Mayo Day will celebrate its tenth anniversary on Saturday, May 4 with a day of Irish events at Gaelic Park in Chicago, Illinois.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Mayo Day and Home to Mayo 2024, Mayo County Council is bringing the magic of Mayo Day all the way to the Windy City of Chicago this year.
Mayo County Council says Mayo Day has become one of the highlights of the year and has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2005, even going virtual in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Mayo Day returned in person to Castlebar in 2022 and Ballina in 2023, with this year's flagship event to take place in Belmullet.
But to coincide with the ten year anniversary celebrations of Mayo Day, an international flagship event will be taking place at the same time in Gaelic Park in Chicago.
Mayo County Council is calling on everyone with Mayo heritage in their blood in the US to mark the date in their diary and plan a trip to Gaelic Park to celebrate Mayo Day.
"It will be a fantastic chance to catch up with old friends, forge new relationships with fellow Mayo people and have a day that you will not forget and to show your Mayo pride," the council says.
Mayo Day turns ten this year! Along with the flagship event in Belmullet on Saturday, May 4th to mark this big birthday Mayo Day is also heading to Chicago !!! pic.twitter.com/jOjZEiApY9
— Mayo.ie (@MayoDotIE) March 31, 2024
The lineup for Mayo Day 2024 at Chicago Gaelic Park will offer some of the best Irish and Irish American entertainment around.
Eileen Ivers with special guest Matt Molloy, Michael S & Clodagh Togher, The Dirty Wellies, Cathal Chambers, and Michelle McGuire will all be performing in Chicago Gaelic Park, as will the Lavin Cassidy School of Irish Dancing.
Special exhibitions and talks will be hosted relating to The Writers of Mayo, The Famine in Mayo, The War of Independence, and more, while the Desintation Mayo Hub will showcase enterprise, education, and tourism in Co Mayo.
We are delighted to announce the music lineup for our #MayoDay celebrations in Chicago on Saturday May 4th.
Eileen Ivers Band, Matt Molloy, Michael S & Clodagh Togher, Cathal Chambers and more will be taking to the stage
We hope to see you all at Chicago Gaelic Park from 2pm! pic.twitter.com/boW4YhMRJ0
— Mayo.ie (@MayoDotIE) April 4, 2024
Mags Connell from Mayo County Council said: “Mayo Day has always been a brilliant day to celebrate all that is great and good about Mayo and this year we are looking forward to making the day even bigger and better.
“With Mayo Day turning ten and our Home to Mayo 2024 celebrations we decided that we were going to add an international leg to our Mayo Day celebrations, and what better place to do that than Chicago.
“We have an excellent relationship with the Mayo Diaspora in Chicago and they are always more than supportive when we have events and visits to the city, so it made perfect sense to have our international Mayo Day Flagship event in Chicago and we’re looking forward to a brilliant day out, where the Mayo pride will be front and centre on day to remember."
Mayo County Council says that if you are a musician, artist, crafter, or food producers with Mayo connections or want to get involved and help out on the day, email communications@mayococo.ie for more.
You can also learn more about Mayo Day 2024 on MayoDay.ie.
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