Ballintubber

Ballintubber (Ballintober) is a charming and picturesque village set against the backdrop of the Partry mountains, just off the main N84 Castlebar - Galway road. Centrally located, Ballintubber is 7 miles from Castlebar, 9 miles from Ballinrobe and 39 miles from Galway city.

Ballintubber - in Irish 'Baile an Tobair' / village of the well - derives its name from the historic St Patrick’s Well, close to the Abbey. It is believed that St Patrick baptized converts to Christianity at this well, and a stone there is marked with the impression of his knee. Situated along the pilgrimage route to Croagh Patrick - Ireland’s Holy Mountain - the village has great historic religious connections and it is said that St. Patrick himself established the church at Ballintubber.

Probably the most famous landmark in the village is the beautifully restored Ballintubber Abbey, on the shores of Lough Carra, built by King Cathal O’Conor in 1216. The Abbey church is the only church still operating in the country that was founded by an Irish King and it has the reputation of almost 700 years of uninterrupted offering of Masses. A popular place of pilgrimage and worship, in recent years it has become a much favoured wedding venue, both with locals and indeed international celebrities also.