Ballina is a beautiful town and a great place to visit, situated beside the scenic River Moy in County Mayo.

History, culture, and natural beauty can make this town charming. History enthusiasts, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone in need of a quaint retreat: Ballina is a place to go!

Therefore, get on board and get to know the top ten places and things to do that make Ballina the place you have to visit!

Belleek Castle 

One of the hidden corners of Ireland is the Belleek Castle. This treasure can be easily discovered at Belleek Woods, which is a short drive away from Ballina, Co. Mayo. It only takes as little as 10 euros per adult to visit the castle. 

The Belleek Castle is an old castle that was indeed constructed in the year 1831. The edifice was erected on behalf of Sir Arthur Francis Knox-Gore as a commission and the architect was John Benjamin Keanes. It used to be 10 thousand Pounds back then!  

The Knox-Gore family dwelt there until 1942. Thereafter, Mayo County Council bought the house in the 1950s. The curious thing is that since this castle was used as a sanatorium for female patients, who were affected with tuberculosis. 

It was later bought by a Merchant Navy officer Marshall Doran. And this fellow was a globetrotter, and he gathered a great many fossils, and armours and other things. These are lovingly preserved in the wonderful museum.

Marshall renovated it and turned it into a hotel around 1970. On the castle tour you can enjoy all his work. The mentions to sailing and ships are numerous. Factually, the bar is also equipped like a ship. It has a whole lot of other rooms such as the Medieval Banquet Hall, the Spanish Armada Bar, as well as the Marshall Doran Collection which carries an outstanding collection of medieval armour. Without any doubt, you will also fall in love with this beautiful building. 

The dining is also a beautiful place. You can order their afternoon tea and choose the remaining part of the product online at their site.

The golf course is the town’s secret gem that is open throughout the time. 

Connacht Whiskey Company

When it is raining in Ballina and you cannot find anything to do then the Connacht Whiskey Company can be a wonderful idea!

As we are aware, Ireland is the paradise of pub enthusiasts. However, in Ballina Connacht Whiskey Company will tell you about your drinks! 

During this tour, you would be able to taste the samples of the best whiskeys of the region.

It is located in the banks of the River Moy. The small craft Irish whiskey distillery is privately owned and features touring, sampling and a beautiful gift shop. You may reserve your tour at 12.30 PM and 3.30 PM. 

Belleek Castle 

In case you just love nature then Ballina has got the best thing to give! Here it has the popular Belleek Castle which is the largest urban wood in Europe! The beautiful forest is more than 1,000 acres large and boasts wiggly paths, archaeological sites as well as peaceful walks along the river. 

It is mostly hiked, walked, run and used on nature trips. The Knox Gore family planted more than two million trees in the 19th century, most of which were Oak, Beech, Ash, Sycamore, Chestnut, Lime, Willow and Yew. Here, there are a number of trails which will take you through beautiful Irish woodlands.

Inside the numerous paths, you will find the richness of the native wildlife and flowers like Iris, Foxglove and Primroses. Wandering in nature, there will appear some historical spots such as the monument of the Horse Grave. 

This forest was also known by people as the paradise of the children! Belleek Forest can be the most appropriate place to spend a great family day out. With thousands of trees to climb on, ducks to feed and trails to walk through, rare red squirrels to see and so many other things! As with Hogwarts, your child will be able to race up and down the hills, or bike around the track alongside the river and look behind the trees. 

Here, another good-looking place is Belleek Castle Fairy Trail. Here you will find small little fairie houses, high up in the trees, and camouflaged in tree roots. Vivid and small, colorful and tiny, each house portrays the personality of its small inhabitant!

It is an excellent place to take a break and de-stress because the wildlife sings in the trees of this clean and tidy location.

Jackie Clarke Collection

A site visit to the Jackie Clarke Collection can be the most captivating site visit to you in case you are a fan of historical collections. The museum is outstanding with a colossal amount of artefacts, documents of the Irish struggle to independence in the country. The exhibits comprise unique manuscripts, famous memorabilia and give an interesting look back at the past of the country. 

You will also visit a collection of rare books and newspapers, autographs, letters, posters, prints, photographs and so on. You will find here some of the things that are related to the historical personalities of Ireland, like the name of Michael Collins, O’Donnovan Rossa and Wolfe Tone.

It possesses more than 100,000 objects covering 400 years. 

This delightful red brick 19th-century Victorian house has a superb location on Pearse Street in Ballina on the banks of the River Moy. The visitors also have an opportunity to explore the magnificent heritage garden of the Collection. This museum could be an ideal spot to go to in case of a rainy day! 

