Ballina Municipal District

General Information

• Awards and Achievements  
  • The Purple Flag Award: An international accreditation scheme for towns and city centres, has been awarded to Ballina by the ATCM, in recognition of the town’s vibrant and varied nighttime economy.   
  • Salmon Capital of Ireland 
  • Tidy Towns: Ireland's Best Kept Large Town 2018 
  • Tidy Towns: Bronze Award in Category F (Population 10,001 – 15,000) 
  • Blue Flag Beach at Ross Strand 
• Ballina Arts Centre 

  The development of the 220-seat theatre space at Ballina Arts Centre in 2011, was a major gain. The Centre has facilities that include a dance studio, gallery spaces, printmaking studio, workshop areas, as well as ample dressing rooms, office and storage space, and offers a wide-ranging programme. 

  Ballina Arts Centre has a full programme of music and theatre events, exhibitions, workshops and classes. 

  Vist the website for full listings www.ballinaartscentre.com

   

   

• Ballina Tourist Office 

  North Mayo with all its natural amenities and beautiful landscapes is the perfect destination for the curious visitor to explore – and there’s plenty of Festivals on offer in the North Mayo regions on an Annual Basis.  

  You will find full details of Events, Attractions and Accommodation in the area on www.mayonorth.ie 

• Ballina’s Innovation Quarter 

  Mayo County Council’s restoration of the Military Quarter continues with the construction stage now complete. The main square now has a purpose-built canopy for outdoor events.  

  €3.2 million government funding was approved for the transformation of Ballina’s military Barracks in November 2018.  Specifically, ‘the digital hub’ will provide 20 spaces for technology, digital media and internet companies to scale and grow alongside local enterprises. A new distillery will also be established by a private investor. 

• Beaches 

  Ballina MD boasts of having many beautiful beaches including Lacken Strand, Ballycastle Beach, Kilcummin Strand, Foghill Beach, and Ross Strand (including CBI beach). The local Council maintains these beaches. Ross Strand is a Blue Flag beach and is also a Discovery Point on the Wild Atlantic Way. 

• Establishment of Ballina Municipal District 

  Ballina Municipal District (BMD) was established in 2014 with 8 Councillors representing the District and its people. With a re-division of districts in 2019, we now have a smaller District represented by 6 Councillors. The Council meets on the third Wednesday of each month. 

• Facts & Figures 
  • Population: 25,110 
  • Electoral Divisions: 26 
  • Main towns/villages: Ballina, Crossmolina, Killala, Ballycastle, Bonniconlon & Knockmore 
  • Number of Councillors: 6 
  • Parks/Playgrounds: 12 
  • Coastal Piers & Harbours: 5 – Ballina, Killala, Kilcummin, Lacken & Ballycastle 
• Jackie Clarke Museum 

  The Jackie Clarke Collection is located in Pearse Street, Ballina. The collection is hosted in the former Provincial Bank building, which was built in 1881 by the Victorian architect Thomas Manly Deane. It used to be a bank until 1977. 

  For Events and Opening Hours, please visit www.clarkecollection.ie 

• Mary Robinson Centre 

  Construction is almost complete on Mary Robinson’s childhood home on the banks of the River Moy in Ballina. The Centre is set to open in Summer of 2023, and will be Ireland’s first Presidential Library.  It will include a museum, archive, research and educational facility and events venue.   

• Motor Tax Service

  The Motor Tax service has been provided to the general public at its Ballina office since 10th April 2003. We are pleased to be able to offer an effective customer orientated service.  We view this service as one which is extremely important to Ballina and the Mayo North Area. 

  Motor Tax Counter opens 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

  Email: ballinamd@mayococo.ie 

  Phone: (094) 9064400 

  Motor Tax is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.motortax.ie 

• Moy Greenway

  Phase 1 is a 4 km traffic free greenway starting at the historic Belleek Arch extending all the way through Belleek Woods along the banks of the Moy to the old French Road. Phase 2 is a 5km traffic free greenway extending from the Killala end of the Monasteries of the Moy. Phase 3 will proceed subject to funding.   

• Opening Hours 

  Ballina Civic Offices, Arran Place, Ballina, Co Mayo, F26 E5D7

  Our Public Counter Opening Hours are as follows:

  9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday to Friday. 

