Local Mayo history: Record of McHale Road residents in 1984
By Tom Gillespie
LAST May I recalled the 88th anniversary of the official opening of McHale Road in Castlebar.
The ceremony took place on Wednesday, January 1, 1935, when 109 of the houses in the 116-house estate were officially opened.
Two contractors who undertook the building scheme were Messrs. Molloy and Sons and Messrs. Glynn and Tobin.
However, in the course of construction a problem arose where the foundations of houses from 37 to 60 sank, leaving the dwellings uninhabitable until remedial works were eventually carried out.
There was a large attendance of the general public as well as the following urban councillors at the opening: Mr. Joe Chambers (chairman), Mr. Collins, Mr. T.H. Gillespie, Mr. Moran and Mr. Lavelle. Mr. F. Ryan (clerk of the council) and Mr. T.P. McDonough (town surveyor) were also present.
Castlebar Catholic Boy Scouts, headed by Mr. Robert Kilkelly (Diocesan Commissioner), formed a guard of honour.
The Road, as it is fondly known, has been a model community in the county town with many of the houses being modernised and extended.
In recent years it was made into a cul-de-sac when the bacon factory end was closed off.
It is now a tree-lined boulevard with Mac Hale Park holding pride of place on the road.
Ancestors of the families who first moved there 88 years ago are still proud McHale Road people.
My colleague, Frank Burke, a retired typesetter with The Connaught Telegraph, had the task in early 1984 of setting up the type for the draft Register of Electors for the period April 15, 1984, to April 14, 1985, for the Castlebar urban area.
Back then The Connaught Telegraph had the contract from Mayo County Council to print the Register of Electors for Mayo West and Mayo East.
Frank came across a copy of the Castlebar urban register, which on examination makes interesting and historical reading.
Five-and-a-half pages of the register are devoted to those who were entitled to vote on McHale Road or Gorteendrunagh.
They read as follows, starting with number one: John and Pauline Cowman; number three, Gertie Ainsworth; number four, Charles, Bridget and Joseph Guthrie; number five, Joseph, Anne and Peter McDonnell; number six, Bridie Fallon; number seven, June, Brian, Martin, Breda (Mrs.) Halligan and Brian Kilkelly; number eight, Breege and Julia Berry; number nine, Michael and Emily Kilkelly; 10, Maggie (Mrs.), Ann, Brendan, Sean, Seamus and Padraic Beirne; 11, Frank, Jimmy, Jimmy (Mrs.) and Michael Blake; 12, Michael and Nora (Mrs.) and Ann Blake; 13, Margaret, Ena, Patrick and Jody Moylett; 15, Margaret (Mrs.) and Kevin Guthrie; 16, John Cassidy; 17, Alan and Mrs. Alan McHugh; 18, Michael and Bridie Gibbons and 19, Desmond Dunne and Catherine Mitchell.
In number 21 were Bridget and Peter Griffin; 22, Terence O’Donoghue; 23, Nora (Mrs.), Susan and Gussle Bartley; 24, Michael J., Maeve (Mrs.) and Edel O’Callaghan; 25, Jimmy, Sara and Helen Tierney; 26, Oliver, Eileen (Mrs.) and Bernie Roache; 27, William Williams and Mary Walsh; 28, Frank, Ellen (Mrs.) and Geraldine Ludden; 30, Patricia Ainsworth; 31, Frances Bennett; 32, Chris and Kathleen Culkeen; 33, Kieran, Vincent R., Philip and Bridget (Mrs.) Redmond; 34, Martin Redmond, and Michael and Ann Heverin; 35, Patrick Malley; 36, Michael and Mary (Mrs.) Cresham; 37, Mary (Mrs.) and Eamonn Clarke; 38, Patrick and Mary Basquill; 39, Ailish Garvin; and 40, Joe and Marie (Mrs.) Scully.
In number 41 was Eileen Heneghan; 42, Bridie (Mrs.) and Eileen Kinsella; 43, James (Snr.), Nellie and Patrick Devaney; 44, Michael and Molly Guthrie; 45, Katie Fallon; 46, Timothy and Margaret Deacy; 47, Thomas Aird; 48, Anne Brinklow; 49, Jerry, Katie and Patrick Cotter; 50; Michael (Jnr.), Michael and Mathew Flynn; 51, May, Myles and Mary Cresham; 52, Margaret (Mrs.) Lehane; 53, Frank, Frank (Jnr.), Ester, Molly, Stephan and Joe Guthrie; 54, Lillian (Mrs.), Declan, Billy and Thomas Halligan and Francis Dowling; 55, Sean Mills; 56, Jimmy, Joseph and Margaret (Mrs.) Ralph; 57, Elizabeth, John and James Cleary; 58, Patrick and Edward McHale; 60, Nora Higgins and Geraldine Kilbane; 61, Maggie and Michael McGough; 62, Christy and Julie Cusack; 63, Katie (Mrs.) Deacy, Margaret Keane and Mr. Keane; 64, Michael and Bridget Neary; 65, Mary (Mrs.) and Michael Rooney; 66, James Rainsford, Sean and Mary Walsh; 67, Ann, John and Ellen (Mrs.) McNeela; 68, John and Crissie Doherty; 69, Patrick and Mary O’Malley; and 70, Patrick Bennett.
Residents entitled to vote in number 71 were Patrick, Kathleen and Michael Corcoran; 72, Annie (Mrs.) Geraghty; 73, John Kenny; 74, John and Ann Duffy; 75, Thomas and Adela Kearns; 76, Pat, John and Mary (Mrs.) Ruane; 77, Catherine and Joseph Redmond; 78, Patrick Ruane; 79, Patrick, Mary (Mrs.), Anna and Loretta McGough; 80, Mr. Coogan, Michael and Gretta Haverty; 81, Angela Coogan; 83, Margaret (Mrs.) Burke; 84, Rita (Mrs.), John and Sean Scriney; 85, John and Angela McHale; 86, Margaret Joan McDonnell; 87, Josephine and Violet Feeney; 88; John O’Rahilly, Frank and Jane Munnelly; 89, Anne McGinty and 90, Alan Fair.
Those who resided in number 91 were James M., James and Frances (Mrs.) Cresham; 92, Andrew, Bridget (Mrs.), Joseph, Andrew and Bernie (Mrs.) Redmond; 93, Frank and Anne Roache; 94, John Regan; 95, Timothy Gannon; 96, Martha and John Cresham; 97, Salben Elssfty and Treasa Ni Cheannabhain; 99, Mary Rance; 100, Josephine, Christy, Elizabeth and Claire Kilcourse; 101, Maurice and Mary King; 102, Mary and Gerard Walsh; 103, Annie and Jack Flanagan, Padraig and Angela Kelly; 104, Maimie Jordan, 106, Paddy Corcoran; 107, Winifred and John Feeney; 108, Bridget Mee; 109, Peter (Jnr.) and Patrick Scully; 110, Margaret, Eamonn, Sean and Pauline O’Donnell; 112, John and Geraldine Redmond; 113, James and Bridget (Mrs.) Foye; 114, Christy, Bridie (Mrs.), George, Philomena, Edward, Christina and John Bartley; 115, Nora Coyle and 116, Bernard, Pauline (Mrs.) and Declan Murphy.