Castlebar (Irish: Caisleán an Bharraigh, meaning "Barry's Castle") is the county town of County Mayo, Ireland. It is in the middle of the county and is its largest town by population. Castlebar's population boomed in the late 1990s, rising by one-third in six years, though this growth has slowed in recent years. A campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the Country Life section of the National Museum of Ireland are two important local amenities. The town is linked by railway to Dublin, Westport and Ballina. The town has several small satellite villages around it, such as Breaffy and Parke. The main route by road is the N5. Its economy is primarily service-based. Population as of 2011 is 16,074

The modern town grew up as a settlement around the de Barry castle, which was built by a Norman adventurer in 1235 and was later the site of an English garrison. The castle was located at the end of Castle Street, where the town river is thought to have originally flowed. A military barracks operates in the town to this day; armed conflict has been the centrepiece of the town's historical heritage. French forces under the command of General Humbert aided in a rout of the English garrison in the town during the failed Irish Rebellion of 1798, which was so comprehensive it would later be known as "The Races of Castlebar". A short-lived provisional Republic of Connaught was declared following the victory and John Moore, head of the Mayo United Irishmen and the brother of a local landowner, was declared its president. His remains are today interred in a corner of the town green, known as the Mall, previously the cricket grounds of Lord Lucan, whose family (the Binghams) have owned and still own large tracts of the town and county. The town received its charter from King James I in 1613, and is today governed by an urban district council, a subdivision of Mayo County Council. The Lake in Castlebar is also known as Lough Lannagh.

Hugo Duncan (Hugh Anthony Duncan) is a singer and BBC broadcaster born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on 26 March 1950. His nickname is "The wee man from Strabane".

He loved performing from a very young age and as a wee child was involved in set dancing, recitations, the church choir and the local pantomime. When he left school, he went to work in the local factory.

In the early 70s he was spotted on a TV talent show on RTÉ and snapped up by the then fledgling Release Records, which later spawned such stars as Philomena Begley, Ray Lynam, Eurovision star Johnny Logan and many, many, many more.

By the time he was twenty-one he had formed his own band, Hugo Duncan and the Tall Men, and had a number one hit in the Irish charts with “Dear God”

Hugo joined Radio Foyle during the 1980s doing holiday relief, after which he was offered a job presenting his own show on a weekly basis. He also presents a show on Radio Foyle, every Sunday from 14:00 to 16:00.

In October 1998 he was given the opportunity to present Hugo Duncan's Country Afternoon on Radio Ulster each weekday from 13:30 to 15:00, and The theme tune used on his BBC Radio Ulster show is Rocky Top, while he closes each programme with Yakety Sax, also known as the theme to The Benny Hill Show

Brendan Grace (born 1st of April 1951) is an Irish comedian and singer. He is known for his comedy schoolboy character "Bottler", the role of Murphy in the 1995 movie Moondance, and his 1996 appearance in the Irish TV sitcom Father Ted as Father Fintan Stack.

Born in the heart of Dublin in 1951, Brendan was raised in the working class Liberties neighbourhood. At school, Brendan gained the nickname "The Black Kennedy". His father Seamus worked as a bartender and at other odd jobs to keep the family going. However, this proved to be not enough and Brendan was forced to leave school at 15 to start earning for his family.

At the age of 18 Brendan formed a band known as The Gingermen and toured Ireland in what has come to be known as the showband era of the 60s. During a gig one night the band found themselves two members short and in an attempt to calm an anxious crowd Brendan was thrust upon the stage to humour them. His wit and razor sharp observations of daily life in Ireland immediately bought the crowd and since then he has been selling out venues. In November 2009, he released his bestselling autobiography, Amuzing Grace, which received critical acclaim.