Is it only in Mayo that ua is pronunced e?
Mar shampla Buail is pronounced Bwel, Gualainn Gwelin and suaimhneas swevness.Another other examples? GRMA

It's news to me that "ua" is pronounced such in Mayo. Are you sure?

Nevertheless, the pronounciation of "ua" is something that confuses me. For example "nua" seems to be pronounced "noo-a" in Connaught and "noo" further south. Ditto for "rua". The same applies to "bia" which sounds like "bee-a" in Connacht and "bee" in Munster.

I've got it into my head somewhere along the line that over-emphasis on the on the final "a" in such words is the sign of a pedent. I feel that a good speaker who pronunces the last "a" at all would do so very lightly.

Anyone got any opinions on this and indeed on Liam_Mac_G's original query?

I don't think final "ua" would be pronounced /e/ in Mayo but I have certainly heard the pronunciation of "suaimhneas" Liam mentions.

You will find both pronunciations of nua/rua in Connemara. (In fact, there are places where "mó" (= /mu:/) rhymes with both!)

Sorry, I didn't mean that All words with ua are pronounced like above , I had in my head words like the above. On radio Buail or Suaimhneas always seem to be pronounced Búl and súmhneas where as the locals in mayo say it like I said above.

Depends on the words too. Some words have "ua" pronounced "oo" in some places, etc.
Non-native speakers tend to pronounce all "ua" like "oo" simply because the "ua" diphthong doesn't exist in English... Maybe that's why you hear so many "búil" and "súimhneas" etc on the radio...

"Ua(i)" is pronounced as if it were "ia" after labials consonants (b, f, m, p and their lenited and eclipsed versions) in parts of Gweedore and Teelin :

fuar > faoi-ar
bualadh > buí-a-lú...