Recent comments from architect Hugh Wallace, describing Castlebar as “depressing” and lacking in vision, must surely have stung. It’s not the first time Wallace has taken aim at Mayo; back in 2019, he basically suggested that we may well just turn off the lights in North Mayo and stop bothering to try, because town and city living is where it is at these days, apparently. So, the good people of Castlebar have this writer’s sympathy – it’s not nice when someone, even if they’re not all that famous, takes aim at the place you call home.

But there is nothing like it to motivate people either.