Ballina

Ballina (Irish: Béal an Átha: the mouth of the ford) is a large town on the estuary of the River Moy in north Mayo. Ballina is the ideal location for visitors and tourists wishing to experience and explore North Mayo & West Sligo.

For the fisherman, Ballina is renowned as an angling centre and the unpolluted fish-filled waters of the river Moy have aptly earned it the title of the ‘Salmon Capital Of Ireland’. The famous Ridge Pool, situated in the centre of the town, is one of the premier tourist attractions in Ireland and is a favourite haunt of the former manager of the Irish soccer team, Jack Charlton, who has a holiday home nearby. Situated only a few miles from Killala Bay, Ballina offers the visiting angler a choice of other excellent river, sea and lake waters within easy reach.

With the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west, Ballina and surrounding countryside is often referred to as The Moy Valley. The town of Ballina encompasses two Baronies; Tirawley on the west bank of the Moy River, and Tireragh on the east bank. Ballina in the parish of Kilmoremoy, is also the cathedral town of the Catholic diocese of Killala and the impressive St Muredach's Cathedral stands imposingly on the banks of the River Moy. Work on the Cathedral began in 1827. The stone was quarried locally and the roof and ceiling were completed before the Great Famine of 1845. The spire was completed in 1855 and by 1875 the organ had been installed.

Ballina is, of course, the home of the former President of Ireland, Mrs Mary Robinson.

The original name of the town was Belleek and today there is still a part of Ballina called Belleek. For the fitness or nature enthusiast there are magnificent walking routes through Belleek woods and along the breathtaking countryside skirting the town of Ballina.

Ballina Salmon Festival

Every year in July the town of Ballina goes into a frenzy of fun and frolics, with an action packed Festival which includes a well-established Heritage Day, depicting local history and life, an International Night, Lady of the Moy contest and Mardi Gras with monster fireworks on final night. The festival offers a week long feast of free entertainment for the entire family - music, song, theatre, art, heritage, culture and novelty events. Visitors to Ballina experience what is best about Mayo during this spectacular week.

Ballina's Australian Twin

Do you know that there is also a town named Ballina in Australia? Ballina is a coastal township set on the Richmond River in the heart of the lush green countryside of Northern New South Wales. Check out these interesting websites for that region:

Visit Ballina, Australia

Explore Ballina, NSW

Presbyterian Church

The church was founded in 1846. The church building, or meeting house, is located in Walshe Street, directly opposite the former Garda Station. During the Great Famine of 1845-49 and in the subsequent decades the premises were the centre of a great relief effort, co-ordinated by Rev Thomas Armstrong. The building to the left of the church was formerly an orphanage attached to the congregation. The church is T-shaped, a typically Presbyterian design. The congregation meets for worship in the upper storey of the building. The ground floor, once a schoolhouse, now comprises a suite of halls.