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Ballina, the short version
Béal an Átha translates to “mouth of the ford.” That name sticks to Ballina because the town sits right where the River Moy spills into Killala Bay — read on for the rest.
By hamptons.ie research desk · 22 October 2026 · machine-drafted, desk-polished
We keep a running list of places in Co. Mayo worth the detour. This is the Ballina entry, with the practical bits up front.
Béal an Átha translates to “mouth of the ford.” That name sticks because the town sits where the River Moy meets Killala Bay. Ballina lies in north County Mayo, in the Moy valley and the civil parish of Kilmoremoy. The Ox Mountains rise to the east. The Nephins stand to the west.
The town straddles two baronies. Tirawley covers the west bank of the river. Tireragh, under County Sligo, takes the east side. The 2022 census counted 10,556 people here. Ballina serves the valley: the river, the bay, and the mountains on either side.
Behind Ballina railway station, on a spot called “Primrose Hill,” stands the Dolmen of the Four Maols. It’s a Bronze Age cist, sometimes dated to about 2,000 BCE. Locals call it the “Table of the Giants.”
Practical. The town is free to visit. No admission applies. may to September brings the longest light on the Moy and the bay. The town works in any settled weather. It is open and free. The dolmen is on open ground behind the station; check present access before the walk. Getting there: at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, on the main road into north Mayo; the Dolmen of the Four Maols is on Primrose Hill behind the railway station
Where to stay. Ballina (in the town) — the town itself — guesthouses and B&Bs on the River Moy. Killala (15 min by car) — the village at the head of Killala Bay, a short drive north — the bay side.
Nearby, if the day runs long. Achill Island (Achill is Ireland's largest western island, connected to the mainland since 1887.); Belmullet (Belmullet lies at the Mullet isthmus, a Gaeltacht town split by Carter’s Canal between Blacksod and Broadhaven bays.); Clare Island (Clare Island is at the mouth of Clew Bay in County Mayo.);
Keep it in Saved if the trip is still a while off — the place page will tell you when the practical details have been re-checked.
Checked 19 October 2026. Full details, map and sources: Ballina on the places pages.