Here you’ll find the latest news about Ballina, and the Ballina 2023 plans and celebrations.
Our Instagram
Our Facebook

2,782
Ballina 2023
A year of celebration. A lifelong connection.
Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland.
In celebration of the first St. Brigid's Bank Holiday, we wanted to celebrate just some amazing women from Ballina and North Mayo, past and present!![]()
1. Dr. Kathleen Lynn was born in Mullafarry, Killala . She graduated in 1899 and worked in various Dublin hospitals. She joined the Irish Citizen army and was CMO during the Easter Rising in 1916. In 1919 she founded St. Ultan’s Children’s Hospital, and the call for the new National Children’s Hospital to be named in her honour is growing louder.![]()
2. Dr. Norah Patten (Norah Patten: Scientist-Astronaut Candidate) is a native of Ballina. She studied Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Limerick and completed work placement with The Boeing Company. In 2010 Dr. Patten graduated from the International Space University Space Studies Programme. Dr. Norah Patten is a strong advocate for STEM and an inspiration to many young children and grown adults alike!![]()
3. Sarah Rowe residing in Australia but from Ballina is a triple code sportswoman. She made her Mayo LGFA senior debut in 2012, and is a former Republic of Ireland Women's Association Football international earning an Irish senior cap in 2015. The multi sports star has also spent five seasons with tAFLW side Collingwood. She has recently joined A League women's football club Melbourne Victory, and is an amazing role model to many young hopefuls. ![]()
4. Mary Robinson was born in Ballina in 1944. Elected the seventh President of Ireland in 1990, she was the first woman elected to the highest public office in the land. She later went on to become the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN special envoy on Climate Change and at present is the current Chair of The Elders. The Mary Robinson Centre, Ireland's first Presidential Library is due to open in 2023, and as a centre for change will use Mary Robinson’s legacy to inspire and foster personal leadership in promoting human rights, gender equality, women’s leadership and climate justice in partnership with Mayo County Council and the University of Galway. ![]()
5. Lady Sarah Fleming was born in the parish of Kilfian, and has made a significant contribution to saving millions of lives around the world. Sarah and her twin sister Elizabeth travelled to Australia where they trained as nurses, before Sarah returned to Dublin to work in a nursing home before establishing her own in London. There, she met Scottish doctor, Dr Alexander Fleming who famously discovered penicillin. Sarah sold her London nursing home to provide finance enabling Sir Alexander Fleming to undergo his research into the antibiotic, which changed the course of modern medicine.![]()
Who would you add to this list of great Ballina and North Mayo women? Tell us below! 👇![]()
Killala Past and Present Campaign for the Dr. Kathleen Lynn Memorial Children’s Hospital UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ballina.ie & Ballina Chamber of Commerce Mayo North The Connaught Telegraph Western People Mid West-Radio BCRfm![]()
#Ballina2023 #MyBallina #LoveBallina #Ballina #MayoNorth
Mise en Lumières: An Audiovisual Installation by ENTER.black ![]()
Ambassade de France en Irlande
In Humbert's Footsteps
Jackie Clarke Collection
Mayo County Council Mayo.ie
🇮🇪🇫🇷
The Celtic FC Foundation held their rearranged Community Games Christmas Soccer Tournament at Behy National School over the weekend, with over 60 young people participating. We are so excited to be partnering this year with the Celtic FC Foundation, Sport and Social Change Network Ireland, and Ballina Town F.C. this year for our Ballina 2023 Community Sports Programme! ![]()
#myballina #communitysports #LoveBallina #ballinacomayo #footballforgood Mayo.ie
Here’s a sneak peek of our first event! Mise en Lumières is an adapted audio-visual light installation by Enter.black, a French artistic collective dedicated to development of immersive experiences. The installation, which uses light and sound, will be on display at the Humbert Memorial Monument (the Maid of Erin), Humbert St., Ballina, from 6pm to 10pm each evening from Thursday, February 2 to Saturday, February 4.![]()
The event is the first event of a year-long partnership programme, the Year of the French or Bliain na bhFrancach, a collaboration between Ballina 2023, the French Embassy (Ambassade de France en Irlande , In Humbert's Footsteps. We’d love to see your pictures and videos of the display so be sure to tag us and use the hashtag, #Ballina2023 !!![]()
#Humbert225 #YearoftheFrench #BliainNaBhFrancach #Ballina2023 #MyBallina #LoveBallina #Ballina #MayoNorth Ballina.ie & Ballina Chamber of Commerce Mayo North Tourism, Ireland #franceinireland
Who were the Irish people who moved to La Rochelle in the 17th century? Many of the Irish who settled in the French city between the 1630s and 1680s prospered there as merchants and seafarers. This fantastic article by RTÉ takes a deep dive into why the Irish have such a strong connection with La Rochelle, France . Ballina 2023, together with the French Embassy Dublin will be celebrating that link and others this year as part of Bliain Na bhFrancach/The Year of the French. ![]()
Read more: rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/0118/1349330-ireland-la-rochelle-france-17th-century-migration/?fbclid=IwAR3HdehVogKzy8CJNg_VH9DrLmXwTtsQ3E8riVUs4r1F5kYyXBm13QzAZRU![]()
#Ballina2023 #MyBallina #LoveBallina #Ballina #MayoNorth In Humbert's Footsteps Ballina.ie & Ballina Chamber of Commerce Mayo North
First announcements for Ballina 2023 include Macnas Parade, RHA West Exhibition, Youth and Sports programme and Music Events.
29 November 2022Prizewinners at the Ballina St Patrick’s Day Parade Awards
13 June 2022Ciara is our #2023MascotMakers winner!
13 June 2022Ballina 2023 presents Composting Workshop as part of Mayo’s Climate Action Gathering
10 November 2021Join Ballina 2023 at Mayo’s Call to Action on Climate event
5 November 2021Ballina 2023 went live – thank you!
21 September 2021Ballina 2023 launches with Beginnings : Live
15 September 2021US President Biden hints at a return to Ballina
11 August 2021Cannonball cruises back into Ballina
4 August 2021Planning for Ballina 2023 gets underway
24 November 2020