Ballina, County Mayo
Encyclopedia
Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo
in Ireland
. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy
near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west. The town occupies two Baronies; Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh, a Barony within the County of Sligo, on its east banks. Ballina is the postal address for a great deal of North Mayo including those who live in Erris
, many miles to its north west.
The recorded population of Ballina's urban area is 10,409. Census 2006 figures released by the Central Statistics Office in September 2007 showed that Ballina had the highest rate of unemployment amongst large towns in the Republic of Ireland. Some 15.8% of Ballina's population was out of work when the 2006 census was taken. Unlike neighbouring towns such as Castlebar
and Sligo
, it is claimed that Ballina suffered from a lack of government investment for many years because it was not effectively represented in Dáil Éireann
.
.
Belleek Estate
The Belleek estate once occupied lands from the Moy River to the modern-day Killala
Road. This included part of the ‘Old French Road’ which General Humbert marched on from Killala, and beside part of which in the Killala Road-Belleek area was Belleek’s reservoir – presumably destroyed in the construction of Coca-Cola’s ‘Ballina Beverages’ factory; the ‘Old French Road’ is now closed off at that point, with what amounts to diversion road signs claiming Humbert marched where he did not.
Old borders
Ballina is located on the west side of the County Mayo - County Sligo border. Part of what is now the town was once (prior to the Local Government Act, 1898) part of County Sligo, with the border for the most part once being the River Moy, east of which was in Sligo, including Ardnare], and Crockets Town (the Quay).
General Humbert and the French Landing - 1798
The Centenary memorial (the Humbert Monument) was dedicated on 11 May 1898 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French landing at Killala
in support of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
. The monument was originally sculptured by a Dublin Craftsman but in recent years it has been restored locally. The figure on the monument is not Humbert but Mother Ireland. Maud Gonne
, a famous Irish woman, unveiled the monument. At the event Maud Gonne famously poured water over another speaker's (an IRB
member) head. The monument was moved to its current location on Humbert Street in 1987, where is was re-dedicated by Maud Gonne's son, Seán MacBride
.
Megalithic tomb
The Dolmen
of the Four Maols is located on 'Primrose Hill' behind Ballina's Railway Station. The dolmen dates from c2,000 B.C. and is sometimes called locally the 'Table of the Giants'. Legend has it that the dolmen is the burial place of the four Maols. The four Maols murdered Ceallach, a 7th century Bishop of Connacht and were hung at Ardnaree - the Hill of Executions. Tradition says that their bodies were buried under the dolmen.
The town has some notable architecture, including the 15th-century Moyne Abbey
, and St Muredach's Cathedral, which is the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala
. Work on the Cathedral began in 1827. The stone was quarried locally and the roof and ceiling were completed before the Great Famine (1845). The spire was completed in 1855 and by 1875 the organ had been commissioned. Outside Ballina, on a small hill to the west, stands a dolmen
, thought to have been erected 4000 years ago. The only all-boys' secondary school in the town, St. Muredach's College, celebrated its centenary on 10 September 2006.
Ballina has many listed buildings including Georgian Housing on the Banks of the Moy, the Ice House Building which has been converted into an exclusive hotel,http://www.icehousehotel.ie/ and the former provincial bank, which now houses the Jackie Clarke Museum. The streets of Ballina consist mainly of three and four storey Georgian
and Victorian
buildings, though the structures of several buildings are actually far older.
There are three secondary schools - St Muredach's College
(all-male)http://www.stmuredachscollege.ie, Moyne College (mixed)http://www.moynecollege.ie/, and St Marys of the Convent of Mercy (all-female)http://stmarysballina.ie/. Other local mixed secondary school options include schools in Crossmolina, Foxford and Lacken Cross (past Killala).
A large, ultra-modern facility opened on McDermott Street (convent road) for the 2009-2010 school year to serve the needs of children with mild learning disabilities. It is an amalgamation of the 2 old special needs schools, St. Dympna's and St. Nicholas'.
The Newman Institute of education is located in a new campus on Abbey St. It is a charitable organisation working in conjunction with the Catholic Diocese of Killala in the field of Catholic education.
is a local newspaper based in Ballina and until recently was also printed at its premises in the town. It is owned by the Cork-based Thomas Crosbie Holdings
. Two weekly freesheets, the Mayo Advertiser and "The Northwest Express" are distributed throughout Ballina. The Connaught Telegraph
, published in Castlebar
and the Mayo News published in Westport
, also carry local news related to Ballina, though are less popular and sold in few outlets. Mid West Radio is the local station with an office in the town. An online news service, MayoToday.ie, also carries news and information related to Ballina; the website, which is based in the town, is one of the first regional news websites in Ireland.
