Former Head Gardener at Enniscoe House and owner of AM Landscapes, our very own Annette Maughan will deliver an introductory workshop on how to compost at home this Friday as part of Mayo’s Climate Action Gathering.

Annette will simplify the composting process and share samples of what you should be aiming for.  

Full details of the weekend’s programme of events are available at: http://www.maryrobinsoncentre.ie/mayo-climate-action-gathering.html

Ballina 2023 is proud to partner with Mayo County Council. Ballina Green Town, Ballina Chamber and the Mary Robinson Centre on this event.

Event details:

3pm, Friday November 12th, 2021

Venue: Ballina Green Town Hub, Pearse St. (Formerly Leo Doherty’s Menswear)

Admission: Free, no booking is required – just come along on the day!

Meet the Ballina 2023 team on November 12-13^th at Mayo’s Call to Action for Climate – two days of climate action talks, workshops, demonstrations and walks hosted by Ballina – Ireland’s Greenest Town

To mark the end of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 26 in Glasgow, Mayo’s Call to Action on Climate event takes place in Ballina over the weekend of November 12^th -13^th. Activities will feature talks and workshops on a Circular Economy for Ballina, a Call for Climate Action walk, a Decarbonising Communities networking event and over the weekend, there will be information on practical ways everyone can take action for change.

Sustainability underpins the ethos of Ballina 2023, and supporting this initiative, members of the Ballina 2023 team will be joining in the weekend’s events. As part of our Community Engagement programme, there will be a Ballina 2023 Community Desk at The Green Town Hub in Ballina (O’Rahilly St) where members of the public can meet the team and share their ideas on what they would like to see happen during the year-long celebration in 2023, as well as their ambitions for the future development of the town and its people.

Positive action towards meaningful change is at the core of all of the weekend’s events. 

Programme of Events

Everyone is welcome to come along, participate and find out more about how they can be part of Mayo’s action on climate change. For more information and to view the full programme, see www.maryrobinsoncentre.ie/greentown.

The communities of Ballina can also get in touch to collaborate with Ballina 2023 through www.ballina2023.ie, via social media or by emailing info@ballina2023.ie.

‘Mayo’s Call to Action on Climate – Local Action, Global Impact’ is an initiative of Ballina Green Town in partnership with The Mary Robinson Centre, Ballina Chamber, Mayo County Council and the West of Ireland Climate Action Regional Office.

Ballina 2023 is funded by Mayo County Council and supported by Ballina Municipal District Council, Ballina Chamber of Commerce, Mayo North and Moy Valley Resources. 

Ballina’s countdown to a year of celebration in 2023 is now underway, after the launch on Friday, September 17 of this brand new website, a new logo and promotional video, “The Calling”. The launch took place at a reception in the beautiful surrounds of the Jackie Clarke Collection, and was followed by by a free outdoor concert, “Beginnings : Live” in Tom Ruane Park to coincide with Culture Night. As Ballina 2023 went live, the early evening concert featured local music artists Michael Moloney, Billow Wood, David Lynn, Fionnuala Boyle and drag queen Bradley Brock, who performed in idyllic evening sunshine conditions by the River Moy.

This was the first large-scale outdoor music event to happen in the region in quite some time, and it was lovely to see so many people out enjoying themselves to live music again.

Over the coming months, an extensive community engagement process will take place to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in and contribute to the Ballina 2023 programme, but if you’d like to get in touch with an idea or to get involved, just contact us here via email.

Some acknowledgements!

As with any community event, the magic could not happen without the time and commitment of so many. A sincere thank you to everyone who helped in any way both on the day, and in the run-up to the event, especially those listed below.

