Local Notes: Craoibhín will move to old convent school in Ballina
Pictured at the Paddy O’Brien Memorial Walk in association with Ballina Lions Club held at Belleek track in Ballina were, from left: Pat O'Brien, Brona O'Brien, Maria O'Brien, Rachel O'Brien, Lucy O'Brien, Lily O'Brien Amy Furey and Nuala O'Brien. Picture: John O'Grady
Greater space, more activities and a dedicated drop-in centre will enhance the role of Craoibhín Ballina in the community when it moves to a new location later in the autumn.
Craoibhín Ballina was set up as a Moy Valley Resources IRD programme in 2008. Originally known as the Over-55 Club, it has been operating from a base on Cathedral Road, Ballina ever since. Seventeen years later, Craoibhín Ballina is a shining example of what social inclusion is all about.
The landmark building on Cathedral Road, which was once Ballina Vocational School, was the original headquarters of Moy Valley Resources before the organisation relocated to its larger offices and enterprise hub at Greenhills. Moy Valley Resources still runs the centre on Cathedral Road.
The move to a section of the former St Mary’s Secondary School, located just behind the old Convent building on McDermott Street, Ballina, will provide Craoibhín with extra room for activities and an expanded drop-in centre.
“This is a very positive step for our members and we are asking the community to bear with us during the transition as we get everything set up,” said Elizabeth Ferguson, the manager of Craoibhín Ballina.
“Our move will help us to develop improved facilities for the social connection and wellbeing of those using our services. We hope to transfer to our new location in October but we will announce a definite date as soon as we have one,” said Elizabeth.
To make the changeover easy, Craoibhín will operate a free shuttle bus between Cathedral Road and its new location.
From laneway music sessions to short readings, formwork and multimedia exhibitions to a special Christmas tree construction, Culture Night in Ballina this year is set to be an entertaining, educational and rewarding experience.
Culture Night takes place on Friday, September 19, and all events are free to attend. There are over 30 diverse Culture Night events taking place across Mayo, with Ballina hosting five of these.
Some of the attractive laneways around Ballina town centre will play host to live performances from local musicians and artists between 9pm and 11pm, and you will find more information on the social media pages of Lanewaysandsessions.
Mandy O’Neill will provide tours of her exhibition Formwork, currently running at Ballina Arts Centre. O’Neill uses photography in an instinctual and responsive manner to understand, process and contain the material and social environments in which we live. She is especially interested in our built environment, from schools and community venues to housing and institutional buildings.
In this exhibition, O’Neill presents a series of artworks responding to a particular site of development and dereliction in Dublin’s North inner city. The term formwork refers to a support system of grids, panels, props and beams used in building. O’Neill has extensively photographed formwork and shoring structures across the capital city and its suburbs, using these photographs as references for the creation of sculptural installations. The tours are at 6pm and 8pm and her exhibition will open from 4pm to 10pm on Culture Night.
A series of ten-minute readings by writers new and old is the Culture Night offering by TheNCF Cultural Co-op between 6.30pm and 8pm at its new, dedicated arts space on 5, Lower Pearse Street, Ballina.
'The Push and Pull' is a multimedia exhibition at Ballina Arts Centre from Katie Moore. Rooted in the beauty of the west of Ireland, 'The Push and Pull' explores the dualities of motherhood – the tenderness and tension, the giving and the grieving, the fierce love and quiet loss of self. Through a series of intimate, textured works, the artist captures the emotional rhythms of raising children.
This multimedia installation invites viewers into the ebb and flow of maternal experience where nature, body and memory collide. The result is a deeply personal yet universally resonant reflection on what it means to hold – and to be held – in the perfectly messy space of motherhood. Katie’s exhibition will open from 4pm to 10pm, with tours at 6pm and 8pm.
Calling all knitters, crocheters, and crafters of Ballina
Ballina Costume Company, in partnership with the Jackie Clarke Collection, is inviting the community to come together for a magical new project, the creation of a five-to-six feet knitted Christmas tree, to be unveiled in December 2025 in the Walled Heritage Garden of the Jackie Clarke Collection.