Historically there has been a number of newspapers directly linked with the town, these include:
[M/W = merged with; C/A = continued as |Source: National Library of Ireland
Ballina was one of the first towns in the West to embrace local (unlicenced) radio in the early 1980s, and throughout the 1980s had a number of local stations before the advent of legalised local radio in 1989.
The stations included: ARW - Alternative Radio West, which operated from Lord Edward Street, Castle Radio - which was based in Belleek Castle, Westward Radio - broadcast from Howley Street (Later Teeling St), Holiday FM and TCR both of which were based on Tone Street.
, and after Swinford
joins the N5 to Dublin. N59
comes from Belmullet
and Crossmolina
in the west, goes through the town to Sligo
to the northeast. The R314 is a regional road
to Killala
, and then Ballycastle
. The R294 goes to south County Sligo via 'the Windy Gap' in the Ox Mountains
. It is used as an alternative route to Dublin, via Tubbercurry
and Boyle
.
There is a plan to build a ring road around the town, but this has been in place for a number of years. A small stretch of the N26 leaving the town to Foxford was recently upgraded. Stage 2 from this section to Bahola is currently at preliminary design and is to consist of 18.1 km of Type 2 dual carriageway
encompassing a bypass of Foxford. The scheme is currently with An Bord Pleanála
.
An inner-relief road was completed just before Christmas 2005, it links the Killala Road (R314) and Crossmolina Road (N59) - it goes through ‘Rockwell’ housing estate on the Killala Road and joins up to other roads at St Patrick's Church, near the Crossmolina Road. A section of the N59 from the town to the Sligo border is currently been upgraded.
The 'Ballina and Environs Development Plan, 2003-2009' plans for cycle lanes "on all major traffic routes leading into town”, and for the building of stage one of the "outer ring road linking the N26 (Foxford Road) with the N59 – West (Crossmolina Road), and the R314 (Killala Road)”.
The Salmon Weir Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the River Moy
from Barrett St. to Ridge Pool Rd. The bridge, which was designed to resemble a fishing rod, was opened in July 2009.
bus depot. Bus Éireann
have stated that they intend to develop services similar to the 24-hour Dublin-Belfast route on the Ballina-Dublin route. The route currently runs 7 services a day between Ballina and the capital. In 2007 Bus Éireann launched a direct bus from Dublin Airport
to Ballina.
A Ballina to Enniscrone bus(which is run by several companies during the summer months) was the first chartered bus service in the country.
before terminating at Manulla junction where passengers can connect to trains going to Castlebar
, Westport
or Dublin (Heuston Station). Trains to Dublin operate three times daily and on Friday evenings a train operates direct from Dublin to Ballina.
Ballina is a major rail freight hub, with a direct freight line from the town to Waterford Port transporting pulpwood for Coillte, and as of late 2009, a direct Dublin Port line. This new line is used to transport containers of Coca-Cola concentrate from the town’s plant, removing almost 4,000 trucks off Irish roads. It was suggested in the McCarthy Report the line from the Manulla junction to Ballina be closed, resulting in the loss of these freight lines. However CIE has since stated that it has absolute no intention to close this line, which it said is the only profitable freight line in the country.
(Knock Airport, NOC) is about 50.7 km, or 31.5 miles from Ballina. There are nine or more services a day from the airport to London
, Birmingham
, Bristol
, Manchester
, Dublin and Glasgow
. Bus Éireann
now runs a shuttle service about five times a day from the airport to Charlestown
, from where commuters can get a connecting bus to Ballina.
Sligo Airport
is about 69 km, or 43 miles from Ballina and has two flights a day to Dublin, operated by Aer Arann
.
service sector floor areas. The population of the town is growing faster than its
neighbouring hub, but the deficit in its retail and commercial sector also continues to grow. There are a number of national multiple retailers within the town centre, including Tesco
,
Penneys,A
, swamp, Easons, Shaws and Dunnes Stores
which are all key anchors and attract customers
to the town centre. While the larger retailers have the most significant proportion of retail space, there is a very large quantity of small, local, high-quality retailers in the town. Over 1,000 jobs will be created with the planned €80 million shopping complex in Ballina. The planned multi-tenant development, which will be the largest of its kind in the county is planned for the Humbert Street carpark, with UK retailer Marks & Spencer
rumoured to become the anchor tenant.
