Local Notes: All the latest news from Ballina
Members of Ballina Soroptimist Club are pictured at the recent Soroptimist International event in Breaffy House Hotel, Castlebar. Picture: John O'Grady
A planning application has been submitted to develop a new, 23-bedroom boutique hotel in the centre of Ballina.
Peadar and Molly McMahon have applied to Mayo County Council for the development of the three-storey hotel at Emmet Street, Ballina.
The riverside hotel, to be located just north of the Mary Robinson Centre, will be a three-storey building.
Peadar and Molly are both well-known local business people. Molly previously developed and ran the very successful pub The Broken Jug, as well as Deanwood Hotel, both in the town centre. But she is probably best-known for bringing the first-ever nightclub to Mayo when Pearls opened in Ballina in 1979.
The planning application, lodged last month, seeks the demolition of an existing derelict house and related outbuildings, with a decision due on November 5.
The Mary Robinson Centre, Ballina will host a fundraising dinner next week, with the proceeds going to Concern Worldwide to help support people living in Gaza.
The charity event is on Thursday, October 23, at 7.30pm, and a donation page is now open for those who might not be able to come along.
If you would like to attend for a night of good food and good company, all in aid of this worthy cause, then please send an email to events@maryrobinsoncentre.ie. People who are skilled in the kitchen are invited to bring along their own home-cooked Palestinian dish.
Further details are available from the social media pages of the Mary Robinson Centre.
The Mayo branch of Down Syndrome Ireland has expressed its gratitude to the parishioners of Ballina who donated €2,114.70 to the organisation during its church gate collections last month.
A sum of €746.90 was raised by those attending St Patrick's Church and €1,367.80 was raised at St Muredach's Cathedral.
A number of baptisms have taken place in the Parish of Kilmoremoy (Ballina) in recent months. These include Michael Anthony Devine, Greenhills Estate, Ballina; Paidi John Griffin, Woodville, Killala Road, Ballina; Ellie Kate O’Malley, Quignalecka, Ballina; Kobe Jamie Leahy, Cloonagun; Paidi James Daughton, Belleek Manor, Ballina; Eoin David McLaughlin, Rathnaconeen, Ballina; Mason Mark Murphy, Childers Heights, Ballina; Ruby Faye Flynn, Quignalecka, Ballina; Aidan Eddie-Paul McGoldrick, Dolmen View, Ballina; Danny Gerard Francis Gorman, The Glebe, Ballina; Charlotte Ellen Doyle, Quignashee, Ballina; Lucy Mary Oldham, Quay Road, Ballina; Fiadh Catherine Bridget Doherty, Lower Bunree, Ballina; and Sienna Mary Maughan, The Sycamores, Cluain na Rí, Ballina.
The death has taken place of Anthony (Tony) Reilly, Rathruyan, Killala Road, Ballina.
Tony will be sadly missed by his loving sisters Sarah Mullaney (Rathruyan) and Mary Delaney (England), brothers-in-law Hughie and John, sister-in-law Kathleen, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.
He was predeceased by his parents John and Bridget Reilly and brothers PJ and John.
Tony reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Monday of last week, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
A total of €7,000 was raised at the Afternoon of Music for the Children of Gaza in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on September 20 last.
The concert featured music from the Malone, Sherry and Holmes sisters, Tara Doherty, Tony Kelly, Alan McGinty, Katya Harrison, Debbie McCole and Regina Deacy.
The organisers have thanked Tony Kelly for the sound engineering, Event Audio Visual for the lighting, the Pastoral Council, Austin Bourke and all of the performers for their contribution, as well as the hundreds of people who attended on the day.
The proceeds, which included donations from the offertory collection taken during the 6.30pm Mass of Peace for Gaza that same evening, will be given to the UNICEF Gaza Emergency Children’s Fund.
New Ballina trad and folk group Alder will be showcasing their songs to the attending delegates and musicians at Your Roots Are Showing 2026, an annual event that celebrates folk music and traditions from around the world.
The conference and showcase festival, which has been held in Killarney and Dundalk for the last two years, makes its Belfast debut from January 13 to 18 at the Waterfront Hall and ICC Belfast.
Alder bring a special brand of contemporary folk that crafts original songs rooted in the natural world, nostalgia, love and loss. Band members are Mark O’Donnell, Grace Killeen and Iarla Dunford.
