Overview
For a few days every October, Ballinasloe fills with horses, dealers and visitors. The October Horse Fair has been trading on the Fair Green since the 1700s, and it is still the focus of the town’s year. The rest of the time Ballinasloe is a quieter east Galway market town on the River Suck, where Galway meets Roscommon. The Irish name, Béal Átha na Sluaighe, means ‘the mouth of the ford of the crowds’, a fair description of a place that has been a river crossing since long before the planned Georgian grid the Trench family laid out in the late 1700s.
The October Horse Fair
Horse and pony trading takes place on the Fair Green during the fair, with a wider programme of stalls and events in town. If you want to see it at its rawest, the horse-trading on the green is the thing, not the funfair, and it is worth coming early in the day, before the crowds thicken.
Check the fair programme for dates before you plan a trip, and look for temporary traffic and parking signs on arrival. Keep a safe distance from horses and follow the stewards’ directions. If you are coming by car during fair week, allow extra time to get into town, and if you plan to stay overnight, book accommodation well ahead.
History & heritage
The settlement’s roots run deep: Bronze Age burial sites, crannogs and ringforts are scattered across the surrounding land. The 12th-century Norman castle ruins, built to guard the river ford, mark the medieval town; Richard Mór de Burgh formally established it in the early 13th century, and traces of the outer wall survive.
There is a quieter, more recent layer too. Once the Dublin–Galway rail line reached the town, travelling entertainers followed, and by late 1913 the Town Hall was running winter seasons of picture shows and variety acts, the first regular cinema many locals had seen.
If you have an afternoon for old stones, the best of them are just outside the centre. Check each site’s access arrangements before you set out, and stay on public routes:
- Clonfert Cathedral: a 12th-century church with an intricate Romanesque doorway from around 1200.
- Kilconnell Franciscan Friary: a well-preserved 15th-century site with flamboyant tombs and a wooden statue of Our Lady, about 13 km from town.
- Clontuskert Augustinian Friary: 15th-century ruins notable for a finely carved west doorway and medieval tombs.
Around the town
Start near the Fair Green and walk into the centre for cafés and shops, then follow public streets towards the River Suck. Society Street, shown in the photograph at the top of this page, is a good place to get a feel for the Georgian layout.
The town’s calendar has a musical side too. East Galway traditional music is honoured at festivals through the year, and the Town Hall Theatre programmes theatre, comedy, pantomime and community productions. Check the town’s listings for what is on during your visit, and look for a trad session in one of the Society Street pubs.
For a longer outing nearby, Ahascragh Distillery offers bookable tours in a former mill. It is in a different village, so allow time for the drive and book ahead.
Outdoor activities & river access
The River Suck shapes much of the town’s outdoor life. There is a marina on the river, and the calmer stretches suit beginner kayaking and canoeing. Anglers work the riverbank and the nearby River Shiven. Check local notices and conditions before you go on or near the water, and use public access points only.
Longer routes start from the area too. The Hymany Way, an off-road section of the Ireland Way, passes through Clonfert and near Aughrim, and there are horse-riding and golf options in the surrounding countryside. Check the current details with each operator before you plan a day around them.
Practical information
Getting there – The M6 bypasses the town, roughly 90 minutes from Dublin and 45 from Galway City. Iarnród Éireann serves Ballinasloe station on Station Road, on the Dublin–Galway line. Check the railway timetable for your day of travel.
Parking – Follow the town-centre parking signs. During the October Fair, expect temporary traffic arrangements and follow the signs and stewards.
Staying in Ballinasloe – There are hotels and B&Bs in and around the town. If you are coming for the October fair, book well ahead, because the town fills fast.
If you only have an afternoon – Choose a quiet day rather than fair week: walk from the Fair Green into the centre, follow the streets down to the River Suck, and finish with a trad session or a meal in town.