With its diverse range and large number of traditional and contemporary style pubs, Ballina has something for everyone, whether that’s traditional Irish music, live bands, DJ’s or somewhere quiet where you can have a relaxing chat. For those who wish to party into the early hours Ballina has a great selection of late bars and 2 nightclubs.
The Old Newman Institute building on Barrett Street is home to the Ballina Arts Centre, which is currently redeveloping the centre to incorporate a 240-seat auditorium, dance studio, studio rehearsal space, a second exhibition gallery and coffee shop/restaurant. The sod was officially turned on the project on 19.10.09. Ballina Arts Centre is access-driven and participatory in ethos.
In 2009 the Jackie Clarke Collection is set to go on display when the Clarke Museum opens in the old provincial bank. The Jackie Clarke Library and Archive is one of the most important Irish collections in the world. During his lifetime Jackie sourced and purchased many unique documents that scholars had believed to be lost, including sole surviving copies of publications, rare handbills and proclamations, unpublished manuscripts and political writings. The breadth and importance of Jackie’s passionate lifelong project was relatively unknown until after his death in 2000. He donated all his collections to the state, under the condition they would stay in Ballina.
favours salmon
fishing, and one of the best spots, the Ridge Pool, is situated in the heart of the town.
The Salmon Festival for 2011 will take place between Sunday 10 July and Sunday 17 July.
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy
River Moy
The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Northwest of Ireland.- Geography :The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo. It flows for 110 km...
near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west. The town occupies two Baronies; Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh, a Barony within the County of Sligo, on its east banks. Ballina is the postal address for a great deal of North Mayo including those who live in Erris
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
, many miles to its north west.
The recorded population of Ballina's urban area is 10,409. Census 2006 figures released by the Central Statistics Office in September 2007 showed that Ballina had the highest rate of unemployment amongst large towns in the Republic of Ireland. Some 15.8% of Ballina's population was out of work when the 2006 census was taken. Unlike neighbouring towns such as Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
and Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
, it is claimed that Ballina suffered from a lack of government investment for many years because it was not effectively represented in Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
.
History
According to Encyclopædia Britannica the first signs of settlement on the site of the town dates from around 1375 when an Augustinian friary was founded. Belleek, now part of the town, pre-dates the town’s formation, and can be dated back to the late 15th century, or early 16th century . However, what is now known as Belleek Castle was built in 1831. Ballina was officially established as a town in 1723 by O'Hara, Lord TyrawleyBaron Tyrawley
Baron Tyrawley was a title that was created twice, both times in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1706 in favour of the soldier Sir Charles O'Hara. His son, James O'Hara, was a distinguished military commander. He had already been created Baron Kilmaine in the Peerage of Ireland...
.
Belleek Estate
The Belleek estate once occupied lands from the Moy River to the modern-day Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
Road. This included part of the ‘Old French Road’ which General Humbert marched on from Killala, and beside part of which in the Killala Road-Belleek area was Belleek’s reservoir – presumably destroyed in the construction of Coca-Cola’s ‘Ballina Beverages’ factory; the ‘Old French Road’ is now closed off at that point, with what amounts to diversion road signs claiming Humbert marched where he did not.
Old borders
General Humbert and the French Landing - 1798
The Centenary memorial (the Humbert Monument) was dedicated on 11 May 1898 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French landing at Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
in support of the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
. The monument was originally sculptured by a Dublin Craftsman but in recent years it has been restored locally. The figure on the monument is not Humbert but Mother Ireland. Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne
Maud Gonne MacBride was an English-born Irish revolutionary, feminist and actress, best remembered for her turbulent relationship with William Butler Yeats. Of Anglo-Irish stock and birth, she was won over to Irish nationalism by the plight of evicted people in the Land Wars...
, a famous Irish woman, unveiled the monument. At the event Maud Gonne famously poured water over another speaker's (an IRB
Irish Republican Brotherhood
The Irish Republican Brotherhood was a secret oath-bound fraternal organisation dedicated to the establishment of an "independent democratic republic" in Ireland during the second half of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century...
member) head. The monument was moved to its current location on Humbert Street in 1987, where is was re-dedicated by Maud Gonne's son, Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
.
