Local Notes: All the latest news from Ballina
An outdoor Mass was recently celebrated in the grounds of St Joseph's Hospital in Ballina. The event also saw the blessing of Teach An Uisce Sub Aqua Search and Recovery's new vessel, The Lady Linda'. The Mass was celebrated by Fr Kieran Holmes, Fr Anthony Gillespie and Fr Aidan O'Boyle. Picture: John O'Grady
A brand new event from Ballina Salmon Festival will bring together activity enthusiasts of many shades for a night of fun and competition next week, with the aim of raising funds for their own clubs.
Ballina Tennis Club is just one of the local sporting organisations gearing up for the ‘Battle of the Clubs - The Ultimate LipSync’ night in the Great National Hotel Ballina on Friday, July 18.
The dynamic tennis club, which is located beside Ballina Community Sports Centre, off Cathedral Road, has been gradually expanding its membership and is hoping to raise funds which will go directly towards supporting the further development of facilities following significant advances in recent years.
Ballina Tennis Club has opened an iDonate page to accept contributions and you can get more information from the club’s own social media pages.
The swimming enthusiasts of Ballina Dolphins Swimming Club will also compete. Club members Mark, Caoimhe, Ellie and Hannah are currently honing their dance moves and lip sync skills in preparation for the big event. Every cent raised on its iDonate page will go directly to supporting the club’s young swimmers.
Mandy Caden will represent Moy Canoe Club in its efforts to take the top lip-sync spot. Money raised will go a long way towards boats, paddles and training for junior and adult members, as the long-established Ballina club heads towards celebrating its 40th anniversary next year. More details are available from the Moy Canoe Club social media pages.
Representing Ballina Golf Club will be David, Sean, Alex and Jack, four young men about to take over the stage as The Beatles. The fab four are helping to raise money for the club’s machinery fund.
Other organisations doing on-stage combat will include Ballina Town FC, Conn Rangers FC and Kilmurry Youth Soccer Club, as well as GAA clubs from Killala, Bonniconlon, Knockmore, Ardagh, Ballina Stephenites and Kilmoremoy Ladies Gaelic Football Club. More clubs are yet to be announced.
The ‘Battle of the Clubs - The Ultimate LipSync’ showdown promises to be a fun night for all the family, with great music, lively banter and a visual feast of colour.
Which club will own the stage? Who’s got the moves, the attitude, and the ultimate lip sync game? Find out on Friday night.
A total of €41,715 was given out in prizemoney at the recent Ballina Credit Union quarterly cash draw, with Brendan Feeney, Ballina taking away the largest amount of €15,000.
Other prizewinners included Michael McLoughlan, Attymass, who won €3,000, and Alan Raftery (Ballina), Patrick Leonard (Lahardane) and Margaret Gallagher (Killala), each of whom won €2,000.
€1,500 went to Michael Naughton (Ballina), Bernadette McHale (Foxford), William Mitchell (Ballina), Margaret Clarke (Ballina) and Padraic Garrett (Attymass).
The following received €1,000: Anna Clarke, Ballina; Stephen Lackey, Ballina; Agnes Moran, Ballina; Daniel Breslin, Knockmore; Sabrina Bourke, Ballina; Raymond Flynn, Killala; Raymond and Jacqueline Mehigan, Ballina; and Fergus Flaherty, Ballina.
Joseph Armstrong (Foxford) and Eugene Mullarkey (Bonniconlon) each received €750, while Mary Egan (Enniscrone) took away €715.
Ballina Credit Union runs four draws throughout the year. The cost of entry is €8.28 per quarter, and you must be over 18 years of age and be a member of Ballina Credit Union to enter. Terms and conditions apply.
Call in to the Ballina Credit Union office at O’Rahilly Street, Ballina (just below the post office), or telephone 096-71066 if you would like to find out more.
Ballina Karen Community Green Garden will host an Open Day on Saturday next, July 19, with any money raised on the afternoon going towards the Ballina Society of St Vincent De Paul.
The Karen Community Garden, which is located on the Sligo Road, is approximately half an acre in size and is divided into various sections, including a vegetable garden, a herb garden, a fruit garden, an orchard, a polytunnel and a bee-friendly flower garden.
