The estimated 3.5 million people worldwide who have Mayo roots will get their own day to celebrate their Mayo heritage from next year on with the launch of the first ever Mayo Day.
A delegation from Mayo County Council including the Cathaoirleach of the council, Cllr Damien Ryan, and the chief executive of the council Peter Hynes, along with representatives from other bodies in the county, are in Cleveland this weekend attending the Mayo World Convention in the Cleveland Convention Centre. At this convention tourism, industry, and business opportunities will be discussed and a new idea, Mayo Day, will be launched.
Mayo Day is a concept that the enterprise and investment unit at Mayo County Council will launch at the Mayo World Convention on September 2014. According to the unit their work with the Diaspora over recent years has clearly identified the great loyalty and passion for their origin that Mayo people possess, and this led to the idea of Mayo Day.
Mayo Day is set to be an occasion for a global celebration of all things Mayo.
According to a statement from Mayo County Council they “would like to use this unique opportunity as an annual showcase of all that is great about our progressive, can-do county, our diverse, talented, and innovative people, and a chance to celebrate our great culture, tradition, and heritage”.
Mayo Day will take place on the first Saturday in May, with the inaugural Mayo Day celebrated on Saturday May 2 2015. It is hoped that Mayo Day will follow in the footsteps of The Gathering, which proved to be a massive success across the county, with Mayo picking up the award for the best Gathering event in the year. The organisers of Mayo Day are inviting Mayo communities at home to organise events and celebrations in their own communities recognising and celebrating their county.
They are also inviting Mayo communities away from home to get together through their Mayo associations, business networks, and family networks to recognise and celebrate their sense of place and passion of origin. The organisers have said they want to work together with all Mayo communities at home and away to promote Mayo Day and celebrate it as a key date in the Mayo calendar for many years to come.
Also being launched by the enterprise and investment unit in the near future is a newly revamped and focused Mayo.ie website. With more than 3.5 million people with Mayo roots spread around the world, it is hoped the newly redesigned website will engage and entice these people to visit, connect with, and invest in the county.