With five nights of showcases, panels, workshops and a buzzing music trail, Your Roots Are Showing is considered to be Ireland’s leading folk music showcase event. Every year it brings together artists, musicians, scholars and industry professionals to explore and share the diverse cultural expressions that make up the folk genre.
American country music icon Crystal Gayle, younger sister of the legendary Loretta Lynn, opens the conference at a Folk in Fusion concert which will bring together Grammy winners, radical innovators and new voices.
Meanwhile, since forming in the late summer of 2025, Alder have already played at their first festival, the Achill Island Sea Festival, held last month.
The death has taken place of Frank Tierney, Ardnaree, Ballina.
Frank was the beloved father to Rita McDonnell and Beatrice Flanagan. He will be deeply missed by his daughters, sons-in-law Liam and PJ, grandchildren Mark, Rachel, Trevor, Kevin, Emma and Ciara, brothers Gus and Brendan, sister-in-law Rose Tierney, extended family, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and friends.
He was predeceased by his wife Rita, parents and siblings Paddy, Jimmy, Joe, Gertie, Mary and Kathleen.
Frank reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Monday of last week, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
Ballina will host the first-ever Mayo Circular Economy Conference, a major new event exploring how circular economy principles and social enterprise can power sustainable development and social impact in rural Ireland.
Organised by Mayo North East and South West Mayo Development Company CLG in collaboration with the Mayo Social Enterprise Network, this conference brings together community leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and social innovators to chart a more sustainable future.
Taking place on Friday, October 24, the free event in the Great National Hotel, Ballina will have among its themes the circular economy in rural and regional development, and policy innovation and funding opportunities.
The opening address will be delivered by the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (with responsibility for circular economy policy), Alan Dillon TD.
Keynote speakers will include Claire Downey (Rediscovery Centre - Dublin), Sarah Daly (Creative Spark - Dundalk), Kevin Swift (Northern and Western Waste Management Office), and Ian Brannigan and Anne Graham (Western Development Commission).
Ballina Costume Company, Revamp Store, BounceBack Recycling, Rediscovery Centre, Creative Spark, Climate Action Louisburgh and Kerry Circular Bioeconomy Cluster will be among the exhibitors.
Attendees will also hear about local success stories and grassroots initiatives from around the region.
This conference is part of the Mayo Social Enterprise Strategy 2023 to 2027, and an official event of Mayo Ideas Month 2025.
There are a limited number of tickets available, so booking is advised. Tickets available through Eventbrite, and the conference will run from 10am to 3pm.
The death has taken place of David McAndrew, Churchtown, Dublin 16 and formerly of Rathkip, Ballina.
David was the beloved husband of Angelika, loving father to Michéal, cherished son of Teresa and the late Michael McAndrew, and adored brother of Sharyn and Michael. He will be deeply missed by his heartbroken wife, son, mother, sister, brother, mother-in-law Sigrun, sister-in-law Cliona, nieces Audrina and Clodagh, nephew James, aunts, uncles and all his extended family, neighbours and friends.
David reposed at Larry Massey Funeral Home, Rathfarnham, Dublin on Tuesday evening last. Mass for David was celebrated in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Churchtown, Dublin on Wednesday, followed by burial in Kilternan Cemetery Park, Ballycorus Road, Kilternan, Dublin.
May he rest in peace.
The results of the bridge game played by members of Ballina Bridge Club in the Moy Club, Dillon Terrace on Tuesday last, October 7, were as follows: 1st, H. Moran and M. Gilvarry; 2nd, D. Hackett and V. Baynes; 3rd, G. Scanlon and F. Walkin; and 4th, A. Callaghan and S. Callaghan.
His reception at Glastonbury a few years ago won’t be a patch on the welcome that David Keenan can expect when he plays two intimate gigs in Ballina next week.
The acclaimed singer-songwriter has chosen to play the hidden gems in Ireland and, last August, asked for venue suggestions. He was overwhelmed with the response, before just 11 venues were eventually selected nationwide, including the quirky NCF Cultural Co-op venue on Lower Pearse Street, Ballina.
Dundalk’s David Keenan has been described in equal parts as poet, street singer, rabble rouser, storyteller and one of Ireland’s most captivating live performers. He has also toured with Hozier, David Gray, Dermot Kennedy, Counting Crows, Snow Patrol, Richard Thompson and Rodrigo y Gabriela.
