Local Notes: Henry's new book is sure to be a bestseller
Retired Western People photographer Henry Wills is publishing a book of his best images.
There is great delight in Ballina at the announcement that Henry Wills is to publish a collection of his many outstanding images from his 50 years as a photographer with the .
The Facebook page was inundated with good wishes for Henry when details of the new book, entitled , were revealed last week.
The book is being launched at Mount Falcon Estate by former President of Ireland Mary Robinson next Friday evening, November 17, and will be available in all local shops from Monday, November 20. Further details on outlets in the coming weeks.
Best wishes, Henry, for a fantastic launch.
Ballina Chamber of Commerce is urging people to shop local this Christmas, pointing to the fact that every €1 spent locally is worth €4 to the economy of the Ballina area.
The business organisation has produced gift vouchers especially for use in outlets in and around Ballina.
The Ballina ‘Shop Local Gift Vouchers’ come in denominations of €10, €25 and €50. They are redeemable in most outlets in Ballina and its environs and can be used in various shops, restaurants, hotels, beauticians and hair salons.
Not only that, but the use of the gift voucher is not limited to the Christmas period, and can be exchanged all year round.
The vouchers are ideal as Christmas presents, birthday presents, anniversary gifts or for any occasion, giving the opportunity to treat family and friends while allowing them the freedom to choose where to spend the voucher.
Chamber members who would like to participate in the scheme should contact 096-72800.
You can buy your voucher from the Ballina Chamber of Commerce office at Pearse Street, Ballina (above the Tourist Office), or online at www.ballina.ie.
Line Dancing has resumed in the Kennedy Glasgow Centre, The Quay, Ballina.
Each Tuesday from now until Tuesday, December 5, the dance sessions will be under the tutelage of top instructor Maria, and everyone is welcome to attend. The fun classes – organised by Craoibhín Ballina - start at 12 noon for one hour, and the fee is €8 per week.
There are also classes for those who would like to learn to play a musical instrument. Just bring along your own instrument and see how quickly you can learn. The music lessons, running from 2 to 3pm on Thursday afternoons, are open to everyone at a cost of €8.
Ballina Active Retirement Association (ARA) has announced that its monthly quiz will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, November 15, at 1pm in the Pastoral Centre. Pat Mongan will be the quizmaster and Pam Fleming will be the scorekeeper.
The Pastoral Centre is located on the grounds of St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina, and all are welcome.
There will be whist sessions for group members on Wednesdays, November 22 and 29, and again on Wednesday, December 6, all starting at 2pm, and chair yoga sessions with Amy on Thursdays, November 16 and 23.
The Ballina group will mark its 21st anniversary with a celebratory dinner and overnight stay in the Ocean Sands Hotel, Enniscrone, on Thursday, November 30.
Thursday, December 14 is the date set aside for the members’ annual Christmas Dinner, taking place this year in the Merry Monk, Killala Road, Ballina.
This year’s Carols by Candlelight Christmas Concert from The Moy Singers will have the added charm and excitement of a large orchestra, a string quartet and soloists.
The concert on Saturday, November 25, is a traditional Christmas favourite for audiences in the region, with people travelling from far and wide to enjoy the singing and ebullient performance of this wonderful choral group.
Ballina marks 300 years since it was formally established in 1723 and The Moy Singers will be recognising the valuable contribution that Ballina 2023 events have made to the town this year, as the extensive celebrations come to a close.
The Sligo Academy of Music Sinfonietta will also be performing during this year’s Carols by Candlelight Christmas Concert.
Tickets, at €20, are now available for the concert. These can be purchased from choir members, from Ballina Tourist Office (Pearse Street), or directly from the Great National Hotel on 096-23600, or email info@hotelballina.ie.
Mayo Cancer Support Association Church Gate Collection will take place in Ballina this weekend. The collections are at Masses in both St Muredach's Cathedral and St Patrick's Church on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19.
Mayo Cancer Support Association is a registered charity that provides free support services to local people affected by cancer, and the public’s continued generosity is very much appreciated. It provides outreach clinics in Ballina every Tuesday, available by appointment only. Its services include complementary therapies like massage, reiki and reflexology.
To make an appointment, or to volunteer to assist with the church gate collection, please call 094-9038407 during office hours. You can also call 087-2804164 to make a clinic appointment.
Ballina’s Stuart Moyles will join John Hogan and Declan Nerney for a country music night in the Great National Hotel Ballina this weekend.
Stuart, who is getting ready to release a Christmas single, has just dropped the new video for his song ‘Jessie’, which was recorded in The Glasshouse, Sligo.
