Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. Developing around a 13th-century castle of the de Barry family, from which the town got its name, Castlebar is now a social and economic focal point for the surrounding hinterland. With a population of 13,054 in the 2022 census, Castlebar was one of Ireland's fastest-growing towns in the early 21st century.
A campus of Atlantic Technological University and the Country Life section of the National Museum are two important facilities in the area. The town is linked by railway to Dublin, Westport and Ballina. The main route by road is the N5.
History
Anquity
The 5th century saw the construction of Turlough Abbey near Castlebar.Medieval period
In the early medieval period, the Castlebar area was dominated by Gaelic clans, notably the Quinns, who lent their name to the parish of Aglishcowane, meaning "Church of Ó Coinn". The area featured crannogs and ringforts, indicative of early settlement patterns.The Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century brought significant changes. By 1235, the invading de Barra family had established a castle on the banks of the Castlebar River, around which the town developed. This castle, known as Caisleán an Bharraigh, gave the town its name. The de Barra's stronghold later came under the control of the de Burgo family, who faced challenges from other clans and English forces. The castle was located at the end of Castle Street, where the town river is thought to have originally flowed.
In 1586, Sir John Bingham was granted the castle by his brother Sir Richard Bingham, the Governor of Connacht, marking the beginning of English administrative influence and the start of the Bingham baronets of Castlebar, who would rule Castlebar for generations.
The town was granted a charter of incorporation in 1613 by James I of England. Under the charter the town had a portreeve and a fifteen-member corporation and was entitled to elect two members to the Parliament of Ireland.
18th Century
The Linen Hall, established as a clearing house for local linen materials, was completed in 1790.Races of Castlebar
Armed conflict has been the centrepiece of the town's historical heritage. French forces under the command of General Jean Humbert aided in a rout of the British garrison in the town during the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798, which was so comprehensive it would later be known as "The Races of Castlebar". A short-lived provisional Irish Republic had been declared upon General Humbert's arrival at Killala. Following the victory at Castlebar John Moore, head of the Mayo United Irishmen and the brother of a local landowner, was declared president of the Province of Connacht. His remains are today interred in a corner of the town green, known as the Mall19th century
was established in 1834: it was finally closed in March 2012 and the buildings and grounds have been purchased by the local town and county councils.During the mid-19th Century, George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan became known as "The Exterminator" for his ruthless actions against his tenants in the Castlebar area. The third Lord Lucan earned his nickname by carrying out mass evictions of tenants who were unable to pay rent. This period saw widespread starvation in the area, leading to the deaths of thousands and the emigration of many more. In contrast, the fourth Earl was a more favourable figure locally. He lowered rents, donated land for schools and the Catholic church, and his successor, George Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan, gifted the town centre park, known as the Mall, to the people of Castlebar in 1922.
The Irish National Land League was founded by Michael Davitt, of Straide in County Mayo, at the Imperial Hotel in Castlebar on 21 October 1879. The Land League sought to directly challenge Anglo-Irish landlords such as the Binghams and fought for tenants rights.
20th century
Western Hat Factory and Little Jerusalem
In 1939, Castlebar became a refuge for Jews escaping Central Europe. Members of that community established the Western Hat Factory, officially opened on 1 May 1940 under the direction of Franz Schmolka, a Slovakian Jewish industrialist. The factory became one of the most significant employers in the town, at its height providing work for up to 270 people. It operated entirely on turf-generated steam and was considered a pioneering model of sustainable, locally-powered industry for its time. The Bishop of Galway Michael Browne blessed the factory and encouraged local Catholic women to purchase hats from the factory to wear to mass instead of headscarves.The factory was part of a broader effort by the Irish government, led by then-Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass, to attract Jewish refugees with industrial expertise to revitalise Ireland's underdeveloped western counties. Schmolka and Irish Jewish businessman Marcus Witztum, along with other Jewish entrepreneurs from Austria, France, and Czechoslovakia, were granted permission to relocate both personnel and equipment to Ireland. Witztum used the opportunity to helps Jews escape Nazi persecultion. Around thirty Jewish families came to Castlebar during this period, many of whom settled in the Blackfort area on the Newport Road. This neighbourhood became informally known as “Little Jerusalem”.
