Foxford
Foxford (Irish: Béal Easa, meaning "mouth of the waterfall") is a village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. It stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Manulla Junction and Ballina.
Foxford Béal Easa | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Foxford | |
  Foxford Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 53°58′52″N 9°06′50″W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | Mayo |
| Elevation | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,315 |
| Irish Grid Reference | G265040 |
Foxford lies on the River Moy, a salmon-fishing river, close to Loughs Conn and Cullin and between the Nephin and Ox Mountains. The Foxford Way is an 86-km waymarked tourist trail that circles Foxford, taking in the Ox Mountains, bogland, archeological sites, lakeshores and river banks.
Agnes Bernard founded a convent and started a water-powered woollen mill here in 1892.[2] The Foxford Woollen Mills are known for producing characteristic wool blankets.
Transport
Foxford railway station is on the Manulla Junction to Ballina line which connects to the Westport-Dublin Heuston service. The station opened on 1 May 1868.[3] After being closed (against local opposition) in 1963 it was reopened in 1988.
The N26 road passes through the town, crossing a narrow bridge over the River Moy.
Notable people
- Laura Bernal (195?–2020), Argentina's ambassador to Ireland who died in office, was a regular visitor to Foxford and is buried at Craggagh Cemetery a short distance away.[4][5]
- Agnes Bernard (1842–1932), founder of convent, woollen mills, and a band in Foxford.[2]
- Admiral William Brown (1777–1857), founder of the Argentine Navy, hero of the Argentine War of Independence, and defender of Buenos Aires in the Cisplatine War, was born in Foxford.[6]
- F. R. Higgins (1896–1941), poet and theatre director, born in Foxford.
- Mike Flanagan (1926–2014), soldier who assisted the formation of the Israeli armed forces.
External links
References
- "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Foxford". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- Agnes Morrogh Bernard, Towns Villages, Retrieved 6 June 2017
- "Foxford station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 6 September 2007.
- McGreevy, Ronan (15 May 2020). "Argentina's ambassador to Ireland buried in Co Mayo: The mass of Laura Bernal held in Foxford after she died suddenly of virus aged 64". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- Dunne, William (14 May 2020). "Ireland's Argentine Ambassador to be buried in Foxford, Co Mayo due to special connection". Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- McGrath, Pat (15 May 2020). "Funeral of Argentinian Ambassador takes place in Mayo". RTÉ News. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
