The Green and Red of Mayo
I never knew that anything I ever created (except of course my children) could generate such a range of emotions.
I made this movie after my trip to Ireland in September of 2001, and started collecting comments from the viewers. You can see the previous comments from July of 2002 after I first posted the movie, till July 2005. They are posted as they were written and have not been edited for content, spelling or grammar. They are from;
- IrishAbroad.com (IA)
- IrishEmigrant.com
- SawDoctors.com
- The Irish Cultures and Customs Newsletter
- Emails I have received
I added this blog in July of 2005 to capture future comments and moved comments from then till now onto my new blog format.
Please have a look at the movie and tell me what you think! You can also see all the pictures from the trip.
August 7th, 2005 at 07:49
I have never been to Ireland, but have wanted to visit forever! Now, I feel like it’s just a total REQUIREMENT! My grandma was born in County Mayo, so this movie has real meaning to me. My grandpa came from County Clare – so you have got to do one of that next! Thank you so much; what a beautiful movie! Now, I’m going to go watch it again!
August 7th, 2005 at 09:52
Your movie brought a lump to my throat and tears to my eyes. I’ll probably never have the resources to travel to Ireland so this was wonderful. It gave me a chance to see a little of where my people came from. My great grandparents immigrated from Mayo in 1873. My Dad always told me Mayo was the county of poets and storytellers.
August 7th, 2005 at 16:07
A great movie/sound track Mike, well put together and a pleasure to view. As my people past are Mayo folk, it brought back memories of my childhood and teenage visits to Ireland..a real sense of belonging, makes one proud to be akin of a great land…I also had a school mate Mickie Ward..his family were Roscommon people… a great piece of work Mike.
Regards
Frank
August 8th, 2005 at 02:21
Mike my only connection with Mayo is a cousin’s late husband (a GREAT Man}. I loved the Movie. I was also impressed by your empathy with those who greave. Irish grandmothers; aren’t they something special.
God Bless you and yours
Bernie
August 8th, 2005 at 07:13
That was a great movie. Beautiful and the song – wow. Well done. My mother and I were in Co. Mayo in May of this year. Thank you for bringing back great memories.
August 14th, 2005 at 13:00
The movie and music are so beautiful . I watch it again again and sent it to my family. Thank ou so Much!
August 17th, 2005 at 18:23
My sister passed me your beautiful movie. I greatly enjoyed seeing the countryside of Ireland as both my grandparents imigrated from there. The pictures and music make a powerful statement. I have watched it any number of times and will do so again and again. Thank you for taking the time to create the movie and for sharing it with us.
August 23rd, 2005 at 18:59
I spent a bit more then a month on Achill Island, last summer. Watching this brought back so many good memories, and the pictures are mirror images of some of my own. The song was perfect for how I felt when I left, and so made me smile to here everything about County Mayo that I fell inlove with termed so well. This was passed to me by someone who was there with me, and now I’ll pass it on to someone else. Thank you for reminding me of some of the things I had forgotten in the last year, and thank you for making me smile.
August 29th, 2005 at 09:43
Wow, just came across your site by accident whilst looking for something else and I was very impressed with your flash movie / photo album.
I was thinking of doing something very similar with pics of the Mayo football team instead of the landscape and I was just wondering if you were in contact with the Sawdoctors before using the song ?
August 14th, 2005 at 19:05
I just got back from vacation and I was suprised to find comments here!
The first week or so nothing was going on and I was begining to wonder if this thing was even on.
I love all the comments, thanks so much! Keep coming back because I am slowly working on another movie.
August 28th, 2005 at 05:57
If you are interested, I have posted 120 pictures from this trip without the music in the Photos section of my site. You can see them under Photos/Ireland 2001.
August 29th, 2005 at 15:16
Hey G&R,
I tried to contact The Saw Doctors via email, as a matter of fact on the 8th of October, 2001, but I never got a reply from them. I credit them in the movie and I don’t make any money from it so I like to think I am doing some advertising for them
So, as a sign of good faith I think you should attempt to contact them, but I am not sure you will get a reply.
When you get it done, let me know as I would love to see it. Please keep an eye here because another movie is coming together on my end.