Following the end of World War II, the Jewish population in Castlebar began to decline. Some families returned to continental Europe, while others moved to Dublin or emigrated elsewhere.
The hat factory continued to operate until the 1980s, remaining a central part of Castlebar’s industrial landscape for over four decades. The Factory provided stable employment for local families and was a major contributor to the town’s post-war economy. The factory produced a range of high-quality felt hats, many of which were exported abroad. During its peak years in the 1940s and 1950s, the factory employed up to 270 workers. The technical expertise of the founders, combined with local labour and raw materials such as turf and wool, made the factory a rare success story in a region otherwise beset by emigration and limited industrial development.
By the 1970s, however, changing fashion trends, global competition, and the decline of the felt hat industry led to a gradual downturn in business. In 1981 the Western Hat Factory closed its doors.
21st century
Since the early 1990s, Castlebar has experienced a surge in growth, marked by a sharp rise in population, the construction of new housing estates, and a broadening of its role as the administrative and commercial centre of Mayo. By the late 1990s, commentators were already noting that Castlebar was bucking the wider trend of underdevelopment in the west, thriving at the expense of smaller surrounding towns and villages. The Celtic Tiger economy accelerated this shift. National and local media described Castlebar as one of Ireland’s fastest-growing regional towns. Reports highlighted its transformation from a traditional market centre into a major shopping destination, with the arrival of Aldi, Tesco and Dunnes Stores in the town centre and record retail figures in the early 2000s. The town also attracted significant industrial employers, such as Baxter, Volex and American Power Conversion, while large-scale public investments, including the redevelopment of Castlebar Courthouse and the expansion of educational and healthcare services, reinforced its status as a county hub. The official town boundary was extended in 2001, contributing to the recorded population increase, from 7,648 in 1991 to 11,371 in 2002. The opening of the National Museum of Country Life at nearby Turlough also contributed to the town's upswing.But after the Great Recession, Castlebar faced significant economic challenges. Major employers such as Volex and American Power Conversion announced large-scale redundancies and eventual closures, dealing heavy blows to its industrial base.
Coat of arms
The name of the town comes from the castle built in about 1235. This castle is depicted as part of the town's coat of arms, with two yew trees on either side because Castlebar is the county town of Mayo. The crosses represent the parish of Aglish. The 1798 'Races of Castlebar' is commemorated by pikes. Underneath are the words 'Ar Aghaidh', meaning 'forward'.Demographics
Castlebar has experienced significant demographic changes over the past two centuries, with population figures showing notable fluctuations from 5,404 in 1821 to a low of 3,022 in 1861 in the wake of the Great Irish famine. There was a gradual recovery in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After steady but modest growth for much of the 20th century, Castlebar expanded rapidly during the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The population grew by one-third in the six years between the 1996 and 2002 census, reflecting a broader trend of urbanisation and economic development in Ireland during the Celtic Tiger period. According to the 2016 census, the town's population reached 12,068, representing a threefold increase from the 1926 figure of 4,256. By 2022, this figure had risen again to 13,054, marking Castlebar's continuing role as a key urban centre in County Mayo.Climate
Castlebar has an oceanic climate.Culture
The town hosts a number of festivals and traditions, including the International Four Days' Walk. A well-established blues music festival in venues across the town took place for many years on the weekend before the first Monday in June, but has not taken place since 2011. During the 1970s and 1980s the town hosted the International Castlebar Song Contest, televised nationally on RTÉ. In 1981 and 1982, Castlebar hosted the Occasion at the Castle music festival.The Museum of Country Life is on Castlebar's outskirts, and is the only branch of the National Museum of Ireland outside Dublin.
Castlebar is home to the Linenhall Arts Centre, which exhibits visual art and hosts live drama and music performances. The Royal Theatre and Event Centre has a capacity of 2,200 people fully seated or 4,000 standing. It hosts larger-scale productions and popular music concerts.