases, the generally accepted spelling of townland names comes from the Ordnance Survey maps.
Much work has gone into deciphering the original Gaelic names and their meanings. Some anglicised names are easy to translate while others have been changed almost beyond recognition and, thus, difficult (if not impossible) to decode.
Straide Parish Townlands
| Ardcloon | Carracastle | Fencefield | Loughill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrooke | Clooncondra | Gurranard | Oughtoose |
| Aughaliska | Cloonconlon | Gurteen | Pullagh |
| Aughaward | Coolkeevaune | Knockafall | Rathrussel |
| Ballinacuila | Crillane | Knockaghran | Redhill |
| Ballylahan | Derra | Knocknaculla | Springhill |
| Blackfort | Derrinea | Knocksaxon | Straide |
| Blanemore | Derrinogue | Knockshanvalley | Tavnabeg |
| Bohergloss | Doogera | Longfield | Tavnagh |
| Ummoon |
Straide Parish Townlands With Irish Translations
| Townland | Irish Name | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Aghalusky | Acha Loisce | the field of the burning |
| Aughaward | Achadh an Bhaird | the field of the bard |
| Ballinacuila | Baile na Coille | the townland of the wood |
| Ballylahan | Baile Átha Leathain | the town of the wide ford |
| Blackfort | An Lios Dubh | the black fort |
| Blanemore | An Bhléan Mhór | the big milking |
| Bohergloss | An Bóthar Glas | the green road |
| Carracastle | Ceathrú an Chaisil | the quarterland of the stone ring fort |
| Cloonconra | Cluain Conradh | the meadow of the contract |
| Cloonconlon | Cluain Conlainn | the meadow of Conlon |
| Coolkeevaune | Cúil Caomh Abhainn | the turn in the calm river |
| Crillane | Croithleán | the quaking bog |
| Derra | Doire | the oak wood |
| Derrinea | Doire an Fhia | the woodland of the deer |
| Derrinogue | Doire Ȯg | the young woodland |
| Doogera | Dubh cora | the black weir |
| Fencefield | An Gort Falaithe | the hedged field |
| Gurraunard | An Garrán Ard | the high grove |
| Gurteen An Goirtín | An Goirtín | the small garden |
| Knockafall | Cnoca Fál | the hedged hill |
| Knockagarraun | Cnoc a Ghiorráin | the hill of the horse |
| Knocknakillew | Cnoc na Coilleadh | the hill of the wood |
| Knocksaxon | Cnoc Sacson | the hill of the Saxons |
| Knockshanbally | Cnoc an tSeanbhaile | the hill of the old homestead |
| Longfield | An Cnoc Fada | the long hill |
| Loughill | Leath choill | the half woods |
| Oughtoose | Ochtú | the eighth |
| Pullagh | Poll ach | the broad expanse of shallow water |
| Rathrushel | Ráth Ruiséil | the ring fort of Russel |
| Redhill | An Cnoc Rua | the red hill |
| Springhill | Cnoc an Tobair | the hill of the spring |
| Straide | An tSráid | the street |
| Tawnagh Beg | An Tamhnach Beag | the small arable field |
| Tavnagh | An Tamhnach | the arable field |
| Ummoon | Iomún / Uim Abhainn | the harness (crossing) of the river |