Many of our customers told me about Ballina after their trip. “What’s so special about Ballina?” I asked myself. Until “it clicked”…
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Intro
What is it all about? We ran a motorbike rental business in Ireland for many years and our customers from all over the world took our motorbikes on a wonderful trip to Ireland – and then kept telling us about Ballina. Incidentally, we still live in Ireland today (with a second home).
So what is so special about Ballina? As with property, the same applies here: Location, location, location!!!
Ballina is located in the north-west of Ireland, north of Galway and west of Sligo. Here, a little off the beaten track, you will find a particularly unspoilt piece of Ireland.
Lonely moors, rugged cliffs – all to yourself! And small, very Irish places where tourism is more of a sideline and pleasantly quiet. From Ballina, you can drive to many places that simply captivate you with their natural beauty.
And yet Ballina is very easy to reach if you are travelling from Galway to Sligo anyway, or vice versa – a good location!
The small town has barely more than 10,000 inhabitants, but in this rural location that’s quite a lot. It is crossed by a picturesque river, the River Moyne.
But the idyll is thoroughly accelerated once a year: Every year, thousands of salmon head out into the river to spawn. Ballina is even considered Europe’s best place for salmon fishing due to its rich salmon population and is very proud of it: the salmon are celebrated in style at the annual Salmon Festival.
Even if you’re not a fish fan, this little town in the middle of nowhere is a surprisingly good stop on your tour of Ireland. What can you do there apart from salmon fishing? I’ll tell you now…
Sightseeing
St Muredach’s Cathedral: An impressive cathedral right on the banks of the River Moy. See: https://ballinaparish.org.
Belleek Castle: A beautifully restored 19th century castle with museum, restaurant and hotel. See: https://www.belleekcastle.com/.
Jackie Clarke Collection: An impressive collection of historical writings and records. See: https://www.clarkecollection.ie.
Ballina Salmon Weir: A historic salmon weir in the centre of the city – can be viewed from the Salmon Weir Bridge.
Dolmen Of The Four Maols: Or Table of Giants is a well-preserved prehistoric dolmen on the southern edge of the city. See: https://www.northmayo.ie/dolmen-of-the-four-maols/.
Rosserk Friary: Near the mouth of the River Moy lies this beautiful little monastery ruin. See: https://www.northmayo.ie/rosserk-friary/.
Moyne Abbey: At the mouth of the River Moy lies this impressive ruin of a 15th century abbey. See: https://www.northmayo.ie/moyne-abbey-one-of-mayos-most-impressive-ecclesiastical-ruins/.
Music and Culture
Ballina Arts Centre: A cultural centre with theatre and exhibitions right on Salmon Weir. https://ballinaartscentre.com/.
Ballina Salmon Festival: An annual festival in summer with music, art and events – not just for salmon fans! See: https://ballinasalmonfestival.ie.
Food and Drink
The Ice House: An upscale restaurant in the hotel of the same name with a view of the river. On the northern edge of Ballina. See: https://www.icehousehotel.ie/eat/.
Quay West: Pub-restaurant on the northern edge of Ballina, right on the River Moy. See: https://quaywestballina.com.
Crockets Quay Bistro: Nice bistro on the waterfront, right next to Qay West.
Dave`s Deli Coffee Shack: Small café with good coffee – see: https://www.davesdeli.ie.
The Merry Monk: Hotel, restaurant and bar. See: https://www.themerrymonk.ie/restaurant/main-gallery/.
Dillon`s Bar & Restaurant: Cosy ambience, in the middle of Ballina. See: https://dillonsballina.ie.
Tours and Outdoor Activities
Beleek Woods: A beautiful forest on the outskirts of the city, ideal for a nice walk. There is also a fairy walk for kids. See: https://www.northmayo.ie/belleek-woods-fairy-trail-ballina/
Enniscrone Beach: A beautiful, long sandy beach at the mouth of the River Moy into the sea.
Enniscrone Golf Club: Great links golf in the dunes of Enniscrone Beach. See: https://enniscronegolf.com
More to life adventures: Paddleboard, kayak or surf? See: https://mtla.ie.
Wild Wet Adventures: Kayak, Canoe, Guided Hike? See: https://wildwetadventures.ie/discovery-sessions/.
Céide Fields: Prehistoric site with the oldest known field system in the world, right on the coast, a little way out. See: https://ceidefields.com. See also my article: https://irland-insider.de/die-ceide-fields-lange-vor-den-kelten/.
Downpatrick Head: Impressive cliffs on and off the coast. The remains of an old ring fort can also be found there. Not far from the Céide Fields. See: https://www.dunbriste.com
Wild Nephin National Park and Ballycroy Visitor Centre: Beautiful boggy and mountainous national park with walking trails, a short distance west of Ballina. See: https://www.nationalparks.ie/wild-nephin/.
More Activities
Connacht Whiskey Company: A whiskey distillery in Ballina with tours and tastings. See: https://connachtwhiskey.com/visit-us/.
Kilcullen’s Seaweed Baths: Traditional seaweed baths in Enniscrone on the coast. See: https://www.kilcullenseaweedbaths.net.
Ballina Jockey Club: Horse racing and events. See: https://ballinajockeyclub.com.au.
Conclusion
It’s not easy to list all the things you can do in a town of 10,000 inhabitants, its size is limited and the main attractions are easy to list.
But Ballina is simply a beautifully situated little town from where you can go on wonderful excursions to very natural and unspoilt corners of Ireland. So remote and yet so well located…
I hope this article has helped you a little with your holiday planning and wish you lots of fun in – and around – Ballina!
More interesting articles for you
Westport – things to see and do
The town of Sligo – things to do and see
Achill Island – rough and beautiful
The Céide Fields – long before the Celts
Picture credit cover image: Ballina (photo by Sakthi Srayanan on Google Maps)
