Overview
Ballina calls itself the Salmon Capital of Ireland, and the reason runs straight through the middle of town. The River Moy (An Mhuaidh) rises at the foot of the Ox Mountains and runs about 110 km to Killala Bay at Ballina, draining a 2,086 km² catchment. The river runs beside the town centre and the woods on its western bank, and the corridor is a spine for walkers, threading Victorian architecture, monastic ruins and quiet woodland.
History and heritage
The Moy’s name appears in Ptolemy’s 2nd-century geography as Libniu and later in Adomnán’s 8th-century Life of Columba as Modam fluvium; its modern Irish name likely derives from the Old Irish muad, ‘noble’. The river shaped settlement, most of all at Ballina. Originally Belleek, the town was formally laid out in 1723 by Charles O’Hara, 1st Baron Tyrawley, and a new quay in 1836 turned it into a working seaport and market hub.
The 1840s brought the Famine and the Ballina Poor Law Union workhouse, whose surviving buildings are now the District Hospital. The river also had a walk-on part in the 1798 Rebellion, when French troops passed through the Tyrawley estate on their way to Killala. Today the Moy still frames Ballina’s Victorian-Gothic St Muredach’s Cathedral (1834) and the Belleek Castle estate; across the water, Ardnaree keeps its 19th-century bridge and quiet riverside paths.
The friaries
Six religious houses went up along the river between the 13th and 15th centuries, and most survived the 16th-century Dissolution only as ruins. Access arrangements differ from site to site, so check each one before you go, and do not cross private land without permission.
- Rosserk Abbey – a Franciscan friary on the estuary, with foliate pillars, an intact east window and a round-tower piscina carved into the wall. Check the separate access arrangements at Rosserk Friary before you visit.
- Moyne Abbey (founded 1462) – a large Franciscan friary with a complete cloister, ship graffiti and a secretarium. Check how access is arranged before you go and keep to the permitted approach.
- Ardnaree Abbey (Ballina) – the first Augustinian priory in the west of Ireland, pre-1400, still showing its west door.
- Court Franciscan Friary (Lavagh) – 15th-century, with a hidden anchorite cell and faint medieval murals.
- Banada Augustinian Friary (1423) – worth a look for the surviving stair up to the dormitory.
- Priory of the Holy Cross, Straide (c.1240) – a Dominican house known for the sculpted tomb set into its north wall.
- Rathfran Abbey – a ruined Dominican friary (founded 1274) on the north bank, with good stonework.
Salmon fishing
The Moy was once among Europe’s premier salmon fisheries. Drift-netting drove a steep decline late in the 20th century, and the river is not what it once was.
Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Moy Fishery guide lists the beats, including the Ridge Pool in the centre of Ballina. Check the exact beat before setting out. Obtain the salmon or sea-trout licence and any permit required for the water, and check the current regulations for seasons, catch and release and closures. Heat can prompt temporary closures of the fishery, so do not assume last season’s rules still apply. Use authorised access for the beat and keep off private banks.
Walking and cycling
Follow the Belleek Woods Greenway Trail for a marked route beside the town. Belleek Woods is an urban forest planted in the early 19th century, and its trails take in lime kilns dating from 1830, a secluded Hermitage, the Ice House, a mausoleum and a Fairy Trail of handcrafted wooden houses. Native red squirrels live in the woodland.
A longer greenway along the Moy is listed for development in Mayo County Council’s county development plan, so do not assume a continuous signed route to Killala is open; check with Mayo County Council or the trail guide for the latest position. Further upstream, a short drive inland brings you to Foxford, where a stone bridge spans the river above the woollen mills.
Wildlife and nature
Salmon dominate the conversation, but the Moy supports a broad ecosystem. Otters show up along the quieter stretches at dawn and dusk, and the banks and woodlands bring in kingfishers and grey herons. Spring and autumn are the pick for birdwatchers, as migratory waders use the corridor to feed.
Around the valley
Beyond the river there is enough to fill a few days:
- Céide Fields – a short drive north, these 5,000-year-old Neolithic field systems are among the oldest enclosed farms anywhere. Check current visiting arrangements.
- Belleek Woods – a mixed woodland with a riverside loop and native red squirrels.
- Jackie Clarke Collection (Walsh Street, Ballina) – a large archive of maps, newspapers, political posters, photographs and films spanning four centuries, from the Land League to 1916. Check current opening times before you go.
- Foxford Woollen Mills – a mill with a shop of woollen goods; check what is on offer when you plan the visit.
- North Mayo Heritage Centre (Enniscoe) – exhibitions on Famine walks and local history.
- Father Peyton Memorial Centre (Attymass) – on Fr Patrick Peyton, founder of the Family Rosary Crusade, with a contemplative garden.
- Dolmen of the Four Maols and St Patrick’s Cross – stone monuments in Ballina town centre.
Golf runs to the links at Enniscrone and the parkland course at Ballina, and Easkey on the coast to the north is known for surfing.
Festivals
- Ballina Salmon Festival (usually July) – a week of fishing competitions, music and food stalls built around the run. Check the dates for the year.
- Ballina Street Festival (usually July) – street performance, a Mayo crafts market and family events.
- North Mayo Sculpture Trail – contemporary works dotted along the estuary and coast, good for a slow walk.
Where to stay
Ballina and the surrounding valley have plenty of choice, from country-house hotels to B&Bs. Places that people often look at include:
- Mount Falcon Estate – a Victorian manor on the west bank.
- The Ice House Hotel & Spa – a riverside hotel in Ballina.
- Belleek Castle Hotel – a country house set in Belleek Woods.
- Ballina Manor Hotel – a family-run hotel in the town centre.
- Moy Hotel (Foxford) – in nearby Foxford, handy for the woollen mills.
Check rates and availability directly, as they change with the season.
Practical information
The river’s banks are not all public. Walk the marked public routes in and around Ballina, use authorised access for any fishing beat and keep off private banks and land. Angling licences and any permits are handled through Inland Fisheries Ireland, whose guides are linked above.
The valley centres on Ballina, a rail-linked town on the N5 and N59. The nearest airports are Ireland West Airport Knock (about 45 km) and Dublin (about 250 km). Bus Éireann serves Ballina with routes to Castlebar and Westport; check the timetable before you travel. Use lawful, marked parking in Ballina and at trailheads. Bike hire is available in Ballina; check current providers locally.
The friary ruins are open-air sites on uneven ground and can occasionally close for conservation, so check before you travel. One last, serious note: the Moy runs fast and cold after heavy rain, and there have been drownings. Swimming is not advised, and anglers should wear proper safety gear.