Local Notes: Tom wins Junior Captain's Prize at Ballina Golf Club
The winner of the Junior Captain’s Prize competition played at Ballina Golf Club recently was young Tom Moran who is pictured being presented with his prize by the club’s president, Charles Doherty.
Clothes, books, toys, plants and schoolbags are on the list for the monthly Pop-Up Swap Shop in The Mary Robinson Centre, Emmett Street, Ballina, which will take place this coming Saturday, October 11.
Each person attending is allowed a maximum of five items, which should be clean, gently used and in good condition.
Once you arrive, you will receive tokens for each item you bring. Use these tokens to swap other items from the selection available.
Guidelines around toys eligible for the Mary Robinson Centre Swap Shop mean that electrical items, toys with cords over 30cm, car seats, baby slings or other safety equipment cannot be accepted. Food items such as baby formula are also not acceptable.
The Swap Shop will open from 2 to 4pm in the Climate Hub of The Mary Robinson Centre, and access is via the Moy Lane entrance.
The Swap Shop takes place on the second Saturday of each month, and you can look forward to discovering new favourites where there is always something for everyone.
The Hello Café initiative in Ballina has been gathering momentum of late, as people gather in Costa Coffee on Pearse Street every Monday morning to converse and chat in a cordial environment.
The purpose of Hello Café is to offer a listening ear and a friendly chat, led by local people who are trained to open up the conversation - on whatever topic.
Hello Café is open to anyone over the age of 18, with its objective to contribute to a caring, connected community.
The get-together takes place in Costa Coffee between 11am and 12 noon, where you can join the group table at the back or even avail of a confidential one-to-one talk with one of the trained volunteers.
The initiative is spearheaded by Bonniconlon woman Jaqi Lodge, and you can email Jaqi for more information at jackylodge@gmail.com. Or just come along next Monday morning.
The OutWest drop-in centre at Cualgara, just off Teeling Street, Ballina is seeking the public’s support to help keep this important local resource open.
The drop-in centre has been a safe haven for many in the LGBTQIA+ community in the region, a place to find support, connection and be themselves without fear.
The centre offers peer support, social events, mental health resources and a space to build an understanding community. In a world where LGBTQIA+ people still face isolation, it has been a lifeline for some people.
To keep its services running, OutWest, which was originally formed in 1997 as Mayo Roscommon Outreach, needs to raise €10,000. Every euro helps cover costs and sustain life-changing programmes, and your support ensures that everyone, regardless of background or identity, has access to care and community.
You can donate via the GoFundMe website, or visit the social media pages of OutWest for more information.
The Ballina drop-in centre is open every Saturday, from 2 to 5pm.
Meanwhile, tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 8), the group will host its monthly Games Night at the centre, which takes place on the second Wednesday of every month.
Those who have passed through O’Hora’s Lane in the centre of Ballina recently – the route which takes pedestrians from Bridge Street to Emmet Street Car Park - will have spotted its quirky new look. This is the impressive result of a demonstrator project currently being tested in the historic laneway as part of the Cascade climate action programme.
Led by the University College Dublin (UCD) Centre for Irish Towns, and supported by Creative Ireland, the project brings together local government, artists, students, and the wider community to reimagine how these often-overlooked urban laneways can help manage water sustainably, spark social connection and celebrate local identity.
Cascade explores how Ballina’s historic laneways can adapt to increased rainfall due to climate change by transforming these historic laneways into beautiful, climate-resilient public spaces. O’Hora’s Lane features an installation which shows how water features like downpipes, rain gardens and public art can work together to make climate action both functional and beautiful.
The Cascade Project Team will reveal details of the project’s journey and the negotiated plan reimagining Ballina’s laneways at an exhibition which opens in Ballina Civic Offices on Thursday, October 9 and runs until Tuesday, October 14 (excluding October 11 and 12).
The exhibition launch, from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday, will outline to the residents of Ballina how this project’s two-year journey has unfolded.
