Ballinrobe | Baile an Róba

Ballinrobe In Brief

Ballinrobe is located on the banks of the river Robe in South Mayo. Ballinrobe is on the N84 road which connects Galway to Castlebar. Ballinrobe is home to very popular Ballinrobe races.

• Things to Do & See
• Facts and Figures
• Education
• Sport
• Links
• Also Nearby...
• History
• Photos of Ballinrobe
• Getting to Ballinrobe

Introduction

Welcome to historic Ballinrobe, nestled in beauty and steeped in heritage. Whether your interest is in politics, architecture, history, architecture, music, fishing, golf, horse racing, shopping or folklore, there is genuinely something in Ballinrobe to interest everybody.

Things to Do and See

• The Bowers Walk (approx. 3k) along the banks of the River Robe is one of the most distinctive areas of the town and contributes considerably to the town’s character.   The Bower’s Walk was conceived as part of a canal navigation proposed to link Lough Mask and Lough Corrib via a waterway system but with the growing popularity of the railways and lack of government funding the project was later abandoned.  At the entrance to the Bower’s Walk stands a memorial to Felix Waitkus, an American/Lithuanian pilot whose plane crash landed a mile outside Ballinrobe in 1935 after a solo flight from the U.S.  He was en route to Lithuania and stepped out of his plane unhurt.  An exhibition to Felix Waitkus is houses in the Credit Union building on Main Street. Along the Bower’s Walk you will are several points of interest including the Bulkaun Waterfall, Cranmore House (in ruins), the Military Bridge, Rathkelly Ringfort and ‘The Green’.  See ‘History’ section for more information the connection between ‘The Green’ and Captain Boycott (not many towns can claim to have added a word to the English language!).
• Harry Clarke was a master of 20th century stained glass. He trained in his father’s studios and at the Metropolitan Art School in Dublin and subsequently toured Europe to study medieval glass. In 1924 he was commissioned by Ballinrobe’s Dean D’Alton to supply windows for St. Mary’s R.C. Church.The Ballinrobe windows depict scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary as well as a number of Irish saints. Some say that one of the windows contains a picture of Harry Potter! See www.harryclarke.net/ballinrobe_home.html for more details on Harry Clarke.
• John King, a Ballinrobe native, 1865 – 1938 was one of only 19 people to win two Congressional Medals, presented by the U.S. Navy. A memorial to John King by renowned sculptor Rick Lewis, stands in the Cornmarket.   See http://www.historicalballinrobe.com for more information on John King.
• The Augustinian Friary in Ballinrobe is highly significant as it was the first of their nine foundations that was established West of the Shannon. The Friary was patronised by Elizabeth deClare, granddaughter of Edward I. An information board just inside the gate gives more information about the Abbey and the Seal of Ballinrobe (now in the British Museum, London).
• More information on Ballinrobe’s Heritage Walk is available here.
• Ballinrobe Public Library (housed in the former Protestant church in the center of town) is well worth a visit if you are looking for more information on Ballinrobe. The South Mayo Family Research Center on Main Street is useful for anyone interested in genealogy, or tracing their family history.
• With its proximity to the Lough Mask, Lough Cara and Lough Corrib, Ballinrobe is considered the angling capital of the West. Fishermen from all over Ireland and from abroad come to Ballinrobe every year for the World Brown Trout Angling competition.
• The 18-hole Championship Ballinrobe Golf Club is considered by many, including Padraig Harrington, to be one of the finest in Ireland.
• Recent improvements and modern facilities at Ballinrobe Racecourse have made it one of the leading tracks in Ireland. See website for details of the facilities and of upcoming race meetings.
• There is always something happening in Ballinrobe.  See local media or visit the Tourist Office to find out what is going on right now. Ballinrobe’s regular annual events include:the multi-award winning (and featured on Nationwide) Ballinrobe Musical Society kick-start each year with a bang with their not-to-be-missed musical productions, staged in February. 2012 will see the society staging Beauty and the Beast.
• Ballinrobe’s St. Patrick’s Day parade has grown in the last number of years and is always a wonderful family day out.
• The highlight of the Queen of the Lakes festival each summer is the selection of a local Rose to hopefully progress to the Rose of Tralee Festival. However the local festival consists of much more than just that. There are events to suit all the family. Regular events include the Teddy Bear’s Picnic, pavement painting to puppet shows, go-karting, slow bicycle racing etc. You never know what’ll be in store.
• Ballinrobe Agricultural Show, first Sunday in September is a hugely successful event. 2010 saw the Ballinrobe Show celebrating 60 successful years. A family day out with something for everyone – chickens, ducks, pets, cattle, horses, sheep, art, crafts, flowers, vegetables, jams and home baking.
• Despite his very hectic schedule every year Santa finds time for a special trip to Ballinrobe to preside over the switching on of the Christmas Lights. Somehow, every year he manages to surprise us all. One year he brought Mrs. Claus with him, another year he appeared on a rooftop, checking out the chimney! At one time he even got stuck in a chimney and had to be rescued by the fire brigade. What an excitement that year! 