Megalithic tomb
The Dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
of the Four Maols is located on 'Primrose Hill' behind Ballina's Railway Station. The dolmen dates from c2,000 B.C. and is sometimes called locally the 'Table of the Giants'. Legend has it that the dolmen is the burial place of the four Maols. The four Maols murdered Ceallach, a 7th century Bishop of Connacht and were hung at Ardnaree - the Hill of Executions. Tradition says that their bodies were buried under the dolmen.
Architecture, planning, and housing
Moyne Abbey
Moyne Abbey is one of most impressive ecclesiastical ruins in Mayo and a National Monument. It was founded by the Burke family as a Franciscan friary and consecrated in 1462. It is located north of Ballina on the west side of Killala Bay...
, and St Muredach's Cathedral, which is the Cathedral Church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
. Work on the Cathedral began in 1827. The stone was quarried locally and the roof and ceiling were completed before the Great Famine (1845). The spire was completed in 1855 and by 1875 the organ had been commissioned. Outside Ballina, on a small hill to the west, stands a dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
, thought to have been erected 4000 years ago. The only all-boys' secondary school in the town, St. Muredach's College, celebrated its centenary on 10 September 2006.
Ballina has many listed buildings including Georgian Housing on the Banks of the Moy, the Ice House Building which has been converted into an exclusive hotel,http://www.icehousehotel.ie/ and the former provincial bank, which now houses the Jackie Clarke Museum. The streets of Ballina consist mainly of three and four storey Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
and Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
buildings, though the structures of several buildings are actually far older.
Education
The primary schools that serve the town include Scoil Iosa of the Convent of Mercy (mixed), Scoil Padraig (all-boys), the Quay NS (mixed), Culleens NS on the Killala Road (mixed), Breaffy NS (mixed), Behy NS (mixed) and Scoil na gCeithre Maol (mixed), a gaelscoil situated by the Ridgepool, which is set to transfer to a larger facility on the Killala road for the coming school year. There are also at least 3 Montessori schools and many pre-schools.There are three secondary schools - St Muredach's College
St Muredach's College
St Muredach's College is an all-boys secondary school on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina, County Mayo. It was founded in 1906 to provide a Catholic education for boys in the Killala Diocese.- History :...
(all-male)http://www.stmuredachscollege.ie, Moyne College (mixed)http://www.moynecollege.ie/, and St Marys of the Convent of Mercy (all-female)http://stmarysballina.ie/. Other local mixed secondary school options include schools in Crossmolina, Foxford and Lacken Cross (past Killala).
A large, ultra-modern facility opened on McDermott Street (convent road) for the 2009-2010 school year to serve the needs of children with mild learning disabilities. It is an amalgamation of the 2 old special needs schools, St. Dympna's and St. Nicholas'.
The Newman Institute of education is located in a new campus on Abbey St. It is a charitable organisation working in conjunction with the Catholic Diocese of Killala in the field of Catholic education.
Communications and media
Ballina is one of the towns due to have a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), the ductings and fiber optic cables are in place, but with no ISP Connections. The MANs are being built for the Department of Communications, they will be run by a private operator, but will remain the property of the government.Local media
The Western PeopleWestern People
The Western People is a weekly local newspaper published in Ballina, County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, it was first published in 1883. The paper is now owned by Cork-based Thomas Crosbie Holdings...
is a local newspaper based in Ballina and until recently was also printed at its premises in the town. It is owned by the Cork-based Thomas Crosbie Holdings
Thomas Crosbie Holdings
Thomas Crosbie Holdings is a family-owned media and publishing group based in Cork, Ireland. Its largest publication is The Irish Examiner, the third largest daily broadsheet newspaper in the Republic of Ireland....
. Two weekly freesheets, the Mayo Advertiser and "The Northwest Express" are distributed throughout Ballina. The Connaught Telegraph
Connaught Telegraph
The Connaught Telegraph is a weekly local newspaper published in Castlebar, County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland. The paper is in broadsheet format , and published every Wednesday. It has the second highest circulation of the paid for Mayo newspapers...
, published in Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
and the Mayo News published in Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
, also carry local news related to Ballina, though are less popular and sold in few outlets. Mid West Radio is the local station with an office in the town. An online news service, MayoToday.ie, also carries news and information related to Ballina; the website, which is based in the town, is one of the first regional news websites in Ireland.
