Justin’s Little Guide
City/town information
Ballina is a pretty & practical West of Ireland town & has everything & anything you might need during a short visit or extended stay. Banks, Supermarkets, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Pubs, Hotels, Clothes Shops, Chemists, Specialist Grocers & even a Cinema, all set around the beautiful Moy River.
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Ballina
Ballina is a pretty & practical West of Ireland town & has everything & anything you might need during a short visit or extended stay. Banks, Supermarkets, Coffee Shops, Restaurants, Pubs, Hotels, Clothes Shops, Chemists, Specialist Grocers & even a Cinema, all set around the beautiful Moy River.
Castlebar is just 30 minutes drive from Ballina & has many more shops & amenities. It's the county town of County Mayo, has a campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the Country Life section of the National Museum of Ireland are two important local amenities. The town is linked by railway to Dublin, Westport and Ballina. The main route by road is the N5.
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Castlebar
Castlebar is just 30 minutes drive from Ballina & has many more shops & amenities. It's the county town of County Mayo, has a campus of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and the Country Life section of the National Museum of Ireland are two important local amenities. The town is linked by railway to Dublin, Westport and Ballina. The main route by road is the N5.
Around 50 minutes from Ballina, Westport is a town on the edge of an Atlantic inlet, on Ireland’s west coast, its very pretty Georgian town centre is a busy tourist spot with plenty to do. Stone bridges link the tree-lined promenade on the banks of the Carrowbeg River. Rockfleet Castle and Burrishoole Abbey, both to the northwest, have ties to the 16th-century pirate queen, Grace O’ Malley. The Great Western Greenway bike and pedestrian trail runs from Westport to Achill Island, in the northwest. Just 40 minutes south is the stunning national park of Connemara, containing Ireland's only Fjord centred around the pretty little village of Leenane.
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Westport
Around 50 minutes from Ballina, Westport is a town on the edge of an Atlantic inlet, on Ireland’s west coast, its very pretty Georgian town centre is a busy tourist spot with plenty to do. Stone bridges link the tree-lined promenade on the banks of the Carrowbeg River. Rockfleet Castle and Burrishoole Abbey, both to the northwest, have ties to the 16th-century pirate queen, Grace O’ Malley. The Great Western Greenway bike and pedestrian trail runs from Westport to Achill Island, in the northwest. Just 40 minutes south is the stunning national park of Connemara, containing Ireland's only Fjord centred around the pretty little village of Leenane.
The town of Sligo, in the north of Ireland is around 50 minutes from Ballina & straddles the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage and rugged countryside. Ruined medieval Sligo Abbey has carved tombs and a 15th-century altar. Sligo County Museum displays memorabilia of local poet W.B. Yeats, paintings and Stone Age artefacts. The Model is a contemporary arts centre featuring works by 20th-century Irish artists. Sligo town has a wide variety of shops, cafe's & restaurants, there is also a large hospital here, just minutes from the town centre.
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Sligo
The town of Sligo, in the north of Ireland is around 50 minutes from Ballina & straddles the Garavogue River where it meets Sligo Bay. It’s known for its literary heritage and rugged countryside. Ruined medieval Sligo Abbey has carved tombs and a 15th-century altar. Sligo County Museum displays memorabilia of local poet W.B. Yeats, paintings and Stone Age artefacts. The Model is a contemporary arts centre featuring works by 20th-century Irish artists. Sligo town has a wide variety of shops, cafe's & restaurants, there is also a large hospital here, just minutes from the town centre.
Around 1.45hr drive from Ballina, Galway is Ireland's third largest city, set around a harbour on the west coast, where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s hub is 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by shops and traditional pubs that often offer live Irish folk music. Nearby, stone-clad cafes, boutiques and art galleries line the winding lanes of the Latin Quarter, which retains portions of the medieval city walls.
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Galway
Around 1.45hr drive from Ballina, Galway is Ireland's third largest city, set around a harbour on the west coast, where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. The city’s hub is 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by shops and traditional pubs that often offer live Irish folk music. Nearby, stone-clad cafes, boutiques and art galleries line the winding lanes of the Latin Quarter, which retains portions of the medieval city walls.
Sightseeing
Keem Bay is located past Dooagh village in the west of Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains a Blue Flag beach. The bay was formerly the site of a basking shark fishery.
It is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world & is genuinely breath-taking, the drive from Ballina to Keem Bay is almost as spectacular, with many beautiful sites on the way, including travelling across Achill Island to get to the bay.
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Keem Beach
Keem Bay is located past Dooagh village in the west of Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. It contains a Blue Flag beach. The bay was formerly the site of a basking shark fishery.
It is regularly voted as one of the best beaches in the world & is genuinely breath-taking, the drive from Ballina to Keem Bay is almost as spectacular, with many beautiful sites on the way, including travelling across Achill Island to get to the bay.
