Spanning over five decades now, the career of Cobh-born singer and masterful guitar player Freddie White has seen him tour with the likes of Eric Clapton and Clannad, and become one of the most recognisable voices in music during a lengthy period ...

Ballina Punx has gone through many alterations, transitions, break-ups, beginnings of something great and have had their fair share of heartbreak.

Sketch & Spin for Cruinniú na nÓg Next Saturday, June 7, is Cruinniú na nÓg day in Ireland and TheNCF Cultural Co-Op on Pearse Street, Ballina will host a special event to mark the occasion.

The Cathaoirleach of Castlebar Municipal District wants to reverse a decision to hold next year's Mayo. ie Western People Women's Mini-Marathon in Ballina.

A well-known Ballina playwright and a group of around 20 locals will stage a drama this July drawing parallels between the suffering of the Irish people during the Great Famine and the Palestinian people during the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Earlier this month the HeritACT Consortium, including representatives from the three pilot locations of Ballina, Milan and Eleusis, gathered for their annual consortium meeting to promote cultural heritage as a catalyst for sustainable development ...

The Head of Ballina Municipal District has said there needs to be "a balance" in revenue if free parking is to be made available to ratepayers in the town, writes Paul O'Malley.

Sunday, May 18th, 2025, marked a joyful and historic day in Ballina as Quinn Irish Radio broadcasted its hugely popular Sunday show live from the Ballina Manor Hotel.

Call-out for U-35 members at Ballina Golf Club Ballina Golf Club continues with its busy calendar this month, offering plenty of activity for young and older players.

Councillors in Ballina have agreed to write to the two ministers responsible for the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) to ask for an increase in funding to Mayo, writes Paul O'Malley.

A local councillor has said there is not much of a future in electric vehicles (EVs) unless there is a trade-in market for them.

A local councillor has called on Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development Dara Calleary to "cement his legacy in Ballina" by constructing a new vehicular bridge across the River Moy.

Uisce Éireann has completed its water mains replacement project in Ballina. More than 1. 3km of old water mains, which were prone to bursts and caused disruption to homes and businesses in the town centre, were replaced in the past year.

Ballina is set for a bumper May Bank Holiday weekend in 2026.

The home village of outgoing Mayo County Council Cathaoirleach, Cllr John O’Hara, played host to one of his final meetings as chairperson.

Mayo county councillors have paid tribute to the late Paddy O’Toole and Bridie Greavy.

There were warm tributes to Judge Fiona Lydon during her final day at Ballina District Court last Tuesday.

Mayo Fleadh will return in 2026 It has been confirmed that Mayo Fleadh Cheoil will be held in Ballina again next year, following the outstanding success of the 2025 event which took place in the town earlier this month.

Mayo County Council is planning to send a delegation on a fact-finding mission to Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Wexford in August. The move is part of a potential bid for the 2028 Fleadh to be held in Ballina.

A planning enforcement inspection recently took place at a Ballina site that had been offered for use as an accommodation centre for international protection applicants (IPAS), writes Paul O'Malley.

 Mayo Macra officially launched a new club in Ballina this month with a successful information night on May 1 last.

Last year’s inaugural summer lunchtime concert series in Ballina Arts Centre attracted leading music acts as diverse as Mike Absalom, Katie Cassidy, Eric Barrett, William Reape and David Walsh, among others.

Students at St Dymphna’s School in Ballina were treated to an exciting and creative lego workshop recently, held as a special appreciation event to thank principal Maureen Quinn and the dedicated team at the school for their invaluable support ...

The TELUS Digital Liquid Motion Salmon Run Triathlon will take place in Ballina on Saturday, June 28th with registration now open.

Daragh is best young chef YesChef magazine’s All-Ireland Young Chef of the Year Award for 2025 has gone to Ballina man Daragh Birrane Murray. Daragh won the prestigious accolade at a ceremony in the Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Sligo last Tuesday.

Ballina Credit Union was proud to celebrate a major local victory recently as Quignamanger (The Quay) National School was crowned winner of the U13 National Credit Union School Quiz - a fiercely contested competition involving over 25,000 young ...

A powerful evening of awareness and education on the crime of human trafficking will take place in Mayo on Monday, May 12, at 7. 30pm.

Moy Valley Resources is proud to announce its collaboration with Mayo Sports Partnership, the Western People, Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, and Mayo County Council in the delivery of this year’s highly anticipated West of Ireland Women’s ...

It will be ‘love all’ at Ballina Tennis Club next week when newcomers and existing members are invited to come along and gain an insight into the huge enjoyment and health benefits that playing tennis can bring to a person’s life.

Connolly Motor Group recently announced its official partnership as a van supplier for the Rio Ferdinand Foundation.

Mayo Sports Partnership, one of the key organisers of the Mayo. ie Western People Women’s Mini-Marathon, continues to go from strength to strength with more people than ever engaging in physical activity.

