Ballina 2023 went live – thank you!

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!