Swinford
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Swinford Béal Átha na Muice
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| Town | |
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 Swinford
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| Coordinates: 53°56′30″N 8°57′00″W / 53.9417°N 8.9500°WCoordinates: 53°56′30″N 8°57′00″W / 53.9417°N 8.9500°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Mayo |
| Elevation | 65 m (213 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Urban | 1,435 |
| Irish Grid Reference | M376997 |
Swinford, historically called Swineford (Irish: Béal Átha na Muice, meaning "ford-mouth of the swine"), is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km (11 mi) from Ireland West Airport Knock (formerly known as Knock International Airport). Situated on a tributary of the River Moy, Swinford is known for its fishing waters, including the Callow lakes and the lakes of Conn and Cullin. Swinford was bypassed in 1993 by the N5 route and was the first town in Mayo to be bypassed. The town was the only urban centre in County Mayo to experience a population decline in the 2011 census.
Swinford hosts one of County Mayo's largest summer festivals and has done since the mid-1980s: Siamsa Sráide Swinford, (Fun in the Streets of Swinford). This street festival of pageantry, céilí dancing, and heritage displays depicts the traditions of East Mayo. The five-day festival takes place in the first week of August and features live bands playing open-air concerts as well as a heritage day, history walks and an busking competition.
Swinford is used for the filming of TV show Hardy Bucks, as the fictional town of Castletown.
Up to the mid-1980s the town had 3 second level schools: St. Patrick's college, St. Mary's Convent and the Vocational school. All 3 schools amalgamated in August 1992 to Scoil Muire agus Padraig.
Swinford railway station opened on 1 October 1895, closed for passenger traffic on 17 June 1963 and finally closed altogether on 3 November 1975. At present there is work being carried out to reopen the line.
John Dillon was a long-serving Member of Parliament for East Mayo at Westminster. His major policy issue was the resolution of the Land Question. Dillon took an uncompromising position in favour of the smallholders (small farmers) who sought to gain ownership of the land which they held as tenants from the largely Anglo-Irish landlords. From the middle of the 19th century, ongoing attempts were made at Westminster by the Liberal Party under William Ewart Gladstone to resolve the issue by passing the Irish Land Acts. Irish opinion, while welcoming of the initiative to resolve the injustice, was divided between the moderates, led by William O'Brien, who favoured a conciliatory approach (known as the doctrine of conciliation) and the hardliners. The hardliners supported an aggressive agrarian struggle and sought to advance simultaneously the struggle for Home Rule. On 25 August 1903, Dillon, addressing a meeting of his constituents at the Swinford Workhouse, spoke vehemently against the doctrine of conciliation. This divided the Party and led to the departure of William O’Brien. It became known as the "Swinford Revolt". Despite the turmoil, the Chief Secretary for Ireland, George Wyndham's Irish Land (Purchase Act) 1903 passed at Westminster, resolving the Irish Land Question.
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