The ‘Big Country Dance Special’ will also welcome Declan Nerney’s band, guaranteeing a night of popular country music favourites from top-class musicians.
The show is on this Friday, November 17, with dancing from 10pm to late. Admission is €20.
The death has taken place of Brian Edwin Packer, Mossgrove Village, Ballina and formerly of Crawley, West Sussex, England.
Brian was the beloved husband of Linda and dear father to Tina, Faye and Ben.
He will be sadly missed by his wife, daughters, son, grandchildren Luke, Amelia, Thomas, Annabel, Charlotte, Holly, Max, Chloe and Harry, brother Tony, sisters Christine and Gillian, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his parents Ron and Rose.
Brian reposed at McGowan’s Funeral Home, Ballina on Wednesday of last week. The Committal Service for Brian was held in Shannon Crematorium on Thursday.
The annual general meeting of Ballina Stephenites GAA Club Bord na nÓg will take place on Wednesday, November 22. The AGM starts at 9pm in the clubhouse. All members, parents and anyone interested in helping out are invited to attend.
Culleens National School, Ballina is staging a table quiz this Thursday, November 16. The fun event will take place in The Cot and Cobble Bar and Restaurant, Sligo Road, starting at 9pm. Entry is €5 per person with a raffle for some fabulous prizes on the night.
Alone, the national organisation that enables older people to age at home, has come together with Mayo-based social prescribing service Flourish to present Tuesday evening Tea Sessions in Ballina this month.
Flourish is one of the support services provided by the Family Centre in Castlebar, covering Mayo.
The Flourish service is ideal for any adult who feels that they would like to explore ways to meet new people and develop new interests and hobbies.
Flourish can support your health and wellbeing by linking you with activities, supports and resources based in your community, such as social groups, arts and creativity, physical activities, learning new skills, further education, outdoor activities, support groups and ways to self-care.
Flourish activities support the well-researched fact that developing our interests and having a good network of friends impacts positively on our health and wellbeing.
Every Tuesday during November, Ballina Manor Hotel, located in the town centre, will be the venue for a cup of tea and a chat, where you can meet like-minded people and talk about whatever matters to you, from 6.30pm each week.
For more information, you you call Maria on 087-1857280.
Mindspace Mayo offers a support service to young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years at its outreach service in Ballina Family Resource Centre.
The service is available to those in that age category presenting with anything from common concerns, such as dealing with break-up, exam stress or bullying, to those with emerging mental health difficulties, such as mild depression and anxiety.
The outreach service will run for three days a week (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday), and is based in Ballina Family Resource Centre, which is located at Abbey Street, Ardnaree.
For further information on Mindspace Mayo, you can visit its website at www.mindspacemayo.ie or telephone the organisation on 094-9067001.
The prize-giving ceremony for the Decade of Centenaries All-Island History Competition took place recently in Aula Maxima, University College Cork. The prize winners in this illustrious competition included a group of students who submitted a winning project when they were sixth-class pupils in the Quay National School, Ballina.
The team consisted of James Brisson, Eoghan Gallagher, Jack O'Connor and Natan Kowalczyk. The class teachers of the four students involved were Meghann Reape and Marie Gilvarry.
The Decade of Centenaries marked the significant events that comprised the revolutionary and independence periods of Irish history.
One of the main themes of the Decade of Centenaries was to recognise the women who played important roles in this period of Irish history. To that end, the then students of the Quay National School who compiled the winning project focused on Dr Kathleen Lynn, a Killala native who had a key role in the suffragette movement in Ireland and was Chief Medical Officer for the revolutionaries during the 1916 Rising.
One of the recommendations from the Quay National School pupils was that the new National Children's Hospital in Dublin be named in her honour.
At the prize-giving ceremony in Cork, Dr Finola Doyle O'Neill commended the project from the Quay National School for teasing out, what seemed to be, contradictory aspects of Kathleen Lynn's life and her dedication to Irish independence and the health of children.
The medals and certificates were presented by the Head of the History Department in UCC, Dr Hiram Morgan.
A Digital Masterclass in association with Ballina Chamber of Commerce next week will help local businesses explore the latest technologies and discuss the ways in which digital tools can help you to drive efficiency in your organisation.
The two-hour session is on Wednesday, November 22, at 7pm and will be presented by Angelina Nugent, Ailish Irvine and Lisa Finn. It takes place in The Newman Institute, located in the grounds of St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina.
This event is suitable for business owners or anyone involved in managing an organisation's administrative or marketing duties.
Places are limited. You can book online at Eventbrite or contact Ballina Chamber of Commerce at 096-72800.
