Ballina

:This article is about Ballina, the town in Co. Mayo, Ireland. See also: Ballina, New South Wales.

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Ballina (B?al an ?tha or B?al ?tha an Fheadha in Irish), is the second largest town in County Mayo in the Republic of Ireland, and was the largest until Castlebar surpassed it between the 1996 and 2002 Censuses. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near the northern Atlantic coast of the province of Connacht. Ballina's location favours salmon fishing, and one of the best spots, the Ridge Pool, is situated in the heart of the town. The highlight of the tourist season occurs in early July when the Ballina Arts Festival takes place. Thousands travel to Ballina for the various events which include Heritage Day, International Night and the Mardi Gras Parade & Fireworks display.

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Ballina is the terminus of a railway route from Dublin.

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The town has some notable architecture, including the 15th-century Moyne Abbey, and St Muredach's Cathedral, which is the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Killala. Work on the Cathedral began in 1827. The stone was quarried locally and the roof and ceiling were completed before the Great Famine (1845). The spire was completed in 1855 and by 1875 the organ had been commissioned. Outside Ballina, on a small hill to the west, stands a dolmen, thought to have been erected 4000 years ago. The only all-boys' secondary school in the town, St. Muredach's College, celebrates its Centenary 10 September 2006.

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Ballina's GAA club team, ?The Stephenites? won the All-Ireland Club Football Championship in 2005.

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Irish: Irish may refer to:...

County Mayo: County Mayo (Irish: Contae Mhaigh Eo, the plain of the yews) is a county on the west coast of Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht. The county town of Mayo is Castlebar, which is also the largest town. Ballina is the second largest town. Mayo is bordered to the south by Galway, to the east by...

Republic of Ireland: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology) ....