placenamesBofeenaun
Both Faonáin
Bofeenaun’s early twentieth-century church became the setting for a locally organised classical concert series that brought visiting musicians into village life.
The name
A reliable full-name meaning has not been established here. The recorded Irish and English forms are given without an unsupported translation.
Recorded forms
- Both Faonáin · Irish · main form · validated name
- Bofeenaun · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Mary’s Church and its makers
Saint Mary's Church was built in 1912–13 to designs by William Henry Byrne and Son. The architectural inventory records a rectangular nave and chancel, a circular turret and limestone dressings against rougher stone walling. Its exposed timber roof adds another distinctive element inside. Later stained glass includes windows designed and painted by Trisha Slowey in 2008, bringing a named contemporary artist into the church's continuing development. [2]
Thomas Rowland’s musical initiative
Bofeenaun postmaster Thomas Rowland organised the first of a series of classical concerts in Saint Mary's Church. A 2009 report by Lorna Siggins traced the initiative back six years and described the involvement of Scottish violinist Iain King, Rowland's brother-in-law. Cellist Robert Irvine returned repeatedly, while other visiting professional musicians joined the performances. The series grew from local family connections and voluntary organisation rather than a purpose-built concert venue. [3]
The church as a community concert space
Siggins's account describes the audience gathering in the pews, a local committee welcoming visitors and the Bofeenaun Women's Group providing refreshments during the interval. The musicians valued the building's intimate scale and acoustics. Rowland explained that sponsorship and local advertising helped meet costs and that the proceeds supported the community. This record captures the practical cooperation behind a cultural event in a small rural settlement. [3]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Mayo
- Barony
- Tirawley
- Civil parish
- Addergoole
- Coordinates
- 53.98688, -9.32646 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1414338 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Bofeenaun. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Saint Mary’s Catholic Church,registration31305905 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- The postmaster’s big idea for a tiny Mayo village,21July2009 · Lorna Siggins,The Irish Times
- Saint Mary's Church, Bofeenaun illustration: based on a Bofeenaun church by Neville Goodman. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.