His small-venue tour is taking place in advance of the release of his new album ‘Modern Mythologies’ in November. He says that he is “…chasing myths around Ireland, seeking out local stories and folklore as I go. It’s not about the size of the room, it’s about the people, the place and the music.” Tickets, at €20, are now on sale for his Ballina shows on Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, available from Eventbrite.
Sean Joyce is the support act.
Concert attendees won’t quite believe their eyes in this unique venue, as the salon wash basins from this building’s former life can still be seen! These days the highlights are all of a musical kind.
The death has taken place of Mary Gallagher (née Weir), Carrowkerribla, Attymass, Ballina.
Mary is deeply mourned by her loving husband Tony, sons Anthony, David, Shane and Tim, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, relatives, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
She was predeceased by her parents George and Ellen Weir, son Jez, and brothers John, Michael, Tommy, Vincent and Pat.
Mary reposed at the Father Peyton Centre, Attymass on Wednesday last and Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Joseph, Attymass on Thursday morning. Burial took place afterwards in Bonnifinglas Cemetery.
May she rest in peace.
Award-winning drama groups from Sligo, Cavan and Mayo will be among the nine theatre groups taking part in the Ballina One-Act Drama Festival this year. Phoenix Players (Tubbercurry), Millrace Drama (Cavan) and Upstage Players (Claremorris) have all won the All-Ireland One-Act Confined finals in recent years.
It is the tenth anniversary of Ballina One-Act Drama Festival, the product of an idea by the late Eugene Loftus, who was a beloved stalwart of the drama scene in Ballina for decades, and who died in 2019.
Three nights of top-class theatre will bring the elite of am-dram to the Ballina Arts Centre from October 31 to November 2, culminating in the selection of two winners by the adjudicator, Paula Dempsey.
Over the decade, some 90 plays have been performed as part of the annual festival, with phenomenal performances lighting up the stage in acting, directing, stage management and design.
This year there will be four Open and five Confined groups on stage, bringing a mix of comedy and drama. The full list of participating drama groups is as follows: Phoenix Players, Millrace Drama, Upstage Players, Hoodwink Theatre Productions, Tullamore Amateur Dramatic Society, Backstage Theatre Group, Breffni Players, Bradan Players and local favourites Castleconnor Drama Group.
The festival opens on Friday, October 31 at 7.30pm, with shows starting at 7pm on the following two nights.
Tickets are now on sale. Tickets cost €15 (plus booking fee) for one night, with family and weekend tickets also available. These can be purchased online at www.ballinaartscentre.com. You can also call 096-73593 or email info@ballinaartscentre.com.
Continuing a long tradition and relationship with the local hospice group, Scoil Naomh Bríd (Culleens National School), Ballina is once again hosting a coffee morning.
The Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning this coming Friday, October 17, is hoping to raise much-needed funds for the Mayo Roscommon Hospice. Come along to the school on Killala Road anytime between 9.30am and 11am to enjoy a cuppa and some very tasty, home-baked confectionary.
The Haunted House on the Hill, a fundraising project of Ardnaree Sarsfields GAA Club, is back for a third, thrilling year of fun and fear this Halloween.
The main ‘Fright Nights’ of this annual, fully indoor attraction in the Sean Duffy Community Centre, Ardnaree, Ballina are between 7pm and 10pm each night from Tuesday, October 28 to Thursday October 30. You can now book online via Eventbrite to secure your spot, at a cost of €10 per person (plus booking fee).
There will also be a special children’s offering from 4 to 6pm on Bank Holiday Monday, October 27, costing €5. A free Sensory Hour will take place the same day, starting at 3pm.
Group discounts are available to larger groups such as Foróige clubs, youth groups, work parties, etc. Phone 087-2887402 for further information, or follow the social media pages of Ardnaree Sarsfields GAA Club.
The organisers promise spine-chilling thrills, creepy surprises and haunted adventures for all those who dare to come along.
Ballina Carers Support Group is inviting anyone who is a family carer to join its group. You can get more information by emailing ballinacarers@outlook.com or by calling 087-0953758.
A fundraising table quiz in aid of the Bofield branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is set to offer plenty of spot prizes and a great night of fun.
The quiz will be held this coming Friday, October 17, at 9pm in The Cot and Cobble Bar and Restaurant, Sligo Road, Ballina. A table of four costs €40 and you can pre-register your team by sending a WhatsApp message to Sarah on 086-1943687.
