placenamesRoonah Point
Rú an Átha
Roonah Point’s pier has linked island communities with the mainland through mail, ferry services and successive engineering works.
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
- Rú an Átha · Irish · main form · validated name
- Roonah Point · English · main form
Place & story
The post office and the Scotts
The post office at Roonagh Pier closed at the end of February 2010. Reporting its closure, Áine Ryan recorded the Scott family’s account that the service had first arrived in 1879, with interruptions before becoming established in the 1890s. James Scott was the first postmaster, and three generations of the family administered the office. It had also served as a telephone exchange through which calls from Clare Island passed. [2]
Carrying the island mail
The O’Grady family carried post between Clare Island and Roonagh over four generations. In 2010 Chris O’Grady recalled beginning the work with his father shortly after the Second World War, sailing in Achill yawls to the old pier before it had a breakwater. His recollection places the small mainland post office within a working sea route, where delivering letters and parcels depended on the skills of island boatmen. [2]
Renovating the pier
Langan Consulting Engineers records a renovation project for Mayo County Council at Roonagh during 2020–22. The works included a new 27-metre berthing beam secured by rock anchors, a replacement face to the pier wall and a new deck. The slipway was extended, while steps and handrails were upgraded. Surveys, structural assessment and marine engineering formed part of the work on this exposed coastal landing place. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Roonah Point. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Mayo post office closes after 130 years of service,1 March 2010 · Áine Ryan, The Irish Times
- Roonagh Historic Pier Renovation,2020–2022 · Langan Consulting Engineers
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.