Good Luck
February 17th, 2006 at 14:16
hi mike:
this past october my wife kathy and i visited ireland for the first time, finally! we spent most of the time in county mayo, visiting achill island, westport, and ballina. i dont know how i came upon your site, but watching the movie brings back so may great memories. coupling the movie with the “green and red of mayo is perfect. i probably watch the movie once a week.
we discovered that our name, lavelle, is popular in mayo. we met chris lavelle, owner of lavelle’s bar in westport, stopped for gas on achill at ted lavelle’s, next to ted lavelle’s pub shown in your pictures. thanks for the great movie and memories of maigh eo, for it’s here that it came over me to stay forever more.
jim lavelle
February 17th, 2006 at 16:03
Jim,
Glad you liked it and thanks for posting. Ted Lavelle’s is a family bar (not sure if I mention that anywhere). My grandmother was a Lavelle and Ted (the original Ted) was her brother. Nice man but the bushiest eyebrows I ever saw, but I digress…
April 6th, 2006 at 10:26
Hi Mike;
Have you a Ellen Lavelle in your family from Ireland? She was my great grandmother who married Martin Kerrigan in the US in 1873. Her first born daughter was named Bridet, so I guess her mothers name was Bridget. I’m having trouble finding the town where she was from, but I’ll never give up the hunt.
Would like to hear from you, I plan on visiting Ireland again in the near future.
Jim Kerrigan
March 31st, 2006 at 08:42
Mike,
Just watched your Mayo movie…..EXCELLENT. I have sent in to those near and far!! As a life long fan (and Sufferer) of Mayo football team I would suggest ” To Win Just Once” by The Docs would be hugely inspiring!! Keep up the great work. Ed
May 28th, 2006 at 17:22
Hey just wanted to let you know your video has made its way to Bebo. Im in Limerick studying at UL and all the hype is this Bebo. It allows you to stay connected to all your friends, something like myspace, or facebook; and there is a flash box that allows for video and there it was. Mayo is brilliant, and yer video does a great job of proving that. Cheers!
May 29th, 2006 at 05:43
Thanks KD… I guess that gives me part of my answer. I wonder who it was on Bebo that thought I was post-worthy?
I also wonder if I can get Bebo to pay me royalties
June 15th, 2006 at 09:30
Mighty job Mike. Great work on the production. I especially like the tune.
I suppose the only follow up is another to the tune of Galway and Mayo or Clare Island sung by the lads from Tuam.
June 18th, 2006 at 15:54
I came across your site and needless to say I had to take a look. My grandfather, Martin John Ward, was from a small farming town near Castlebar, County Mayo. Still have a lot of relatives in the area I’m told. Nice Site.
August 15th, 2006 at 11:18
Loved the video. I’m off to Mayo in a couple of weeks to catch up with relatives. (My father was born and bred just outside Newport.) Can’t wait. Found your site by doing a search for Lavelle’s pub. Will give your regards to all in Mayo!
August 16th, 2006 at 06:33
Thanks Martina and have a great trip. Lavelle’s Pub, featured in the video was my great Uncle Ted’s, and was taken over by his son after his death as I understand it. I remember my great uncle from some of the trips I took over as a child… bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen on a man, but anyway.
Have fun!
August 17th, 2006 at 11:27
Great movie!
Our grandparents were from Achill, and we have visited several times.
The pictures in your movie are very familiar. The gravestones at the end are of our ancestors at Kildownet Cemetary.
Thanks for sharing.
August 21st, 2006 at 14:21
Hi Mike!
Well done, Mike! That’s a fantastic bit of work. I watched/listened to it before last Sunday’s game on internet radio: Mayo vs Laois quarter-final replay which Mayo won 14 points to 10. Up Mayo. I’m from Castlebar, just below Main Street which you have in the video. I was a school principal on Achill Island in the 1960s. All those pictures brought me back and nice words and music by the Saw Ds. Living in Canada since the 1960s. Go back when I can. The website, dedicated to my Dad is a fairly amateurish effort, please excuse. Go raibh mile maith agat, a Mhichil! Mairtin/Martin
August 21st, 2006 at 22:58
Martin,
Thanks for the great comments. Glad I could bring back some memories.
My Mums family are all from Achill. Her parents were Michael and Nora McHugh. Granddad passed back in 1983 and Grandmum passed in 2001. My family all had the opportunity to meet her a few weeks before she passed, but I digress.
Please stop by anytime and bring back some memories. I enjoyed your Dad’s music!
September 16th, 2006 at 14:34
Dear Mike,
I was looking for some info on Mayo in the All-Ireland final when I came across your excellent video via Google. It really brought back that feeling of serenity I remember from looking at Croagh Patrick or smelling a turf fire.
My Dad and all his family were from Emlagh, near Louisburgh, and we still have many relatives over there. We had a wonderful holiday in Westport (now officially Ireland’s tidiest town!) a few years ago, along with my brothers, sisters, partners and kids – 21 in all! Although we’re all based in England we get over when we can.