Historically there has been a number of newspapers directly linked with the town, these include:
- Ballina Advertiser, Mayo And Sligo Commercial Gazette (10 Jan 1840 – 10 Nov 1843)
- Ballina Chronicle (2 May 1849 – 14 Aug 1851; M/W Connaught Watchman)
- Ballina Herald (1844 – Oct 1961; C/A 'Ballina Herald and Mayo and Sligo Advertiser')
- Ballina Herald and Mayo and Sligo Advertiser (Oct 1891 - 28 Apr 1962; M/W 'Western People')
- Ballina Impartial, or Tyrawly Advertiser (13 Jan 1823 – 16 Nov 1835)
- Ballina Journal and Connaught Advertiser (C/A 1880 - 11 Mar 1895)
- Connaught Watchman (2 Aug 1851 – 3 Oct 1863)
- INK Magazine - (Feb 2011 - Present)
- Tyrawly Herald; or Mayo and Sligo Intelligencer (1844–1870)
- Western Gem (1843)
- Western Journal (1977 - 15 Feb 1980; C/A Sligo Journal 22 Feb 1980 – 11 Mar 1983)
- Western PeopleWestern PeopleThe Western People is a weekly local newspaper published in Ballina, County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, it was first published in 1883. The paper is now owned by Cork-based Thomas Crosbie Holdings...
(1883 – present) Western People - Western Star (1835–1837)
[M/W = merged with; C/A = continued as |Source: National Library of Ireland
Ballina was one of the first towns in the West to embrace local (unlicenced) radio in the early 1980s, and throughout the 1980s had a number of local stations before the advent of legalised local radio in 1989.
The stations included: ARW - Alternative Radio West, which operated from Lord Edward Street, Castle Radio - which was based in Belleek Castle, Westward Radio - broadcast from Howley Street (Later Teeling St), Holiday FM and TCR both of which were based on Tone Street.
Roads
The N26 is the main road to Dublin, it leaves the town south to FoxfordFoxford
Foxford, historically called Bellasa , is a small village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. The village stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Dublin and Ballina.Situated between the Nephin and Ox...
, and after Swinford
Swinford
Swinford, historically called Swineford , is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km from Ireland West Airport Knock...
joins the N5 to Dublin. N59
N59 road (Ireland)
The N59 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It commences in County Sligo, south of Sligo Town at the Belladrehid interchange with the N4 north of Ballysadare. The route circles around the west of Ireland, passing west from Sligo into County Mayo and through Ballina. The N59 continues...
comes from Belmullet
Belmullet
Belmullet is a coastal Gaeltacht town with a population of around 2,000 on the Mullet Peninsula in the barony of Erris, County Mayo, Ireland. Its name means the "mouth of the mullet"...
and Crossmolina
Crossmolina
Crossmolina or Crosmolina is a town in the Barony of Tyrawley in County Mayo, Ireland, as well as the name of the parish in which Crossmolina is situated. The town sits on the River Deel near the northern shore of Lough Conn...
in the west, goes through the town to Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
to the northeast. The R314 is a regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
to Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
, and then Ballycastle
Ballycastle, County Mayo
Ballycastle is a village in County Mayo, Ireland, situated northwest from Ballina, near Mayo's north coast in the West of Ireland. Ballycastle is also on the edge of an Irish speaking area called a Gaeltacht....
. The R294 goes to south County Sligo via 'the Windy Gap' in the Ox Mountains
Ox Mountains
The Ox Mountains are a mountain range in County Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. They are also known as 'St Patrick's Mountain after St. Patrick, as he laboured much on it, raised churches on its slopes, and left his name to some of its wells, as for instance that of Dromard' . The highest peak...
. It is used as an alternative route to Dublin, via Tubbercurry
Tubbercurry
Tubbercurry or Tobercurry is a town in County Sligo, Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Ox Mountains, on the N17 national primary road.Tubbercurry has a very active Tidy Towns Project which is setting out to transform the town's visual appearance...
and Boyle
Boyle, County Roscommon
Boyle is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountains near Lough Key in the north of the county. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, the Drumanone Dolmen and the popular fishing lakes of Lough Arrow and Lough Gara are also close by...
.
