Ballina

Ballina is a picturesque town in Co. Mayo, where the streets are lined with pretty Georgian and Victorian houses. The town is located at the mouth of the River Moy, with the imposing spire of St Muredach’s Cathedral dominating the landscape. The 15th-century ruins of the Moyne Abbey and the neighbouring Rosserk Friary (10 kilometres outside the town) are definitely worth a visit. The Ice House Hotel and Spa, literally perched right on the River Moy, is a great place to stay in Ballina. The restaurant serves up some exceptional Irish fare, especially their salmon dishes, which are made with fish from the Moy itself. On the way to Ballina, stop by at Strokestown Park House in County Roscommon. This 18th-century Georgian Palladian mansion has retained and carefully preserved all its original furnishings and fabric. The house is open to visitors and you can take a guided tour back into another era, almost like stepping inside an Irish ‘Downton Abbey’! The Famine Museum, which is attached to the house, is also worth a visit, to understand how the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s left an indelible mark on the country’s population. Another nice stop along the way is Foxford Woollen Mills, just 16 kilometres from Ballina. Pick up a traditional Irish design scarf or rug as a souvenir, and don’t forget to stop for a cake and coffee at the shop’s café.