Downpatrick Head in Ballycastle

The other excellent site to visit in Ballina is Downpatrick Head in Ballycastle. During the castle tour, you are able to enjoy the best collection of Jurassic fossils. Marshall Doran Collection of Mediaeval Weapons and Mediaeval Armour of Ireland at Belleek Castle is brimming.  Just think it over: you are facing the stand with these rare and precious artefacts!

And you will also have an opportunity of gazing upon the bed of Grace O Malley, the Pirate Queen, and the last wolf ever shot in Connaught and other curiosities. It also has a holy well and also a stone cross, and a tiny structure which was a look-out post in WW2. An amazing experience for all ages!

It is an awe-inspiring coastal attraction which is only a brief distance away from Ballina. In this case, one can see dramatic sea cliffs, sea stacks and natural arches, which are formed by the powerful impact of the Atlantic Ocean.

Ballina Arts Centre

The Ballina is also popular in terms of arts and culture besides these historical sites. And you can put yourself into a beautiful environment of exhibitions, theatre productions, concerts, and movies here in Ballina.

The Ballina Arts Centre also hosts many arts events that can suit all generations. It introduces conventional demonstrations and participatory encounters in diverse kinds of artworks, including music, dance, and visual arts. Their events are very diverse and they have entertained a lot of international and local celebrities.

The best is that the centre offers tremendous assistance to local and national independent artists. That is not all because they also possess a pretty multi-purpose building which provides them with stunning views of the River Moy! To know more about them, visit their website.

North Mayo Heritage Centre

The North Mayo Heritage Centre works on keeping the thick history of this place intact. The most amazing thing is that this centre has received the An Taisce Green Flag since 2019. 

This facility is found in the  Enniscoe House which is 2 miles north of Crossmolina in Mayo. 

The resource available in this centre offers Genealogical research of the North Mayo Diaspora, having access to over 1.2 million records. The centre conducts numerous cultural programmes, events, workshops and exhibitions in the course of the year. 

It consists of a variety of small museums and the location is the home of a bunch of artefacts of North Mayo. Victorian Organic Garden is not to be overlooked too! The garden is a very old one in the country. 

Sincerely speaking, even Enniscoe House is by itself one of the prettiest Georgian houses in the area. The view of Lough Conn will be the best to enjoy not missing the spot. They are open all year round through their looped strolls. And then in case you need to host any event then the self-contained meeting room is always ready. 

The centre is at the moment closed to people but will be opened again by April 2024. Here is the information that you should be aware of! 

The River Moy

Along the heritage centres, you will find numerous enjoyable activities that you can engage in in Ballina! For instance, fishing in the River Moy.

The River Moy is recording its reputation as one of the best rivers in Europe with regard to salmon fishing. If you are an experienced fisherman or a newbie fan, give fly fishing a shot! They provide the facility to take all the equipment required to fish. The guides who happen to be the residents around can also be used to make your trip more pleasant.  

The members of staff are also able to inform you about the places where you can access the necessary angling licence. When one is fishing for salmon on the River Moy, the best time is during rain. We will have the best time if you can come in July! Ballina even has an annual salmon festival, which happens every year in July. 

The Ceide Fields

The Ceide Fields will provide you with the atmosphere of the Neolithic countryside. The place has also been an abode of the oldest field systems in the world. It has an archaeological monument in the background of a dramatic rock formation.  

It is on the viewing platform on the edge of the 110-metre-high cliff and you will get the best views ever. And what you can see there on the guided tour is the ruins of the stone field dividers, megalithic tombs and audio-visual presentations.

Surfing! 

Up to a dare to surf? Then the 7th Wave Surf School is just there to assist you! This is a family-owned and human surf school that serves surfers of any age! The adults, as well, will be able to relax and enjoy this fun atmosphere, besides the children.

In addition to this, Enniscrone’s gently flowing waves offer a good site near Ballina and it takes a 15-minute drive. In this case, all instructors are ISA qualified. Further, there is full insurance and handling of all equipment. Your child may join a surf camp or get personal lessons or the family can simply rent equipment and have a go at it yourselves!

Another location that provides learners with a place is known as Tonn Nua Surf School in Goush Beach. This is a wonderfully beautiful beach located at Mullet Peninsula, County Mayo, Ireland. It will require just a 15-minute drive from Belmullet Town.

Unique surf schools. Not just any school, but surf schools as Tonn Nua Surf School, where you can join the summer camps in July and August. Therefore, we take your child and go with him to this surfing treat  

Based on the wine testing, surfing, Ballina attracts visitors with the everlasting charm. If you are yearning to lose yourselves in cultural immersion, an outdoor adventure or even taking a relaxing journey in the comfort of your holiday, then this town is worth visiting. Therefore, grab your satchels, buckle up and explore the secrets of tourism in Ballina, Ireland. It will leave you spellbound because of its beauty and warmth and you will have memories to cherish forever.