What to do in Ballina

yellowpens

What is there for visitors in Ballina??? if you dont fish and you dont play golf and your older then ten what activities is there in Ballina (without a car)

barleybooley

Very little tbh my dear. There's a cinema and shops but apart from that not a whole lot but there is a bus station with buses going to so many destinations so you could make day trips here and there. Enniscrone is nice if it's sunny so I suppose you could knock one day out of it... If you're over eighteen, you could go to Longnecks on Thursday through to Sunday. That's about it really

There's also a bridge which you can jump off. About the only worth while thing in the town. I moved back for summer over a month ago and ahve never been so bored in my life. There's no jobs, noting to do during the day and if I Love You Man is still in the cinema next week I think I'll shoot the place up. I asked them about Last House on the Left and they said, "Were hoping to get it in sometime in July."

Captain Slow IRL

There is a go-karting track out the sligo road - at the blind brook golf club.
Belleek forest is a nice place to go for a walk, lots of history and sights along it.

Deleted User wrote: »

There's also a bridge which you can jump off. About the only worth while thing in the town.

This isn't a very nice comment to come out with, considering the amount of people who have lost their lives in the river over the years. I don't mean to have a go at you, but you could be a little more considerate.

Captain Slow IRL

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

This isn't a very nice comment to come out with, considering the amount of people who have lost their lives in the river over the years. I don't mean to have a go at you, but you could be a little more considerate.

True it may not be the nicest thing ever said but at the end of the day people die from a variety of endevours every single day. A friend of mine happend to try and kill himself by jumping in one day a few summers back but we still joke about it with him.

A jokes a joke, some people may take offence and thats ok but for every one whose offended there are a dozen who are'nt. Someone messaged me after I posted that to say that he agreed completely with me.

Asmodean

I don't think he was insinuating suicide lads, he meant you could jump off to go for a swim. You're all so pessimstic.
On a side note is that Jesus apparition still up on that house? That'd be worth a laugh. Could buy a jesus glow stick and everything, or a jesus ashtray.

Captain Slow IRL

I don't think there was ever an apparition on the house, just too much of grandad's cough medicine;);)

I was wondering about the apparition as I've never heard about it. I have been told numerous times of the priest who crossed the river and nearly got a wallop from a complete stranger when I suggested that perhaps the river had frozen over at the time.

carmelt

Sleep is the best thing you can do:)

Crotchety

There is a good activity that is practiced in and around Ballina. It's called "getting out of town".

♫

♫ wrote: »

There is a good activity that is practiced in and around Ballina. It's called "getting out of town".

That's practiced in pretty much every town in Ireland.

OP, can I ask what it is exactly that you are looking for. You'd be surprised by the number of things that you can do in Ballina.

As mentioned Belleek is a very nice place for a walk and has some very interesting parts of the forest and a rich history.

nayorleck114

Well if you don't drink, there is not much, Really I have tried. I moved from Dublin 6 years ago and well to be honest there is not much here.

1. Get a Bike, Ballina - Enniscrone via the coast road is great.
2. Main pool has a new gym which is not bad.
3. Cinema is acutally very good, new and good sound and seating (usually 90% empty)
4. Beleek Woods is a good visit.
5. Most of the pubs are horrible, the only good ones are the ones with some live music (if you can find them) Duffys I think, Crockets is ok on a sunny evening outside. An Brennas lane is good for Food.
6. The Main park has a new five aside football pitch, very good, also free tennis court.
7. Enniscrone good for surfing, beach is great for a walk.
8. Fishing (I hate)

There really is not much else.

Stroke Politics

Usta drink in Edward Gaughans fado, fadó when I lived in Ballina. Is it still there? Is the squash club in the pub in Bonniconlon still on the go?

yurmothrintites

Gaughan's pub is still open but they don't have an alcohol licence anymore. They just do food I think. As for the squash court I don't know.

WESTY123

There is a squash club, don't know details but it would have to be Ballina Leisure centre or Ballina Stephenites. There is a pool and snooker club opening in July/August. Unfortunately Ballina is a hub for unemployment especially in the current environment, there is little developent in tourisim and leisure, there are numerous clubs but usually used for locals (Mayo sports partnership has more details). There is a site, Ballinalive.com that ha more information including a live feed from the ridgepool.

yellowpens

WESTY123 wrote: »

There is a squash club, don't know details but it would have to be Ballina Leisure centre or Ballina Stephenites. There is a pool and snooker club opening in July/August. Unfortunately Ballina is a hub for unemployment especially in the current environment, there is little developent in tourisim and leisure, there are numerous clubs but usually used for locals (Mayo sports partnership has more details). There is a site, Ballinalive.com that ha more information including a live feed from the ridgepool.

Ya I seen that website ( www.ballinalive.com ), there doing an out and about section . . did ya see it?

here are a few pics from it:
http://www.ballinalive.com/index.php/Photo-Albums/Out-About-In-Ballina/Saturday-11-July-Festival-Weekend/Enjoying-the-music-in-Quattro-30.html#joomimg





its a great idea. . . reminds me a bit of a news paper in sligo that does this kind of thing nearly every week. . goin around to pubs and clubs etc. my mates used to always give mad weird names and would get the paper just to see did they publish the names . . . still it sold papers!!

-osborne-

get a bus and go to castlebar

mardybumbum

-osborne- wrote: »

get a bus and go to westport

FYP

There's a big festival on at the minute in Ballina. Don't think there's near as many people there as previous years and the decision to charge in for events which used to be free is a bit of a joke.

