They danced, drummed, laughed and sang their way through four Masses and many meetings, and there are schools in the west which haven't been quite the same since they left.
There are pockets in Mayo where Africa is no longer synonymous with hopelessness and suffering, following a recent visit by two unofficial "ambassadors" from Tanzania.
Father Faustin Mosha and Dr Linus Hokororo weren't expecting snow as they made their way from Ballintubber Abbey to Westport to Tourmakeady - and even "across the border" to Ballinasloe in Co Galway. Their whirl wind tour, marked by plenty of rain and gales, was hosted by the west of Ireland development organisation Partnerships Ireland Africa. Both from the Arusha region of Tanzania, Dr Linus works as an AIDS counsellor and Father Faustin is a Roman Catholic priest. Even as they listened politely to complaints about the unseasonal April weather here, they received an email from home to say that the harvest had failed.
It is just one of the challenges associated with life in east Africa. Some 25 per cent of the Tanzanian population has been infected by HIV or full-blown AIDS. Due to the size of the state's debt, access to health and education is no longer free, and many public companies are being sold off to trans-national corporations.
Still, the doctor and priest were anxious to paint a positive image of their country during their 10-day programme, which finished just over a week ago.
"We were very impressed at the general level of knowledge already among the pupils about third world debt," Father Faustin noted. "Yes, we were a bit apprehensive about our reception before we came," he admitted.
"What would it be like - perhaps the only two black people in the county? So we were very happy with the welcome and the positive response."
Anxious to emphasise that their purpose was to raise awareness rather than funds, the pair realised that in some senses they were speaking to the offspring of the converted.
Since 1982, when a Westport businessman, Mr Michael O'Donnell, saw an RTE television programme about the first such Ireland-Africa partnership established in Waterford, a further 15 links have been forged in a chain of communities stretching from Mayo and Co Galway down south to Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi. The initial contact was made through the Medical Missionaries of Mary.
The partnership idea is as simple as the ripple effect created by a pebble cast in a pond. The Irish communities support small-scale development projects in their associated areas in the African states, ranging from health care to alternative energy, farming and other income-generating schemes.
Much of the credit for developing the concept is due to Mr O'Donnell and to Westport photographer Liam Lyons, who has made many trips to Africa at his own expense.
The schools visited by Dr Linus and Father Faustin are based in the Mayo partnership areas, including Ballintubber, which is linked to Arusha itself; Carnacon, linked to Nangua, also in Tanzania; Westport, linked to Aror, Kenya; Louisburgh, linked to Kitale, also in Kenya; Roundfort, linked to Makiunga, Tanzania; Mulrany, linked to Kibera, Kenya; Tourmakeady, linked to Loolera in Tanzania, and Kiltimagh, linked to Kipsaraman in Kenya.
Ballinasloe in Co Galway has also set up a partnership with Lodwar in Kenya.
Unfortunately, gales prevented the Tanzanians from taking the ferry out to Clare Island in Clew Bay, which has an active relationship with Nakwamoro in Kenya. Granuaile's island - which holds a special place in Mr Lyons's heart as a keen Mayo sailor - seemed to be a logical extension of the partnership project.
"I remember that I had to cross water to get to Nakwamoro," the photographer said. "Clare sprang to mind immediately."
The Tanzanian visit was assisted by the National Committee of Development Education and by Trocaire. To mark it, the Mayo county manager, Mr Des Mahon, also opened an exhibition by Mr Lyons at Ballintubber Abbey. Entitled My Africa, it comprised photography recorded during four separate visits to Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi.
Father Faustin and Dr Linus didn't have time to be tourists, but there was one unscheduled and very rapid visit to Clonmacnoise. They stopped off in Glasgow on their way home to Tanzania.
What were their main impressions of the Irish west coast?
"The rain, plenty of water, the position of women in society, and the confidence of your children," they observed. "In our schools, the children will never ever ask questions," Father Faus tin explained. "It is a credit to the parents in Mayo that this is not the case here."
Brid McAuley, co-ordinator of Partnerships Ireland Africa, is also involved in another local initiative on the development theme. A Part of Ireland Now is an exhibition based on 10 refugee stories, compiled by photographer Derek Spiers and Andy Pollak, this newspaper's Education Correspondent.
It was hosted by the Claremorris-Chipini Partnership in Claremorris public library for the last 10 days, and opens in Castlebar public library tomorrow. It finishes on Saturday, May 8th.