As part of this year’s Mayo Day programme, Ballina Arts Centre invites you to enjoy a range of activities which celebrate the vibrant, creative and artistic communities in Ballina.

The combination of pianist Frank McNamara, a string quartet and the music of Coldplay will make for a remarkable concert in Ballina this May Bank Holiday weekend.

A weekend of top-class entertainment in Ballina will see dramatic theatre, comedy, dance and an abundance of musical cheer for all to enjoy at Ballina Arts Centre.

A senior official with Mayo Co Council has suggested that volunteer clubs and aquatic sports groups should play a greater role in ensuring slipways at piers and harbours around the county are kept clean.

Councillors in the Ballina Municipal District have approved a planning application for a 12-unit council housing development at The Meadows, Ballina, writes Paul O'Malley.

Table Quiz for Fergal’s Italy trip Currently preparing for the 2025 SUDS European Championships is Irish Futsal squad member Fergal Birrane, from Ballina.

A councillor has criticised the rejection of zoning proposals in the Ballina area amid a review of local and national planning and development strategies.

“Half the battle” has been won for the proposed industrial estate on the Sligo Road in Ballina following a revision of the area's zoning, according to a senior official with Mayo County Council.

Ballina is at the forefront of a campaign to make Mayo an autism-friendly county.

Ballina native Finola Cahill has been named the winner of the 2025 Cúirt New Writing Prize for Poetry.

A wonderful evening of music, storytelling, and celebration marked the official launch of Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo 2025 at the Jackie Clarke Collection in Ballina last Friday evening.

Councillors in the Ballina Municipal District have called for clarity on the “very mysterious” situation involving redevelopment works at the site of the former St Mary’s Secondary School after it was rejected for use as emergency accommodation for ...

Pupils, parents and teachers of The Quay National School – including principal, Sean Gallagher – have been celebrating the triumphant success of their Under-13 team which won the final of the All-Ireland Credit Union School Quiz 2025 in the RDS, ...

Rome wasn’t built in a day. So the word goes. And Catholic Rome doesn’t move very far in a day, a year or even a lifetime. It’s why the famous Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, composed a reflection on ‘The Slow Work of God’.

A spirit of joy and purpose filled St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina on Friday evening, March 28, as 64 laypeople from across the Diocese of Killala received their certificates in Lay Leadership, having completed a two-year study course in ...

Senior cycle post-primary students from across Mayo gathered at Ballina Training Centre for an exciting Open Day event as part of Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) Apprenticeship Week 2025.

Ballina Arts Centre has partnered with the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) to bring an exclusive screening of City Hunter: Angel Dust to the theatre on International Anime Day, which is today, Tuesday, April 15th, at 7. 30pm.

Ballina District Hospital has always been at the heart of the community.

GAA players’ spin-a-thon River Moy Search and Rescue will benefit from a spin-a-thon relay by GAA players in Ballina on Easter Saturday.

International audiences have been savouring the music of Billow Wood regularly over the past few years, but now that pleasure is to come to the people of North Mayo when the Ballina-based band plays a show in their hometown next month.

£It’s not just about transport, it is about opportunity"

Events like the Mayo. ie Western People Women’s Mini-Marathon simply would not be possible without the support of volunteers from within the community, and the Mayo public is rarely found wanting when it comes to these types of events.

Last weekend, Ballina Arts Centre opened two new and very different exhibitions, one of which forms the basis of a Family Art Workshop at the centre, which will take place this coming Saturday, April 12.

Local musical production company, Heroes for Hospice, is set to smash an impressive fundraising milestone when they take their latest show to the stage of the TF Royal on April 16 next.

An event management class from Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB is about to put its learning to the test with the staging of a Living Heritage Exhibition in Ballina.

Members of the Antrim Down and Armagh (TADA) Community Rural Support Network and representatives of various voluntary groups from Portadown paid a visit to Ballina last month.

A councillor has questioned if Community Recognition Fund grants from Mayo Co Council should be given to groups in receipt of other substantial grants.

An art exhibition inspired by the work of a poet with deep Mayo roots will launch this Friday. The exhibition, titled ‘Golden Mothers Driving West’, is inspired by the work of the great Paul Durcan.

Three primary schools in North Mayo will come together next week for a special traditional music session to celebrate the culmination of a two-year project.

The Moy Singers are making final preparations for their 'Magic of the Musicals' spring concert in the Great National Hotel in Ballina on Saturday, April 12th, at 8pm.

Former US President Joe Biden has reflected fondly on his 2023 visit to Ballina in a St Patrick's Day letter.

Funding has been sought for an upgrade of a Ballina road needing "urgent repair".

Members of the Mayo branch of the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign held a peaceful vigil outside Ballina Civic Offices last week.

Newly co-opted Independent councillor Marie-Therese Duffy was warmly welcomed to her first Ballina Municipal District meeting by her colleagues last Monday, writes Paul O'Malley.