2 euro per person for the Teddy Bears picnic is a disgrace but I guess someone has to pay for the festival committee to travel to Dublin to launch the festival. Staying in 4 and 5 star hotels isn't cheap.

davidjb83

Ballina is great craic. I love Paddy Jordans

Asmodean

Poor Ballina as if it isn't bad enough already if the manulla line gets axed no-one will bother going there anymore.

Captain Slow IRL

Deleted User wrote: »

There's a big festival on at the minute in Ballina. Don't think there's near as many people there as previous years and the decision to charge in for events which used to be free is a bit of a joke.

2 euro per person for the Teddy Bears picnic is a disgrace but I guess someone has to pay for the festival committee to travel to Dublin to launch the festival. Staying in 4 and 5 star hotels isn't cheap.

There is feck all people around, went to krazy karts last night, don't think anyone had trouble seeing it.

I was off wednesday - able to see the heritage day for the first time in a long time, it's sickening to see all the stalls just trying to sell you ****. There were some good sights, but a lot of stuff missing.

And yer man at the tesco car park with the stall selling perfume and aftershave:rolleyes: "roll up, roll up":mad: **** OFF!

Captain Slow IRL

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

There is feck all people around, went to krazy karts last night, don't think anyone had trouble seeing it.

I was off wednesday - able to see the heritage day for the first time in a long time, it's sickening to see all the stalls just trying to sell you ****. There were some good sights, but a lot of stuff missing.

And yer man at the tesco car park with the stall selling perfume and aftershave:rolleyes: "roll up, roll up":mad: **** OFF!

I was hoping to get some nice pics for a project I'm working on but all there was there was stall after stall. I took a pic or two but spent more time in Xtravision and Gamestop chatting with friends. The festival is dead, it really is on it's last legs and the festival committe have done nothing to help.

yurmothrintites

Just home from it there. No Mardi Gras parade just aload of underage children drinking and people falling over. The fireworks were impressive but as someone who generally stays out all night, to be home early from the biggest night of the Ballina year says alot.

yurmothrintites

yurmothrintites wrote: »

Just home from it there. No Mardi Gras parade just aload of underage children drinking and people falling over. The fireworks were impressive but as someone who generally stays out all night, to be home early from the biggest night of the Ballina year says alot.

I didn't even go out, choosing instead to stay in and watch The Punisher. Even though I've been sick the past few days it wouldn't stop me heading to it in previous years, but this year I couldn't be bothered. As I said before the festival is over, I don't see it lasting many more years.

petermijackson

Not that I am one for talking as I have not attended any of the festival this year and did not travel home for the "biggest" night of the year but the Festival Committee comprises of the same people year in year out. What it needs is new faces and ideas.

I would not give out about the festival as there must be huge organising to it and something that I would not want to get involved in. But for all of those people that think the festival is on it's last legs then you should look at getting involved with the committee afterall "It's your Festival"

Kristopherus

Op, you could take a leisurely walk up through St Patrick's Estate :D:D

steph1

All that I saw each night of the festival was drunks everywhere and people falling around, and the one disgusting sight that I saw on numerous occasions during the week was young men pissing in the streets in full view of others passing. Its a disgrace. The amount of young people that I saw sitting around in laneways drinking cans or bottles of cider was unreal. It does not create a good impression of the town at all.

I drove through the town early on Sunday morning after the fireworks and the beat on the street and you should have seen the state of the town. It was like a landfill site. There were bins in the street but dont think anybody used them. I saw one big green wheelie bin which had been upended and all its contents all over the road.

I heard a lot of people complaining about heritage day saying that there were too many stalls with people selling stuff - nothing to do with heritage at all.
I personally think that this whole festival needs to be relooked at and how it is organised. It goes on for far too long. It would be better to have it over three or four days and have a few events on each night and people could come and go to whichever event they wanted to.

There were very few visitors to the town this year. In fact since the summer started there are very few visitors in general mainly because of the recession.

Asmodean

Wasn't at it this year but I always thought it was organised so strangely. Went on for like 2 weeks, with maybe one event on a day, that in all fairness was usually very Mayo-centric and didn't cater to visitors at all. A lot of it just seemed to be very bog standard stuff that you would expect to find in a big town/city on any normal day.
The highlight of the festival always seemed to be the 'Teddys picnic' or whatever it was called...not a very good sign.

steph1

It is too long drawn out. And as we have very little visitors to the town there is very little point in having it like that. The first weekend was the agricultural show and then all the other events happened the week after that. The committee should really consider condensing the whole thing into a three or four day event and leave it at that. People haven't the money to be going out each night to support the events. There is a lot of unemployment in this town now and I dont know where the organisers of these events think that the people are going to have money to go out every night. There was a bit of uproar over the fact that they were supposed to charge in for the Teddy Bears picnic though I dont think too many were at this event from what I heard.

nayorleck114

steph1 wrote: »

It is too long drawn out. And as we have very little visitors to the town there is very little point in having it like that. The first weekend was the agricultural show and then all the other events happened the week after that. The committee should really consider condensing the whole thing into a three or four day event and leave it at that. People haven't the money to be going out each night to support the events. There is a lot of unemployment in this town now and I dont know where the organisers of these events think that the people are going to have money to go out every night. There was a bit of uproar over the fact that they were supposed to charge in for the Teddy Bears picnic though I dont think too many were at this event from what I heard.

I agree with your comment, I did not go to any of the events. However last year I knew the Committee people who did the Mardi Gras Parade. they got so much criticism that they decided not to be part of Committee this year.(thus no parade) A lot of people gave their time for free to organise the festival, The way things are going (if there is not more support) there won't be a festival soon. I think they did their best with the resources they had. But the way the economy is going I can't see it happening next year.