In 2014, the garden was awarded first prize in the National Tidy Towns Competition, under the ‘Sustainable Development’ category, and was awarded An Taisce’s Green Flag in 2019.
Through the work of the Karen community who have settled in Ballina since 2007 and other local volunteers, the garden continues to improve and develop.
Volunteers have recently been clearing footpaths of weeds, tidying flower and vegetable beds, setting plants in borders and setting geraniums in pots.
Bug motels and bird boxes are under construction to attract bugs and birds. And the harvesting of potatoes, lettuce, scallions, beetroot, Swiss chard and herbs has also been ongoing.
This coming Saturday’s Open Day will take place from 12 noon to 4pm, and the entrance to the garden is through the gates of St Muredach’s College, veering left at the top of the avenue.
The famous Sensory Bus will be making a welcome appearance at this year’s Teddy Bear's Picnic on Sunday, July 20.
This fantastic facility will be on site for the duration of the day-long event and will be located in an area specifically designated for children with sensory needs. Its visit been made possible by sponsorship from Molloy's Pharmacies.
The Teddy Bear's Picnic, which takes place in the Tom Ruane Park, Sligo Road, Ballina, is the final event of the 2025 Ballina Salmon Festival.
A weekly Irish music session in the Great National Hotel Ballina promises an evening of lively entertainment every Thursday for the summer.
The Bofield branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is bringing together some of the finest Irish music and dance talent in the county to present these summer shows, which will also feature songs and storytelling.
Bofield CCE has celebrated another busy year so far, including its involvement in the staging of the Mayo Fleadh Cheoil last May.
The seisiún is a great night out for locals and visitors alike, and Bofield CCE is extending an invite to other musicians, singers and dancers to join in as well.
The weekly seisiún begins this Thursday night, July 17, at 8.30pm, running for six weeks.
Twenty years after the ESB Generating Station in Bellacorick ceased production, anyone who worked there during its more than 40-year history is invited to come along to the Oweninny Wind Farm Visitor Centre for a special event later this month.
Former workers from the Bord na Móna plant in Oweninny are also invited to an evening of reminiscing on Friday, July 25.
Not only will the gathering be an opportunity to share memories, but also it will provide an insight into the work of the new Oweninny Wind Farm, which is the largest onshore wind farm in Ireland.
Oweninny Wind Farm, a joint venture between ESB and Bord na Móna, was established to generate renewable electricity for the domestic electricity market in Ireland. The project site comprises approximately 2,400 hectares and was formerly utilised for peat harvesting by Bord na Móna. The peat provided fuel for the nearby ESB Bellacorick power station, which ceased operation in 2005.
The purpose-built Visitor Interpretative Centre in Oweninny has been developed to provide insight into the history of power generation and peat production, wind energy development, the bog rehabilitation programme, ecological interests and the social history of the area.
The centre is an interactive exhibition space that focuses on the science, engineering and technology behind renewable energy while raising awareness of climate change and considering the landscape in which the wind farm is based.
If you would like to come along to this special visitor evening for former workers of the ESB and Bord na Móna sites, then please email the manager of Oweninny Wind Farm Visitor Centre, Kathy Rowland, at kathy.rowland@bnm.ie.
The event will take place from 6pm, with refreshments also served.
Over 90 players participated in the recent Vice-Captain’s Prize at Ballina Golf Club, which was played in ideal conditions on a top-notch course.
Gregory Battle won the competition, and was presented with his prize by John Slater, the vice-captain. The overall ladies winner was Mary Tighe with an excellent score of 70 nett.
The competition results were as follows: 1st - Gregory Battle, 64 nett; 2nd - Robert McGinty, 66 nett; 3rd - Niall McLoughlin, 68 nett; Gross - Eoin Devaney, 74 nett; Category 1 - Shane Melia, 69 nett; Category 2 - Dermot Timlin, 68 nett; Category 3 - Nicky McLoughlin, 69 nett; Front 9 - Des Sweeney; and Back 9 - Niall Brennan.
The club thanked John Slater and Prestige Bathrooms and Tiles for their sponsorship.
Teas, sandwiches and homemade pastries, including gluten free goodies, will be served in Ballina Presbyterian Church Hall, Walsh Street during Heritage Day tomorrow, Wednesday, July 16.