A local councillor has urged Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae to resume the hedge and tree-cutting season a month earlier because of the impact of Storm Éowyn.

How to become an Autism Champion in Ballina Ballina Autism Friendly Town is inviting businesses, organisations and sporting groups in Ballina to become Autism Champions and make a positive difference in the community.

The parents' association at St Mary's Secondary School in Ballina have been tasked to help raise funds for a nuture room.

Áras Inis Gluaire in Belmullet is delighted to welcome Kevin Hamilton with his new Exhibition ‘REDISCOVERY’. The official launch of this unique exhibition will be on Friday, March 28th, at 7pm.

Ballina prides itself on being among the best sporting towns on the planet and that will be emphasised again on Saturday, May 17, when the River Moy Half Marathon takes runners along the banks of the river on the Wild Atlantic Way, through beautiful ...

Come to Ballina Arts Centre for a Mizubari panel workshop with Japanese visual artist Seiko Hayase on Friday, March 28th, from 11am to 1pm.

The challenge in recruiting volunteers was highlighted at the recent annual general meeting of Ballina Credit Union.

Iarla Hannon, Gareth Doyle, Cian Gillespie and Michael Duffy have made it through to the national final of the 2025 All-Ireland Credit Union Schools’ Quiz at Under-13 level.

Autism One Stop Shop introduction Ireland’s autism charity AsIAm will be hosting a public introduction to its One Stop Shop on Friday, March 14, in Ballina.

Animosity between two sisters boiled over into a violent mass brawl on the streets of Ballina.

Mayo engineer James Twomey is playing a central role in supporting Ireland’s efforts to achieve more renewable energy on to the grid, after merging his passion for sustainability with his career.

'Rince leis na Réaltaí' will be taking place in the Great National Hotel, Ballina on Sunday, March 16, commencing at 8pm. It’s a fundraising event for Gaelscoil na gCeithre Maol and is modelled on the popular television show Dancing With The Stars.

A Manchester-based utilities and infrastructure service provider with strong ties to counties Mayo and Sligo recently had teams on the ground in the west of Ireland assisting the ESB with its response to Storm Éowyn.

Tenders are been sought for the building of the new 5th Mayo Scout and Community Hall in Belleek, Ballina, for which funding of €1,152,000 was secured 11 months ago under the Community Centres Investment Fund.

A Mayo man who lost his seven-month-old son in tragic circumstances four years ago has raised vital funds for an organisation that helped him through this difficult period.

Ardagh Community Players return to the stage with their forthcoming production of the compelling drama, Home is the Hero, by Galway playwright Walter Macken for a two-night run this Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th, commencing at 8pm nightly ...

Fine Gael Senator Mark Duffy has called for the Seanad to raise a commencement matter with the Minister for Housing James Browne over land zoning for housing in local area plans.

Ireland Reads Day, celebrated by libraries all over Ireland, got off to a great start in Ballina Library on Saturday, February 22, with the official launch of the initiative by Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.

John O’Conor, one of the world’s foremost classical piano players, and widely regarded as the finest pianist that Ireland has ever produced, returns to Ballina for a concert next month, supported by Ballina Lions Club.

Mayo County Council is shifting its focus from building three-bed family homes to developing one and two-bed properties.

Mayo Roscommon Hospice was delighted to receive a cheque recently for €5,222 from Ballina’s Carmel McLoughlin and friends. Carmel wanted to give something back to the charity organisation in memory of her close friend, the late Elizabeth Langdon.

Councillors in Ballina have said it is important that young people continue to be encouraged to engage with Town Centre First (TCF) planning.

Mayo councillors are calling for the imposition of a tax on holiday homes and the regulation of the Airbnb sector. Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn raised the matter at last Thursday's meeting of Mayo Co Council's housing strategic policy committee (SPC).

The Cathaoirleach of the Ballina Municipal District has described recent allocations for road projects in the municipal district as "embarrassing". Cllr Michael Loftus welcomed the overall allocation of €40.

Councillors in the Ballina Municipal District will seek an urgent meeting with the Minister for Local Government James Browne after he ruled that no material alterations will be made to the draft Local Area Plan despite several submissions from ...

Mayo County Council currently has 21 vacant housing units in the Ballina Municipal District, writes Paul O'Malley.

Minister Dara Calleary has welcomed an exciting new cultural exchange between Ballina and its twin town in the USA, Scranton in Pennsylvania.

The Ballina community came together on Thursday, February 13, for a fundraising quiz and raffle in support of the Water for Gaza Project, raising an impressive €4,000 at a packed Cot and Cobble.

A local councillor has claimed that the N58 road linking Ballyvary to Foxford has deteriorated from "a first to a third world" route, writes Joan Geraghty.

The first meeting of Moy Canoe Club's new committee was held this week.  Now in its 39th year, Moy Canoe Club is one of the longest-established water-based clubs in Ballina and one of the oldest kayak clubs in Ireland.