Stars line up for special Mayo Day show

FORMER Rose of Tralee and Mayo native Maria Walsh is set to host a star-studded Mayo Day Live TV show on Irish TV this Saturday (April 30) from 10 to 11 p.m. from the Mayo Association World Convention in Belmullet.

Mayo diaspora hubs across the world as well as national landmarks like the Dublin Convention Centre are lighting up green and red to mark the international celebration of Mayo-ness.

And the Mayo Day weekend will kick off with Ireland's highest business networking event, to be held at the 2,500 foot summit of Croagh Patrick. The event, which takes place tomorrow (Friday), will be hosted by renowned fitness and business expert Pat Divilly and captured by Irish TV.

“Mayo has made an immense contribution to Irish life and culture, both at home and in our communities around the world, and I am delighted to be involved in Mayo Day Live on Irish TV,” said Maria, who spent her childhood in Shrule.

“Irish TV's global reach means we can share Mayo's great culture, tradition and heritage with the worldwide Irish community like never before.

“We have a lot to be proud of in our county and now it’s time to show the world how we celebrate, Mayo-style.”

Westport-based Irish TV, Ireland’s first international TV station, has organised a gala feast of entertainment and chat to showcase Mayo to the world on Sky channel 191, Freesat 400, eVision 191 and online at www.irishtv.ie.

Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Canadian Ambassador Kevin Vickers, the former sergeant-at-arms who took down a lone gunman at the Ottawa parliament building, are just some of the big names expected to attend for the programme to mark Mayo Day – a global celebration of all things Mayo.

Mayo’s world champion Irish dancers Roisin Timoney and Liam Tighe will perform a specially commissioned piece for the occasion, accompanied by a host of Mayo’s finest musicians including the renowned Mayo fiddle player Cora Smyth who performed worldwide with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.

The programme, which is being broadcast live from the Broadhaven Hotel, Belmullet, in association with Mayo County Council, is Irish TV’s second live Mayo Day broadcast.

Irish TV CEO Pierce O’Reilly said the home-grown Mayo global channel is delighted to be associated again with the event following a hugely successful broadcast last year.

“Mayo people around the world have a deep love for their home county and the Mayo Dublin Association and Mayo County Council are to be congratulated for the work they do in keeping the connections alive,” said O’Reilly.

“This is a wonderful event for Irish TV to showcase across its global television platforms as over the generations so many Mayo people have put down roots and forged great success abroad and it is so important to keep the diaspora to the fore.”

Mayo natives from all over the world are expected to descend on their home county for the convention with 300 guests lined up for the gala dinner.

With ‘Mayo – the Connected County’ as this year’s theme, the get-together is expected to provide a valuable networking opportunity for attendees.

The 2016 Mayo Association World Convention marks the 16th annual event which stated off as a small celebration in 1990 before developing into an internationally renowned event.