The fourth Earl of Lucan is remembered fondly in Mayo town

by Auld Stock

Collectors’ Lane, Castlebar, was renamed Lucan Street after the 4th Earl of Lucan, who was popular with the people of Castlebar for his kindness.

He reduced the rents on houses occupied by his tenants and allowed them the option of owning their homes.

This was in stark contrast to the previous Earls of Lucan, one of whom was described as ‘The Exterminator.’

The small holdings on his estate were not producing enough rent to pay his hefty bills for wining and dining in London’s hotspots.

His tenants in the village of Aughadrinagh, on the road to Ballinrobe, were evicted and sixty local families were thrown on the roadside to make way for a racecourse and rifle range.

The old bacon factory was erected from stone-built houses from which the unfortunate tenants at Drumconlon, on the road to Breaffy, were evicted.

The great success achieved by Michael Davitt and James Daly changed the rotten system initiated by the Lucans and other despicable landlords.

Two well known residents of Lucan Street in former years were John Cahill, one of the organisers of the major sports held in St. Mary’s Hospital grounds many years ago, and Tom ‘Showery’ Murtagh, a tinsmith.

James and Thomas Halligan, Lucan Street, were members of the Castlebar brass band.

The band had a mascot named Spot, a terrier, which travelled to many towns in the west with the band.