Call in from 10am onwards, with all proceeds raised going to local charities.
Walsh Street is located just off Pearse Street, Ballina and the hall is close to the main entrance of the Jackie Clarke Collection.
The death has taken place of Thomas Mullins, 28 Tyrawley Terrace, Ballina.
Thomas is survived by his beloved wife Dawn, son Tommy, daughter Lucy and mother Mary.
He will be sadly missed by his wife, son, daughter, mother, sisters Catherine and Rosie, mother-in-law Brenda, brother-in-law Reggie, sisters-in-law Sharon and Tracy, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends.
He was predeceased by his father Thomas Mullin (Snr).
Thomas reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Wednesday evening last. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Thursday, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
On this coming Saturday, July 19, TheNCF Cultural Co-op centre on Pearse Street, Ballina will be alive to the sounds of DJs Cormac Quinn and Ronan O'Reilly.
The pair – aka DJ Quincy & DJ Row-Z - will play a DJ set that features a mix of house and techno genres, incorporating some live instrumentation into the set. The duo would also like to use a VJ, if anyone is interested in participating.
All funds from this gig go to water projects in Gaza.
The show starts at 9pm.
The death has taken place in Leeds of John Patrick Mullarkey, formerly of Glenree, Bonniconlon and latterly of Alwoodley, Leeds, England.
John Patrick is survived by his wife Rose, son Stephen and grandchildren Caragh, Emma, Sinead, Joe, Isla and Gracie.
Following Requiem Mass in the Immaculate Heart Church, Leeds last Friday, John Patrick was buried in Harewood Cemetery, Leeds.
The streets of Ballina have been buzzing with music this week as the Ballina Busking Competition continues in the town centre, all part of the 2025 Ballina Salmon Festival.
Expect to catch some incredible talent throughout the week as a diverse mix of entertainers bring the town to life with energy, creativity and enthusiasm each day until Saturday, with the exception of National Heritage Day on Wednesday, July 16. Judging will take place daily between 1 and 2pm.
The excitement will be building up to the grand final, where the top performers will battle it out on the main stage of the closing night’s open-air jamboree at Emmet Street on Saturday, July 19. For more details, please email bsfbuskingcomp@gmail.com.
The 2025 Ballina Busking Competition is sponsored by Campion Freight.
The death has taken place of Tony McGowan, Carrowcushlaun, Ballina.
Tony was the beloved father of Susan Harte (Ransboro, Sligo), Christopher (Westport), Carol O’Dea (Ballina) and Antoinette Carden (Ballina).
He will be sadly missed by his daughters, son, sons-in-law Michael, Sean and Pete, daughter-in-law Colette, grandchildren Aine, Micheál, Peter, Matthew, Mark, Moya, Ava, Ella, Isla, Honora, Anthony and Harriet, brothers Joe and Mick, sisters May and Kathleen, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his wife Marion, parents Martin and Mary, brothers Patrick, Gerry, Walter and Cormac, and sister Madge.
Tony reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina and Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral. Burial took place in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
Members of Ballina Pioneer Total Abstinence Association are reminded that the organisation’s annual pilgrimage to Knock Shrine will take place this coming Sunday, July 20.
The PTAA pilgrimage begins at 2pm with Rosary, and the traditional Anointing of the Sick ceremony at 2.30pm. There will be Concelebrated Mass starting at 3pm, followed by Eucharistic Blessing, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and a Rosary Procession to the shrine, weather permitting.
Safe Ireland, the charity which works to create confident and competent community-based responses to domestic, sex, gender and sexuality-based violence, will benefit from an event in Ballina Stephenites GAA clubhouse next week.
The club has organised a post-Salmon Festival quiz where you can wind down and relax after a busy week in Ballina while taking part in eight fun rounds of questions that will include trivia, a picture round, audio and a few quirky curveballs thrown in for good measure!
With Elaine Tighe at the helm, the quiz will be in safe hands, and all of the money raised will go to Safe Ireland West.
The taking part costs €10 per person or €40 for a team of four, and your presence will help support female and child victims of domestic abuse.
The quiz is on Friday, July 25, at 8.30pm, with some great prizes and a raffle on offer. Gratitude has been extended to the local business community who have kindly donated to this eagerly-anticipated night out.