Facts and Figures

Ballinrobe is the fifth largest town in County Mayo and is an important service town for the wide agricultural hinterland of South Mayo. 
Ballinrobe is situated some 48km north of Galway on the N84, which connects Galway to Castlebar.
Population aprox. 3000.

Education

Sport

Links

Also Nearby

• Lough Mask, Lough Carra, Lough Corrib
• Moore Hall
• Ballintubber Abbey 
• Croagh Patrick
• Ashford Castle + village of Cong
• Turlough House
• Knock village and shrine
• Tourmakeady Woods and Waterfall
• Cairn Daithi (associated with the legendary Battle of Moytura fought between the Fir Bolg and the Túatha dé Dannan).
  
  

History

Towns were established in County Mayo relatively late with the Anglo-Normans beginning to penetrate into Mayo after 1237. A significant geographical feature of The Borough of Ballinrobe is the River Robe.  Ballinrobe was established in the wake of the Norman conquest of Connaught in the years after 1237. 
From the fourteenth century until the late sixteenth century Ballinrobe remained one of the principal fortresses of MacWilliam Iochtar but the determination of the English crown to assert itself in Connaught in the years after 1570 was to generate many transformations.After the conclusion of the Nine Years War, Ballinrobe passed into the hands of the Nolan Family and then to the Cuffs, who laid the groundwork for the formation of the present town.
In 1605 King James I gave a Royal Patent to the people of Ballinrobe allowing fairs and markets to be held in the town. These markets helped establish Ballinrobe as a major town in South Mayo.   In addition to the exchange of goods and money, traders and buyers from long distances needed a place to eat and stay and so further increased the local economy. 
In 1880 a local landlord, Captain Boycott was called on by the Land League to reduce rents after a bad harvest.He refused to do so.As a result he was ostracised; his employees left their jobs, local tradesmen refused to supply him with goods or services, his mail was not delivered.He was forced to hire Orangemen from Ulster to assist in bringing in his harvest.The troops travelled by train to Claremorris but being refused transport, they were forced to walk to Ballinrobe.The troops were forced to camp out, some on Captain Boycott’s estate and others at ‘The Green’. Over the following two weeks, the troops harvested Boycott’s crops and returned home.Captain Boycott and his family decided to move to England.
Ballinrobe has links with many well-known people Michael Davitt, Cardinal Gibbons, Dr. Noël Brown, Captain Boycott, John King etc. www.historicalballinrobe.com holds a treasure trove of information relating to Ballinrobe, it’s history and it’s people, both past and present.Better still, come for a visit and see for yourself.

Getting to Ballinrobe

• By Car:
• from Dublin, follow the N5 for Westport.  At Castlebar take the N84 for Galway.
• from Galway,take the Headford road, the N84.  
• By Bus:  Ballinrobe  is served by a number of Bus Eireann routes.  For timetables and more information, visit Bus Eireann.
• By Air:  You can fly to Knock Airport (IWAK) from a number of UK and European locations.  Visit the Ireland West Airport Knock website for schedules and carriers.

Links

• Ballinrobe Golf Club 
• The Ballinrobe Races.
• The South Mayo Family Research Centre.