This unique community-made tree will become the centrepiece of the Jackie Clarke Collection’s ‘Sleeping Winter Garden’.
Whether you’re a lifelong stitcher or just picking up your first set of needles, Ballina Costume Company would love you to be part of this heart-warming seasonal creation. Come along to the Jackie Clarke Collection, Pearse Street at 7pm on Friday, September 19 to learn more, meet fellow crafters and begin your journey of stitching the spirit of Ballina into something truly magical.
Ballina Badminton Club’s juvenile activities will resume this coming Saturday, September 13. The sessions will be at 10am for primary school pupils and at 11.30am for secondary school students.
Membership is open to boys and girls from seven years of age and upwards.
The club operates out of Ballina Community Sports Centre, off Cathedral Road. Further information is available by email from ballinab@gmail.com.
The death has taken place of James Butler, Ballyhanrick, Knockmore, Ballina.
James will be greatly missed by his son Alan (Edel), daughters Áine (Christopher), Helen (Michael) and Nuala (Martin), grandchildren Meghan, Kate, Kian, Evan, Mia and Anna, brothers Tommy and Paddy, nieces, nephews, in-laws, relatives, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
He was predeceased by his beloved wife Mary, infant daughter Clare, parents Maud and Tom, and brothers Willie and Johnny.
James reposed at Clarke’s Funeral Home, Foxford. Funeral Mass was celebrated in the Church of Christ the King, Knockmore, with burial afterwards in Cloghans Cemetery, Ballina.
May he rest in peace.
MTV will add some thrills to the Ardnaree Sarsfields GAA Club Lip Sync 2025 contest, taking place this coming Saturday, September 13 at the Great National Hotel Ballina.
Twenty acts have been rehearsing hard to blitz the stage and entertain the audience for this fundraising event in aid of the prominent Ballina sports club.
Doors open at 7pm, and the show starts at 8pm.
Line Dancing classes will begin in Ballina Sports Centre, Cathedral Road, Ballina next week. Enjoy a morning of fun and exercise at these new sessions, beginning on Monday, September 15, at 11am. More information is available from Christopher on 086-8474744.
Back Yard Theatre Ensemble’s ‘Fractured Love’ brings some of Shakespeare’s much-loved heroines to Ballina in a production which deals with love, gender and identity.
The performance features original music and songs based on Shakespeare’s sonnets and is suitable for students.
The independent Back Yard Theatre Ensemble (BYTE) devised this unique theatre piece, which features Ellen Kiley, Amalia Krueger, Stevie McKeon and Joachim Matschoss.
The Australian ensemble comes to Ballina Arts Centre on Thursday, October 2. Tickets are €10, and can be booked online at www.ballinaartscentre.com. You can also call 096-73593 or email info@ballinaartscentre.com.
St Muredach's Cathedral Boys' Choir is now taking applications for new members for the coming year. Boys who are primary school pupils from third to sixth classes are welcome to join, with rehearsals taking place weekly.
The boys' choir sings once a month in St Muredach's Cathedral during the 6.30pm Saturday Mass, at the annual Christmas Carol Service and for other concerts in the community.
Boys that can play musical instruments such as flute, fiddle, accordion, guitar, etc are also welcome to apply. For more information, please email stmuredachsboyschoir@gmail.com.
The death has taken place of Andrew (Andy) Lynott, Station Road, Ballina and formerly of Scullibeen, Crossmolina.
Andy will be sadly missed by his loving daughter Mary Kilcullen and son Gus, son-in-law Emmet, devoted grandchildren Aoife and James Kilcullen, James’s partner Klera and their daughter Elizabeth (Andy’s great grandchild), nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his wife Margaret (née Howley), his parents Mary Kate (née Murphy) and John Lynott, and his siblings John Francis, Michael, Bridie Jordan, Vincent and Stanley.
Andy reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Wednesday evening of last week. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Thursday, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
May he rest in peace.
The Lady Captain’s Prize was played in excellent weather conditions on the last Sunday of August at Ballina Golf Club. There was an impressive turnout on the day, which was a testament to the great work carried out during the year by the Lady Captain of the club, Ann Cawley.