There is a plan to build a ring road around the town, but this has been in place for a number of years. A small stretch of the N26 leaving the town to Foxford was recently upgraded. Stage 2 from this section to Bahola is currently at preliminary design and is to consist of 18.1 km of Type 2 dual carriageway
2+2 road
A 2+2 road is a specific type of dual-carriageway being built in Ireland and Sweden, consisting of two lanes in each direction separated with a steel cable barrier. They do not have hard shoulders. Junctions are at-grade roundabouts and minor roads cross under or over the mainline without...
encompassing a bypass of Foxford. The scheme is currently with An Bord Pleanála
An Bord Pleanála
An Bord Pleanála is an independent statutory administrative tribunal that decides on appeals from planning decisions made by local authorities in the Republic of Ireland. As of 2007 The Planning Board directly decides major strategic infrastructural projects under the provisions of the Planning...
.
An inner-relief road was completed just before Christmas 2005, it links the Killala Road (R314) and Crossmolina Road (N59) - it goes through ‘Rockwell’ housing estate on the Killala Road and joins up to other roads at St Patrick's Church, near the Crossmolina Road. A section of the N59 from the town to the Sligo border is currently been upgraded.
The 'Ballina and Environs Development Plan, 2003-2009' plans for cycle lanes "on all major traffic routes leading into town”, and for the building of stage one of the "outer ring road linking the N26 (Foxford Road) with the N59 – West (Crossmolina Road), and the R314 (Killala Road)”.
Bridges
There are 2 main bridges straddling the Moy in the town centre. The first, the Armstrong and West, or Lower bridge, was built in 1835. The second, the Ham or Upper bridge, was built in the following year of 1836 by Thomas Ham at a cost of £3,000.00. Both bridges are limestone, and have 4 and 5 arches respectively. Traffic flows in a one-way direction around these 2 bridges and is often heavily backed up on both sides, the reason for calls for a third bridge further down the river.The Salmon Weir Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the River Moy
River Moy
The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Northwest of Ireland.- Geography :The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo. It flows for 110 km...
from Barrett St. to Ridge Pool Rd. The bridge, which was designed to resemble a fishing rod, was opened in July 2009.
Bus
Ballina Bus Station is host to a Bus ÉireannBus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
bus depot. Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
have stated that they intend to develop services similar to the 24-hour Dublin-Belfast route on the Ballina-Dublin route. The route currently runs 7 services a day between Ballina and the capital. In 2007 Bus Éireann launched a direct bus from Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
to Ballina.
A Ballina to Enniscrone bus(which is run by several companies during the summer months) was the first chartered bus service in the country.
Rail
Ballina Train Station is located on the N26 beside the bus station. Departing trains stop at FoxfordFoxford
Foxford, historically called Bellasa , is a small village 16 km south of Ballina in County Mayo, Ireland. The village stands on the N26 national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has a railway station served by trains between Dublin and Ballina.Situated between the Nephin and Ox...
before terminating at Manulla junction where passengers can connect to trains going to Castlebar
Castlebar
Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
, Westport
Westport, County Mayo
Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
or Dublin (Heuston Station). Trains to Dublin operate three times daily and on Friday evenings a train operates direct from Dublin to Ballina.
Ballina is a major rail freight hub, with a direct freight line from the town to Waterford Port transporting pulpwood for Coillte, and as of late 2009, a direct Dublin Port line. This new line is used to transport containers of Coca-Cola concentrate from the town’s plant, removing almost 4,000 trucks off Irish roads. It was suggested in the McCarthy Report the line from the Manulla junction to Ballina be closed, resulting in the loss of these freight lines. However CIE has since stated that it has absolute no intention to close this line, which it said is the only profitable freight line in the country.
Air
Ireland West Airport KnockIreland West Airport Knock
-Ground transport:BusBus Éireann currently provide services from the Airport on the Derry-Sligo-Galway and Galway-Sligo-Derry Route 64, Ireland West Airport Knock - Castlebar - Westport - Achill Island route 440, Dublin - Athlone - Ireland West Airport Knock - Westport route 21, and connects with...
(Knock Airport, NOC) is about 50.7 km, or 31.5 miles from Ballina. There are nine or more services a day from the airport to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Dublin and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
now runs a shuttle service about five times a day from the airport to Charlestown
Charlestown, County Mayo
Charlestown , once named Newtown-Dillon or Ballycattell, is a town in the Barony of Costello, County Mayo, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of two National Primary routes, the N17 and the N5. Until the N5 bypass opened in November 2007, traffic congestion was a problem in the town...
, from where commuters can get a connecting bus to Ballina.
