South West Mayo Development Company CLG

09/10/2026

A fantastic day in Achill for the Mayo Impact Event, as part of Mayo Ideas Week! 🌿

Attendees gained valuable insights and fresh perspectives from experts in sales, marketing and procurement, with plenty of opportunity for reflection, learning and sharing ideas.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such an inspiring and thought-provoking day!

08/10/2026

The news that €10million has been mainstreamed into SICAP is very welcome for the people and communities of South and West Mayo. We had advocated for this money ahead of the budget and are very grateful to Minister Dara Calleary TD for hearing us and making this commitment to the most vulnerable people in our society. Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht

07/10/2026

🚜 Ride-on Mower & Small Engines Training 🌿

Ride-on mower and small engines training took place at Kilmeena GAA recently.

A big thank you to for kindly hosting, to for delivering the course, and to Mayo North East for funding it.

This is another great example of collaboration between development companies to upskill our RSS participants, who do so much to support our rural communities. The funding enabled three courses to run, with a total of 22 participants successfully trained.

Thank you to everyone involved! 👏

05/10/2026

Here's a little throw back to the Circular Economy Showcase, ‘From Garden to Kitchen: Circular Living in Action’, which took place on Thursday 10th September at St Colman's Training Centre.

A fantastic day at Mayo Abbey, where Mary, Ger and the team showcased how circular principles can be put into practice, from organic gardening and cookery to sustainable craftsmanship.

Delivered in collaboration with Rediscovery Centre Circular Economy Incubator Hub, the event brought people together to share ideas, learn new skills and explore sustainable living.

A big thank you to everyone involved, especially Nóra Maddock, Tom Delaney of Ould Crafty and Thomas Murphy of for capturing the day.

02/10/2026

A few shots from the Local Development Companies Network National Conference 2026.

Our CEO, Sabina Trench took to the stage as part of a panel discussing the impact of climate change on our communities. She referenced our FARM-Up: Coimín Beo project where, through testing pilot actions, commonage farmers are aiming to be policy makers rather than policy takers.

As the comes to a close, we are leaving Cork with new insights, fresh ideas and valuable learning that will inform our work across Mayo.

Over the past two days, discussions explored community resilience, climate adaptation, rural development, social cohesion, participation and belonging.

One message emerged consistently:

Strong communities are built through local leadership, participation and partnership.

Thank you to Local Development Companies Network, all speakers, delegates and organisers who made the conference such a valuable experience.

The conversations may have concluded, but our work continues.


Local Development Companies Network

02/10/2026

⏳ Just one week to go!

Join us on Achill Island for a FREE Business Networking Event!

As part of Mayo Ideas Month, we have partnered up with Local Enterprise Office Mayo, Údarás na Gaeltachta , Mayo North East to host Mayo Impact: Connect, Market & Increase Income, a free business networking event.

📅 Date: Friday, 9 October
📍 Venue: Achill Island Hotel (Alice's), F28 EA31, Achill
🕘 Registration & Networking: 9 am – 10 am
🕙 Event: 10 am – 4 pm
🎟️ Cost: FREE

The event offers a fantastic opportunity for local businesses, entrepreneurs and those with business ideas to connect, share experiences, develop new skills and explore opportunities to grow their businesses.

What's on offer?
- Networking and connecting with fellow businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Expert insights into marketing, brand development and increasing income.
- Opportunities to learn from experienced guest speakers.
- 12 FREE one-to-one business mentoring sessions, offering 20 minutes of personalised advice.

FREE Business Mentoring – Limited Availability!
There are 12 free, 20-minute mentoring sessions available with guest speakers on the day. These sessions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with one session per attendee.
To book your mentoring session, contact Olivia:
📞 087 060 4724
📧 [email protected]
When booking, please provide some information about your organisation and the topics you'd like to discuss. You can also consult the speakers' biographies to find out more about their areas of expertise.

Book your FREE place today on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/mayo-impact-connect-market-increase-income-tickets-1999492568096

Come along, make valuable connections, gain practical insights and explore new ways to grow your business as part of Mayo Ideas Month!

Join us in Achill to network, boost your marketing skills, understand brand development, and grow your income opportunities.

02/10/2026

Tony Hynes, Social Employment Coordinator, recently attended the launch of the Linenhall Arts Patron Programme and cultural event in Castlebar on 16th September.

The event was attended by Her Excellency Ms Maaike van Koldam, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ireland, alongside other distinguished guests.

SWMDC is proud to have supported the Linenhall through our social employment programmes, helping to support its continued contribution to arts, culture and community development.

The Linenhall, Castlebar

01/10/2026

📢 Have Your Say!

The Western Development Commission (WDC) is inviting stakeholders across the region to share their views and help shape its work.

Your feedback is important! Take a few minutes to complete this short, anonymous survey, which should take no more than 2–3 minutes.

📝 Take part and have your say by clicking the link below:

https://47614.r.sp1-brevo.net/mk/mr/sh/SMJz09SDriOHVCR2L3IdMyVS8YbK/jVF9GsaVe7Hi

As a valued collaborator and trusted partner to us here at the Western Development Commission, we are looking to you and other stakeholders within the region for help to distribute and circulate a short survey amongst your database.

01/10/2026

📢 FREE WORKSHOP: Connecting With Men

Open to everyone who works with men, in any capacity.

🎯Aim of the Workshop:
This interactive workshop will support all those practitioners and service providers who work with men, in varying capacities, to explore the world of males and to develop practical strategies for effectively engaging with them around health and wellbeing issues.

It will focus on a positive based approach to the engagement process (WHY and HOW to build relationships with men).

🎓Key skills learned from attending the workshop
• How to create a ‘safe space’ and environment to support your work with men.
• Know and Understand ‘What is Men’s health’ and why it is important.
• How to employ a gendered approach to your work given that gender influences the values, attitudes and health behaviours men adopt in relation to their health.
• Ability to identify the key determinants that shape health outcomes for men.
• Gain an insight into your own value base, experience, skills and attitudes towards working with men.
• Know what a ‘male friendly’ health programme or service looks like in practice and how to recruit men onto that programme.
• Know the key relevant sources of information, advice, guidance and support.
• Provide Examples of Effective Men’s Health Events.

📅 Tuesday, 13 October 2026
⏰ 9am - 4pm
📍 Centre of Nurse & Midwifery Education, St. Mary’s Campus, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, F23 XE39.

📩 To apply for a place or for further information, contact:
Mary Kearney
📧 [email protected]
📞 094 904 223

29/09/2026

📰 Our September edition of In The Loop is out now!

Catch up on the latest news and updates 📖

Read the full newsletter on our website:
https://southmayo.com/newsletter-in-the-loop-september-2/

The latest news and events in South West Mayo with the Nov edition of "In the Loop", the newsletter from South West Mayo Development Company.