The overall winner was Sinead Fox, with a score of 68 nett. Other results were as follows: 2nd - Pauline Gilger, 69 nett; Gross - Shauna Smith, 81 gross; 3rd - Claire Cooke, 71 nett (Back 9); 4th - Elaine O’Hora, 71 nett; and 5th Stephanie Stapleton, 72 nett.
Dolores Tuohy took Category 1 with 74 nett, Margaret Healy took Category 2 with 73 nett and Catherine Mulligan took Category 3 with 78 nett.
Top of Front 9 was Frances Burke with 36 nett, and top of Back 9 was Josephine O’Hora with 35 nett.
The Past Captain’s prize went to Breege Lennon, scoring 79 nett, while the winner of the Men’s prize on the day was Jonathan Kelly, with 39 points.
The results of the competition played at Ballina Golf Club on Sunday, August 18 were as follows: 18-Hole Stableford, sponsored by Lundy Haulage: Overall Winner, Declan McManamon – 44pts; Category 1, Derek Roache – 37pts; Category 2, Brian O’Boyle – 40pts; and Category 3 - Michael O’Malley – 39pts.
Auditions will take place tomorrow for young people interested in becoming a member of Bofield Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, which is based at Culleens National School, Killala Road, Ballina.
For the audition, Bofield CCÉ is asking that the prospective member play and know by heart a minimum of a polka, and be taking, or be preparing to take, one-to-one lessons with a teacher.
Auditions are on Wednesday, September 10 at 4.30pm and more information is available from Sarah on 086-1943687.
The death has taken place of Fintan Greavy, Bonniconlon, Ballina.
Fintan is survived by his heartbroken family: sister Siobhán, brothers Damien and Thomas, brother-in-law Dara, sister-in-law Eleanor, nephew Daniel, niece Annabel, aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues at Ballina District Hospital and the Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar, neighbours and a large circle of friends.
He was predeceased by his father John James and, recently, by his mother Bridie.
Fintan reposed at the family home in Bonniconlon on Wednesday of last week. Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Bonniconlon on Thursday, with burial afterwards in Bonniconlon Cemetery.
May he rest in peace.
Ballina Toastmasters is reminding everyone that meetings will resume this coming Thursday night, September 11. The first meeting is at 7.45pm in the Great National Hotel, Old Foxford Road, Ballina.
The death has taken place of Fidelma Taylor (née Mullen), The Glebe, Ballina and formerly of Ardnaree, Ballina and Boston, USA.
Fidelma was the beloved wife of Buck and loving mother to Raynagh, Rebecca, Ryan and Reiannagh.
She will be sadly missed by her husband, children, Raynagh’s partner Emmet, Rebecca’s fiancé Adam, brothers Muredach (Ballina), Desmond (Wicklow), Eamon (England), Ian (Ballina), sisters Anne (Ballina), Lorraine (Ballina), Jacqueline (Ballina), brothers-in-law Keith, Johnnie and Sean, sisters-in-law Joan and Pam, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
She was predeceased by her parents John and Rita Mullen, brother Gerard, sister Mary (Maureen) and sister-in-law Mary Mullen.
Fidelma reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Friday of last week. Requiem Mass was celebrated in St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Saturday, followed by burial in Leigue Cemetery, Ballina.
May she rest in peace.
A golf classic in Carne Golf Club, Belmullet will be hosted by St Muredach’s College Parents’ Association, with proceeds raised going to support projects which will benefit students of the all-male Ballina Secondary School.
You can enter a team of four for €200, all-in, and GUI and non-GUI members are welcome.
Sponsors are also invited to help out with the fundraising. For example, a tee box/green costs €50, or you can also sponsor a prize.
The St Muredach’s College Parents’ Association Golf Classic is on Friday next, September 12, and further details are available from the chairperson, Julian Greham.
Meanwhile, the St Muredach's College Lotto fundraiser is also helping to raise much-needed funds towards key projects at the school. You can take part via the St Muredach’s College Alumni page on Linkedin. All money raised from this fundraising initiative will be spent in the area of extra-curricular activities and student support.