• To all our performers in Tom Ruane Park; David Lynn & Fionnuala Boyle, with help from Lavinia Gilmartin, Michael Moloney, Bradley Brock and Billow Wood, Brid McGowan and our MC Paul Bourke
• All those who participated in the Beginnings video, Bradley, Daragh, Richard, and Niamh
• Shane Walkin and his crew at Audioworks
• Rob Usher, Andy Smyth and all the crew on site
• All at Moy Valley Resources IRD, particularly Martin and Emma and their CE and CSP teams
• Sean, Sarah and all the team at the Ballina Arts Centre, our partner for the event
• Joe, Sean, Michael, Audrey and Michael from Ballina Garda Station
• Brian and all the team from the Order of Malta
• Sean McNulty and his team from Ballina Municipal District at Mayo County Council 
• Mary and all the team at The Cot and Cobble & John and all the team at Dominos Pizza (Castlebar & Ballina) for helping to keep our crew and volunteers fed and happy
• Edel, Anne Marie and their team at the Jackie Clarke Collection for hosting the morning launch of the logo and video, and for hosting the Midwest Radio broadcast
• To Midwest Radio – Tommy, Brendan and Alan for their live broadcast on the morning of the launch, and the great coverage afterwards on social media
• To all our participants in the broadcast for sharing their perspectives and excitement about Ballina 2023
• To the Western People for their coverage of the launch and helping us spread the word, pre and post event, online and in in print
• Andy and Paula at Anula Productions, and Lorg Media for all the digital and video content they created together in the run-up to the event and on the day
• Marcin, Mateusz and Fiona at Darkblue Design for our website and animated logo
• David and Daragh at Connacht Print
• Ann-Marie McGing and team at Mayo Arts Office
• The many people who kindly helped with the creation of our video pieces “The Calling” and “Beginnings“: Patricia Browne, David McCafferty (Jack Charlton footage), Sean Walsh (Ballina Arts Centre), Anne Marie Forbes (Jackie Clarke Collection), Fred Queenan (Kilmoremoy LGFC), Ger Birrane, (Ballina Town FC), the crew at Ballina Community Clean Up Group, Fr Aidan O’Boyle (St Muredach’s Cathedral), Rev Martin Dean Steel, The Venerable Stephen McWhirter (Archdeacon of Killala), St Michael’s Church of Ireland, Ballina Men’s Shed, Alan Rowe (Ballina Rugby Club), David Hannon, Hollister, Conor & Jimmy Maguire, Kevin Loftus, Ballina – Ireland’s Greenest Town), Sandra McLoughlin, Cllr Mark Duffy, The Western People, Darkblue Design
• Our funders Mayo County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
• And last, but definitely not least, all of our wonderful team of volunteers from all around Ballina who donned the Ballina 2023 blue hi-vis vests and helped out on the day – community at its very finest! Thanks Anne-Marie, Annette, Conall, Declan, Eamon, Ivan, Jarlath, Joe, John, Laura, Mags, Mairéad, Martin, Mary, Matthew D, Matthew G, Niall, Niamh A, Niamh O’N, Noel C, Noel R, Paul B, Philip, Seamie and Zoe!

The line-up for Ballina 2023’s first live event on Friday, September 17 at 6pm in Tom Ruane Park will feature Ballina favourites folk/ trad/ pop group Billow Wood, rising star, Michael Moloney, popular local tenor David Lynn, songstress and budding actress Fionnuala O’Boyle and Ballina’s own Drag Queen extraordinaire Bradley Brock.  

The event, which is part of Culture Night, will also have the first public screening of the new Ballina 2023 promo film, in what promises to be a magical evening on the banks of the river Moy. 

Due to current Government restrictions, to ensure no one is left disappointed, a prerecorded digital event, Ballina 2023 :  Beginnings – Live,  featuring a song from each of the performing artists will also go live on the Ballina 2023 website and social channels from 6pm on Friday September 17^th.  

In addition, to mark National Bike Week, the launch of Ballina 2023 will be a car-free event in collaboration with Ballina’s Green Town initiative.  Those attending are encouraged to park in Ballina’s existing car parks and walk or cycle to Tom Ruane Park.  A ‘Park n Ride’ convoy will also leave Batchelor’s Walk car park at 5:30pm, led by Rachel Nolan of Rachel’s Irish Adventures. The convoy will start with a road safety briefing for cyclists, followed by a short circuit around the bridges by bike and then out along the river to the event. The convoy will return to Batchelor’s Walk after the event concludes. In partnership with the Road Safety Authority, Ballina Green Town will be distributing high vis vests to all participants.

Ballina 2023 is funded by Mayo County Council and supported by Ballina Municipal District Council, Ballina Chamber of Commerce, Mayo North Tourism, Moy Valley Resources IRD and Ballina Lions Club. 

Event partners include Ballina Arts Centre, Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina Library, Mayo Volunteer Centre and Ballina’s Green Town Initiative. 

The Local Live Performance Programming Scheme is funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and administered by Mayo County Council. 

Event details

Michael Moloney, Billow Wood, David Lynn, Bradley Brock, David lynn and Fionnuala O’Boyle

Location: Tom Ruane Park, Sligo Road, Ballina

Gates Open: 6pm   Start time: 6.30pm

Tickets available from https://ballinaartscentre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873627344 

Event is free but ticketed. Max two tickets per booking.

A Digital Covid Certificate will be required for entrance to the event.  We ask that you kindly wear your mask.