| Charlestown Baile Chathail
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| — Town — | |
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Charlestown
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Mayo |
| Elevation | 60 m (197 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Urban | 859 |
| includes Bellahy, County Sligo | |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | G479019 |
Charlestown (Irish: Baile Chathail), once named Newtown-Dillon or Ballycattell, is a town in the Barony of Costello, County Mayo, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of two National Primary routes, the N17 and the N5. Until the N5 bypass opened in November 2007, traffic congestion was a problem in the town. The busy N17 still passes through the town.
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Charlestown was built in the middle of the 19th century, on the initiative of Lord Dillon's agent, Charles Strickland, adjoining Bellaghy in County Sligo. The town has now a population of approximately 800 people. The town is well planned with wide open streets and parking facilities. Located on the intersection of two National Primary routes, the N17 and the N5, Charlestown is an ideal stopover or centre to stay and visit other locations.
There are two schools in Charlestown, one primary school and one secondary.YURT. The convent was set up under the Marist order and some remnants still remain as part of the school's heritage (i.e.: their crests are an emblem of the Marist doctrine-meaning All for Jesus through Mary. Currently there are just over 400 students in the school.
The village was the subject of a serialised social commentary in the Irish Times by John Healy. This was later published as Death Of An Irish Town, and later republished as No One Shouted Stop! Written in 1967, it was highly critical of government policies towards rural areas, and took Charlestown as an example solely because it was the town of the author's birth.
The village achieved a major sporting coup when the local Gaelic Football team Charlestown Sarsfields reached the All Ireland club semi-final in 2001, losing out on a final spot by two points.
Also in 2008, the senior girls team(U-19) took their team to the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin. They faced stiff competition from Rockwell College of Tipperary. Team captains Siobhain Doherty and Emily Cartwright accepted the trophy on behalf of the elated team. All the effort that coach Ann Leydon put in with them over the 4 and 5 years paid off in the end. They are also the first team in the school's sporting history to obtain an All Ireland trophy.
Trains ran through Charlestown from 1895 through 1963.The village had a station on the GS&W line from Claremorris to Collooney, part of the Western Railway Corridor. Charlestown station opened on 1 October 1895 closed for passenger traffic on 17 June 1963, and finally closed altogether on 3 November 1975.[1] The Town has a long proud handballing tradition going back to 1920's. The local club has produced numerous all - ireland Champions at all grades over the last one hundred years.
Charlestown was the home town of Irish Times and Western People journalist John Healy who wrote a series of articles about the town which were later turned into a book, No One Shouted Stop (see History, above). Michael O'Doherty, Archbishop of Manila, was born in Charlestown, and it was also the home town of Margaret Sweeney, grandmother of Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis. [2] The 2006 population of Charlestown was just over 800 people. Pictures of the town can be found on the following link http://www.google.ie/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=763&q=gay&gbv=2&oq=gay&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=785l1940l0l2725l3l3l0l0l0l0l200l369l0.1.1l2l0
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