Connemara is one of the most stunning parts of Ireland to visit, everywhere you look are striking natural sights, it really is unforgettable & features the countries only fjord centred on the village of Leenane.
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Connemara-Nationalpark
Connemara is one of the most stunning parts of Ireland to visit, everywhere you look are striking natural sights, it really is unforgettable & features the countries only fjord centred on the village of Leenane.
National Marian shrine and pilgrimage centre with a museum about the reported apparition of 1879.
A large site with well kept grounds & a beautiful, modern cathedral at its centre.
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Knock Shrine
National Marian shrine and pilgrimage centre with a museum about the reported apparition of 1879.
A large site with well kept grounds & a beautiful, modern cathedral at its centre.
Enniscrone beach is one of the safest and tidiest beaches along the west coast of Ireland. Enniscrone beach, a safe, fabulous golden beach which stretches for an amazing 5km.”
Surrounding the beach on one side is a lively little seaside town called Enniscrone, on the other side the beach meets Killala Bay. Activities range from surfing, golfing, walking, horse riding, fishing, swimming and a wide range of summer camps that are held throughout the summer months, there is something for everyone. Enniscrone Beach is an idyllic location for Surfing holidays in Ireland.
With over two miles of excellent surfing conditions suitable for the novice and intermediate surfer. Two surf schools are available in a safe and enjoyable environment with surfboards and wet suits provided. Making Enniscrone the perfect location for a surfing holiday in Ireland.
Enniscrone is home to one of the finest links courses in the world for Golf in Irelandand Ireland Golf Breaks. Rated as one the top 100 Golf Links in the world, Enniscrone Championship Golf Links is a challenging course offering panoramic views of Killala Bay, Bartragh Island and Enniscrone beach making it the perfect location for a Golf Holiday in Ireland.
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Enniscrone Beach
1 Bridge StEnniscrone beach is one of the safest and tidiest beaches along the west coast of Ireland. Enniscrone beach, a safe, fabulous golden beach which stretches for an amazing 5km.”
Surrounding the beach on one side is a lively little seaside town called Enniscrone, on the other side the beach meets Killala Bay. Activities range from surfing, golfing, walking, horse riding, fishing, swimming and a wide range of summer camps that are held throughout the summer months, there is something for everyone. Enniscrone Beach is an idyllic location for Surfing holidays in Ireland.
With over two miles of excellent surfing conditions suitable for the novice and intermediate surfer. Two surf schools are available in a safe and enjoyable environment with surfboards and wet suits provided. Making Enniscrone the perfect location for a surfing holiday in Ireland.
Enniscrone is home to one of the finest links courses in the world for Golf in Irelandand Ireland Golf Breaks. Rated as one the top 100 Golf Links in the world, Enniscrone Championship Golf Links is a challenging course offering panoramic views of Killala Bay, Bartragh Island and Enniscrone beach making it the perfect location for a Golf Holiday in Ireland.
Food scene
The Ice House Restaurant is great for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner in Ballina.
Originally called the ‘Iceland Cottage’ The Ice House & restaurant is steeped in history. Strategically positioned on the Moy Estuary, (which became the principal sea-port of Ireland) in the late 18th and early 19th century tons of wild salmon were preserved here under ice before being shipped to the markets of Dublin and Liverpool.
Ice House Hotel
The Quay LaneThe Ice House Restaurant is great for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner in Ballina.
Originally called the ‘Iceland Cottage’ The Ice House & restaurant is steeped in history. Strategically positioned on the Moy Estuary, (which became the principal sea-port of Ireland) in the late 18th and early 19th century tons of wild salmon were preserved here under ice before being shipped to the markets of Dublin and Liverpool.
The Connacht distillery story starts on the northwest coast of Ireland, in the wild, rugged, landscape of county Mayo in the province of Connacht.
Founded by master distiller Robert Cassell and a team that saw the potential in Irish whiskey, the derelict old Duffy’s bakery site in Ballina was painstakingly renovated, with whiskey production commencing in 2016.
Situated where the river Moy’s pure, fresh, water rushes down to meet the in-flowing salty Atlantic ocean, dramatic shifts in atmospheric pressure exert an ever-changing influence on the whiskey maturing in our barrels.
Tours of the distillery are offered, please call ahead to see if they're available.
Connacht Whiskey Company
The Connacht distillery story starts on the northwest coast of Ireland, in the wild, rugged, landscape of county Mayo in the province of Connacht.
Founded by master distiller Robert Cassell and a team that saw the potential in Irish whiskey, the derelict old Duffy’s bakery site in Ballina was painstakingly renovated, with whiskey production commencing in 2016.
Situated where the river Moy’s pure, fresh, water rushes down to meet the in-flowing salty Atlantic ocean, dramatic shifts in atmospheric pressure exert an ever-changing influence on the whiskey maturing in our barrels.
Tours of the distillery are offered, please call ahead to see if they're available.