At the launch, which is a public event, you will be able to meet the team responsible for Cascade who will guide you through the project, share insights from the process and discuss how Cascade can inspire new approaches to shaping Ireland’s historic town centres.
The design for Ballina’s laneways will be unveiled as part of a vision that celebrates water and the unique qualities and histories of place, strengthens connection across the town, and embraces radical inclusivity in the design of public spaces.
This plan brings together the stories and ideas shared through Cascade’s story mapping and co-design workshops, alongside the demonstrator project tested in O’Hora’s Lane.
The exhibition is part of Ballina Fringe Festival 2025 and the launch is free to attend, with live music supplied by contemporary harpist and singer Brídín and refreshments also provided. Booking can be made on Eventbrite.
As the main golfing season draws to a close, two of the ‘major’ competitions have just concluded at Ballina Golf Club.
With the Mossgrove course in tremendous condition, the golf has been keen throughout, with some excellent scores returned in recent weeks.
The Chairperson’s Prize (Gerry Mulligan) was played on Sunday, September 21, sponsored by Rouse Insurance and Maloney’s SuperValu. The results of the competition were as follows -
Gents 18 Hole Stableford: Overall Winner - Michael Myres, 41 points; 2nd - Sean Walsh, 38 points; Category 1 - Michael (Monty) McLoughlin, 38 points; Category 2 - Keith Desmond, 38 points; and Category 3 - Noel Murphy, 36 points. Ladies 18 Hole Stableford: Category 1 - Elaine O'Hora, 33 points; Category 2 - Mary Reynolds, 35 points; and Category 3 - Deirdre Beattie, 27 points.
On Sunday, September 28, the President’s Prize (Charles Doherty) was played at the club. In the Gents 18-Hole Stroke competition, Paul Walsh took first place, with 64 nett, while in second place was Stephen Doherty, with 65 nett (Back 9), Other scores were: Gross: Brendan Kilgallon, 75 gross; 3rd - John Slater, 65 nett; 4th - Robbie McGinty, 67 nett; Category 1 - Eddie Bowes, 70 nett; Category 2 - Patrick McLoughlin, 67 nett; Category 3 - Ray Mannion, 69 nett; Front 9 - Paul Gallagher, 29 nett; Back 9 - Gerry O Mahoney, 29 nett; and Past President - Sean Rowley, 74 nett.
In the Ladies 18-Hole Stroke President’s Prize, the results were as follows: 1st - Alison Gallagher, 72 nett; 2nd - Sinead Fox, 73 nett (Back 6); Gross - Dolores Tuohy, 97 gross; 3rd - Breege Lennon, 73 nett; 4th - Patricia Gaughan, 76 nett (Back 9); Category 1 - Elaine O'Hora, 76 nett; Category 2 - Michelle Mulligan, 78 nett; Category 3 - Michelle Grogan, 79 nett; Front 9 - Josephine O'Hora, 38 nett; and Back 9 - Greta Harrison, 35 nett.
The winner of the Ballina Golf Club Junior Captain’s Prize was Tom Moran.
The President’s Prize competition was sponsored by Doherty’s Daybreak. The club has expressed its thanks to those sponsors who are always there to support the competitions.
Following the summer break, Ballina Bridge Club has resumed its weekly games in the Moy Club, Dillon Terrace.
The results of the game played on Tuesday, September 30, were as follows: 1st, T. Slowey and M. Lowry; 2nd, S. and A. Callaghan; 3rd, shared by M. Corcoran and B. Mulkearns, and M. and J. Munnelly; 5th, M. Mongan and M. O’Dowd.
Newcomers are always welcome at the club, which meets every Tuesday evening in the Moy Club.
Girls between the ages of eight and 12 are invited along to try out the game of rugby during a special session in Ballina on Sunday next, October 12.
Ballina Rugby Club is opening up its facilities at Creggs Road for an hour that morning, from 10am to 11am, and would love to see young girls try out the sport.
