placenamesGlenisland
Gleann Aoláin
Glenisland's surviving barrack, community fishery and reused presbytery show different ways in which local institutions have served the valley.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Gleann Aoláin · Irish · main form · validated name
- Glenisland · English · main form
Place & story
The sandstone barrack
Glenisland's former constabulary barrack, in Muckanagh, was standing by 1897. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records a two-storey building with a projecting entrance porch and a T-shaped plan. Ruby-coloured sandstone, carefully worked corner stones and paired central chimney stacks give it a distinctive appearance. The survey notes occupation in both 1901 and 1911. Its architectural assessment distinguishes the surviving form and original fabric from later replacement windows and doors. [2]
Organising access to Beltra Lough
Jackie Deffely's community account recalls the campaign to establish Glenisland Co-operative before the eastern Beltra Lough fishery lease came up for renewal in 1975. Fr Greally and Dr Aiden McNamara helped inspire the initiative. Local organisers gathered signatures and sought support from community councils and the press. After negotiations, the co-operative secured the lease. Its constitution provided for membership open to everyone, and members obtained boats and engines to operate the fishery. [3]
The presbytery becomes a meeting place
Glenisland Newsflash also records the conversion of the disused presbytery during Fr Pat Donnellan's care of the parish after 2013. Renovations created a large room for gatherings following services and family ceremonies, with provision for use as a chapel of repose. Meetings, celebrations and community parties gave the building a continuing role. This adaptation preserved a parish resource as the number of priests serving Islandeady and Glenisland decreased. [3]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Mayo
- Barony
- Carra
- Civil parish
- Islandeady
- Coordinates
- 53.89601, -9.41487 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 132912 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Glenisland. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Glenisland Garda Síochána Station, record31306804 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Glenisland Newsflash: co-operative history and parish buildings · Glenisland Newsflash; Jackie Deffely
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.