Sligo Airport
Sligo Airport
Sligo Airport is located in Strandhill, County Sligo, west of Sligo in Ireland. The airport is a small regional airport and has no scheduled routes.-Introduction:...
is about 69 km, or 43 miles from Ballina and has two flights a day to Dublin, operated by Aer Arann
Aer Arann
Aer Arann is a regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. Aer Arann operates scheduled services from Ireland and the Isle of Man to destinations in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, with a fleet of 18 aircraft. Aer Arann has expanded from a single aircraft to Ireland's third largest airline...
.
Retail
Ballina is the principle service centre in North Mayo. Whilst Ballina is the largest town in County Mayo in terms of area, it has taken second place behind Castlebar in terms of total retail andservice sector floor areas. The population of the town is growing faster than its
neighbouring hub, but the deficit in its retail and commercial sector also continues to grow. There are a number of national multiple retailers within the town centre, including Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
,
Penneys,
A Wear
A|Wear is an Irish chain of clothing stores that operates in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and more recently in the United Kingdom.-History:...
, swamp, Easons, Shaws and Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores, also known as Dunnes, is a supermarket and clothing retail chain, that is based in Dublin, Ireland.The chain primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain has operations in Great Britain and Spain...
which are all key anchors and attract customers
to the town centre. While the larger retailers have the most significant proportion of retail space, there is a very large quantity of small, local, high-quality retailers in the town. Over 1,000 jobs will be created with the planned €80 million shopping complex in Ballina. The planned multi-tenant development, which will be the largest of its kind in the county is planned for the Humbert Street carpark, with UK retailer Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
rumoured to become the anchor tenant.
Social life and culture
Ballina has a very lively entertainment scene with ample choice when it comes to eating out and hitting the town. A longstanding reputation for being a great place to eat out, Ballina has a wide variety of restaurants serving Irish, European and Asian cuisine.With its diverse range and large number of traditional and contemporary style pubs, Ballina has something for everyone, whether that’s traditional Irish music, live bands, DJ’s or somewhere quiet where you can have a relaxing chat. For those who wish to party into the early hours Ballina has a great selection of late bars and 2 nightclubs.
The Old Newman Institute building on Barrett Street is home to the Ballina Arts Centre, which is currently redeveloping the centre to incorporate a 240-seat auditorium, dance studio, studio rehearsal space, a second exhibition gallery and coffee shop/restaurant. The sod was officially turned on the project on 19.10.09. Ballina Arts Centre is access-driven and participatory in ethos.
In 2009 the Jackie Clarke Collection is set to go on display when the Clarke Museum opens in the old provincial bank. The Jackie Clarke Library and Archive is one of the most important Irish collections in the world. During his lifetime Jackie sourced and purchased many unique documents that scholars had believed to be lost, including sole surviving copies of publications, rare handbills and proclamations, unpublished manuscripts and political writings. The breadth and importance of Jackie’s passionate lifelong project was relatively unknown until after his death in 2000. He donated all his collections to the state, under the condition they would stay in Ballina.
Tourism
Ballina's location on the River MoyRiver Moy
The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Northwest of Ireland.- Geography :The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo. It flows for 110 km...
favours salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing, and one of the best spots, the Ridge Pool, is situated in the heart of the town.
Sport
- Ballina Stephenites, is one of the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club teams. The name also refers to the town’s Gaelic Athletic Association grounds, James StephensJames Stephens (Irish nationalist)James Stephens was an Irish Republican and the founding member of an originally unnamed revolutionary organisation in Dublin on 17 March 1858, later to become known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood , also referred to as the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood by contemporaries.-Early...
Park. - Ballina Town FC is one of the town's soccer clubs, playing their home matches at Belleek Park.The town is also represented by Ballina United.
- In basketball, Team Loftus Recycling represent the town in Men's Division 1. Until recntly the club performed in the National Super League as Team Merry Monk. However, financial difficulties led to the club's demotion.
- Ballina also has Mayo's only Gymnastics Training Centre, Nadia Gym, just around the corner from Juck Collins, who is well known around the community for his work as a security guard in a local shopping centre, supervalu. He was presented with a medal at the 2009 Slamon Festival for his commitment.
- Ballina Golf Club is an 18 hole parkland golf course on the outskirts of the town on the Bonniconlon Road. Ballina Golf Club is set in a scenic location overlooking the Moy Valley. The course is a Par 71 course, 5933 metres long.