Thanks again for the video – I’ll be recommending it!
Austin
October 1st, 2006 at 12:23
Hi Mike
This is a beautiful family website. I am a daughter of the big eyebrows man Ted Lavelle so we are cousins……..
Mary
October 4th, 2006 at 21:00
Was googling my name and found another Martina which associated with Lavelle. How cool is that? I know my family (distant) is from county Mayo. Great job with the video!
May our paths cross one day,
Martina
October 11th, 2006 at 13:12
Hello Martina from Martina!
Isn’t Martina Lavelle such a fantastic name?
I looked up Martina Lavelle on Friends Reunited and I came across myself and another Martina. I emailed her and we now stay in touch (sporadically) via email.
Went over to Newport, Westport, etc, in the summer and had a great time. I showed my children all the places that my father showed to me.
Went back again this week – for a Lavelle funeral, unfortunately. It was under sad circumstances but it was still lovely to see all the family members, especially those who I hadn’t seen for some years.
I’m going to watch this video again now!
Regards to all Lavelles.
April 3rd, 2007 at 21:07
Just about cried, I miss Ireland so much after visiting 5 years ago. This was beautiful. I would give anything to live there. The US has never been home to me.
April 6th, 2007 at 01:59
I was Googling for Green Red Mayo (thinking of the song) and your site is pretty much the first result for those terms.
Really nice flash animation. I’ve loved the song “Green and Red of Mayo” for a long time (the whole album is excellent) and the pictures to go with it are well taken, well chosen and the timing is perfect.
Great job.
May 27th, 2007 at 10:31
Hi Mike,
Thanks for sharing!
I moved back to Ireland to Mayo (left Dublin in ’89 as a kid) just over two years ago. Have since had to move to the Midlands, but am often up in Mayo. It’s amazing how you take the beauty of the county for granted until you look at something like this. My parents live in Lacken, not far from Blacksod. It truly is such a beautiful place, yet so few tourists bother with it and in a way, it’s almost nice to keep it like that!
Deborah
June 19th, 2007 at 07:08
Good stuff. I got the web site from my cousin. I was in Mayo one year ago and took 400 pictures. We wanted to go back this year but until we have the 3 new passports that my wife and daughters need, we may have to settle for the Jersey shore.
August 21st, 2007 at 12:26
Mike,
Loved the movie. I grew up in Dooniver and worked for your Aunt? Sile for a summer in your grandmothers house. Moved to the Midwest almost 20 years ago and try to travel back as often as possible. Will be setting up a link to your movie from my website as soon as I get home!
Thanks,
Stephen
November 14th, 2007 at 01:12
Loved the movie! Made me want to go see it for myself. My mom is an Kerrigan from s mayo3 generations back. I googled mayo and found your site.
ps what is the tribal sign. What does it mean.
thanks, tom
December 11th, 2007 at 13:08
Tom,
Sorry for the delay. I hadn’t realized a comment had been added.
The tribal sign is my take on an MW turned into celtic knotwork. It is supposed to mean Mike Ward.
Hope that helped and thanks for stopping by.
January 17th, 2008 at 13:52
Dear Mike,
I have been to Ireland 5 times now. Each time is a new adventure. I go with a chauffeur from Kinvara, IE
You have some fantastic pictures. I never thought of doing something like that. I have a ton of pictures, as you can imagine.
I will be going back again in October, 2008, with a niece and a nephew. It will be their 1st time.
Whenever I now need a refresher on Ireland, I can come view your pictures. I have been to just about all the places. I have yet to see Aran Islands and Achill Island. Saving them for a time when I will be in a position to travel to someplace new. As you can guess, the 1st time the want to see what they’ve heard about. When you go back, is when you discover everything else.
Thanks for a wonderful site.
August 2nd, 2008 at 05:50
Fantastic! Stumbled across your movie while trawling to extend my family history..I have visited Mayo 3 times over the last few years, tracing my family tree..gr grandparents, Henry and Honor (nora) lived and raised their family in Upper Caurain, Nr Parke/Turlough…there is even a stained glass window in Parke RC church to their memory..fantastic to see how well you have captured the beauty of the coast and countryside. I saw the Saw Doctors in Durham earlier this year..and the Red and Gold of Mayo,had such special meanin, especially as I have seen the ocean kissing Ireland! Am still looking for descendents of Lavelle family..if you think you may be related..would love to hear from you..catherinelavelle1@hotmail.com
March 5th, 2010 at 23:21
Wow, I knew my relatives were from Mayo. But what’s with all these Martina’s? I of course am partial to the name.