  We can also be contacted by email or telephone.

  E-mail: ballinamd@mayococo.ie 

  Phone: 094 9064400

  Out of Hours Emergency Line: 096 76159 

• Parks & Playgrounds 

  Ballina Municipal District	Location	Facility
  Ballina	Tom Ruane Park, Sligo Road	Playground & Multi Use Games Area  Tennis Court, Basketball Court, Soccer Pitch
  Ballina	Bunree Rd Neighbourhood Park	Playground, MUGA, Tennis Court
  Ballina	Crossmolina Rd., Neighbourhood Park	MUGA & Playground
  Ballina	Foxford Rd Neighbourhood Park	MUGA & Playground
  Ballina	Ardnaree Neighbourhood Park.	MUGA & Playground  Soccer Pitch & Tennis Court
  Ballina	Belleek	Synthetic Running Track
  Ballycastle	Seaview, Ballycastle	MUGA
  Crossmolina	Mullenmore North	Playground
  Crossmolina	Abbeytown	Multi Use Games Area
  Killala	Town Park	Playground, MUGA, Tennis Court
  Bonniconlon	Village	Multi Use Games Area

   

• Planning Clinic

  The Planning Department in Mayo County Council is based in Áras an Chontae in Castlebar.  However, a Senior Planner holds a drop-in Planning Clinic on the ground floor of Ballina Civic Offices each Wednesday from 9.30am to 12.30pm. 

   

• Rathroeen Civic Amenity Centre

  Rathroeen Civic Amenity Center on the Killala Rd, Ballina offers recycling services for the public and composting and recycling initiatives for the Local authority. 

  The following items are fee to recycle at all times:

  • WEEE (Electrical items)
  • Batteries
  • Clothes bank (Clean used clothing)

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  We are continually improving our services to both the public and the local authority. The introduction of a construction and demolition facility now allows people bring bricks, blocks, tiles and waste concrete for re-use. 

  We also have a composting initiative, and currently have active stockpiles of compost at the site. We use green waste from the public and the Town Parks to make the compost. The finished product will make its way back into our town parks and flower beds. 

  Opening Hours:  

  • Monday to Friday 9am – 12.50pm & 1.30pm – 4.30pm 
  • Saturday, 9am – 1pm 
  • Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays 

  Phone: 096 75959 

  For full details of fees please click here

• Sustainability 

  Ballina Municipal District is recognised as an area of outstanding natural beauty, and we are committed to the principles of sustainability and we continue to implement as many sustainable initiatives as possible 

  • The harvesting of rainwater at the Council depot in Bearnadearg. 
  • Implementation of a rolling replacement programme of public lights with led lighting together with the specification of led lighting on all new works. 
  • Solar powered Pay & Display machines, street bins and traffic feed-back signs. 
  • Use of compost produced at Rathrooen Civic Amenity Centre for parks in the District. 
  • Reuse of road planings where possible. 
  • Recovery of Construction & Demolition waste such as broken footpath material at authorised facility. 
  • Water refill station and solar phone charging units in Kathleen Lynn laneway and courtyard, Ballina. 
  • E-car charging points in a number of locations in Ballina town. 
  • A network of Cycle Lanes around Ballina town and its perimeter. 
  • Support of the local farmers markets. 
  • Provision of several age friendly parking bays at key locations in a number of Council owned carparks in the District.  
  • The Council has signed up to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. 12 sites have been identified for Bee Friendly Corridors around Ballina town. The areas are to be managed in a ‘Pollinator Friendly’ way, with actions identified over all sites. 
• Swimming Pools

  The Council continues to improve and maintain the public swimming pool in Ballina.  Ballina Swimming Pool offers a huge variety of Swim Lessons, Club Training Sessions, Activities and Entertainment.  For full details and timetables please visit www.ballinapool.ie 

  Phone: 096 70506 

• Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Points  
  • Downpatrick Head is one of 15 Signature Discovery Points on the Wild Atlantic Way, in other words, one of the iconic must-see sights along Ireland’s west coast. 
  • Ballina Quay 
  • Killala Quay 
  • Lacken Strand 
  • Céide Fields