- Ballina is also one of the bigger clubs in the county as regards athletics, with a floodlight outdoor 400m track and a large cross country pitch which often holds the AAI Connaght and Mayo finals.
- The town also has a notable martial arts school, Moy Valley Freestyle. This school studies a freestyle form of martial arts.
- The local triathlon club Liquid Motion holds a triathlon in the town every summer, usually in July to coincide with The Ballina Street and Arts festival.
Ballina Salmon Festival
The Ballina Salmon Festival is held annually in July in the town. The festival includes Heritage Day, where most of the centre of the town is closed to traffic and the streets fill with arts and craft stalls and demonstrations of transport from days gone by. The festival finale was a Mardi Gras followed by a fireworks display, until 2010, when financial restrictions precluded the organisers from holding the Mardi Gras.The Salmon Festival for 2011 will take place between Sunday 10 July and Sunday 17 July.
Prominent residents (past and present)
- Edward WhelanEdward WhelanEdward Whelan . Edward Whelan was one of Prince Edward Island's delegates to the Québec Conference and one of the Fathers of the Canadian Confederation. Edward Whelan was also a journalist, orator, and advocate for responsible government.-Early years:Edward Whelan was born in 1824 in Ballina,...
(1824 – 10 December 1867) - Mary RobinsonMary RobinsonMary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
(Born 21 May 1944) - Ray FoleyRay FoleyRaymond 'Ray' Foley is an Irish radio presenter. He currently presents The Ray Foley Show on Today FM at weekday lunch times. Having worked at 98FM and Spin 1038 early in his career, Foley moved to Today FM in 2004, presenting the night time show The Blast with, "JP" Gilbourne...
, DJ on Today FMToday FMRadio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk... - Jack CharltonJack CharltonJohn "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
owns a holiday home in Ballina. - Fr. Parick Smyth - involved in Eureka StockadeEureka StockadeThe Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict...
, Ballarat. Australia. - Gavin DuffyGavin DuffyGavin Duffy is a rugby union footballer who plays at full back or at centre for Connacht Rugby.Educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea and UCG he first played for Ireland at Schools level in 1998 and at Under-21 level before he was brought into their senior side during the 2000/01 season.Duffy...
Connacht/Irish rugby player - Liam Corrigan Former Mayo Hurling All-Star.
Twin towns and sister cities
Ballina is twinned with:
CraigavonCraigavonCraigavon is a settlement in north County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was a planned settlement that was begun in 1965 and named after Northern Ireland's first Prime Minister — James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon. It was intended to be a linear city incorporating Lurgan and Portadown, but this plan...
, Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Athis-MonsAthis-MonsAthis-Mons is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Inhabitants are called Athégiens.A small part of Orly International Airport lies on the territory of the commune of Athis-Mons.-History:...
, Île-de-FranceÎle-de-France (région)Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area....
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
PittsfieldPittsfield, MassachusettsPittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States of AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...- ScrantonScranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States of AmericaUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... 
BallinaBallina, New South WalesBallina is a town on the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire Local Government Area. It had a population of 16,477 in the 2006 Census.-Location:...
, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Ballina Town F.C.Ballina Town F.C.Ballina Town F.C. is a football club catering for the Ballina area in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. The club was founded 8 December 1961 in Geraghty's public house, Ballina. Originally, the name of the club was to be St Patrick's F.C. but six months later it was changed to 'Ballina Town F.C.',...
- Céide FieldsCéide FieldsThe Céide Fields is an archaeological site on the north Mayo coast in the west of Ireland, about 8 kilometres northwest of Ballycastle. The site is the most extensive Stone Age site in the world and contains the oldest known field systems in the world...
- River MoyRiver MoyThe River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Northwest of Ireland.- Geography :The River Moy rises at the foot of Knocknashee in the Ox Mountains in County Sligo. It flows for 110 km...
External links
- Ballina Town Council
- Ballina railway station
- Moy Valley website of Ballina Chamber of Commerce
- Ballina Salmon Festival, including Street & Arts Festival
- Northwest Fisheries
- Ballina Rugby Club
- Ballina Golf Club
- Belleek Castle - Hotel, Restaurant & Weddings
- Mount Falcon - Historical Castle, Hotel & Fishery
- Ballina Live Online Portal For Ballina Mayo
- MayoToday.ie - Online News and Information for Ballina and County Mayo