Mayo.ie’s Home to Mayo festival is taking place throughout Co. Mayo for the entire month of May, 2022. Home to Mayo is part of the Global Irish Festival Series which is a joint initiative between Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs. On the Mayo.ie website, you’ll find a full and varied event calendar, with heaps of great events taking place all over the county.
Ballina has its own full and family-friendly programme of events for Home to Mayo, curated by Ballina Chamber of Commerce, and running from Friday, May 27 to Monday, May 30.
Ballina’s Home to Mayo 2022 Programme
Friday 27th May: Ballina Business Showcase in association with Ballina Chamber. Great National Hotel Ballina, 9am-11am
Ballina and North Mayo business networking & recruitment morning with business exhibitions, an outside broadcast by Midwest Radio and an invited panel discussion.
The Ballina Showcase will provide businesses with training, networking, and collaboration opportunities on the day. Ballina’s big employers will also be in attendance and the event is open to the general public who want to meet potential employers and leave their CV.
Friday 27th May: The Mournful Croon: A Celebration of Mayo Folk Song. Ballina Arts Centre. 8pm
Ballina Arts Centre presents in Partnership with Ballina Fringe Festival The Mournful Croon: A Celebration of Mayo Folk Song, featuring the finest of Mayo’s established and experienced singers of folk and traditional Irish songs.
The event, which takes its title from Rafteirí’s great poem Eanach Dhúin, will be compered by Joe Byrne (of Midwest Radio), an accomplished musician and a noted authority on Irish traditional music and song.
Performers: John Hoban, Tony Reidy, Charlie Keating, Joe Carey, Jenny Mulvey, Mary Staunton, Aistrid Ní Mhongain and Peter Neary. They will be joined by poet Terry McDonagh, who will recite some of the poems of Rafteirí, placing the poems within of the Irish folk song idiom.
This event is funded under the Local Live Performance Support Scheme funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport & Media, administered by Mayo County Council.
Friday 27th and Saturday 28th May: Ballina Lions Club Charity Golf Classic at Ballina Golf Club
In association with Ballina Chamber & Mayo North Tourism
Proceeds to the Foxford & District Alzheimer Trust. Tee Sheet in operation at Ballina Golf Club. Call 096-21050
Friday 27th and Saturday 28th May: Connacht Distillery Home to Mayo Guided Tours. 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm
Includes tasting of their range of handcrafted spirits at the Distillery. Tours run at 1pm 2.30pm and 4pm daily. Enjoy a 10% discount on all tours booked over that weekend. Code for booking online: HOME10
Saturday 28th May: Seafood Foraging & Guided Walk of Bartra Island, Killala, 10.45am. (BOOKED OUT)
With Denis Quinn of Wild Atlantic Cultural Tours. Forage for cockles, mussels, winkles, and seasonal wild edible plants while learning a little about local environment, history, and archaeology. Meet at Killala Community Centre car park, Time: 10.45am.
Perfect family or group activity. To book call/text/WhatsApp 083 0241570.
See other dates next week:
Saturday 28th May: River Moy Stand Up Paddling with Mikey Hamilton of Harbour SUP, The Quay, 5-7pm
Paddling into the heart of Ballina from the Quay, along the famous River Moy, Ridge Pool and back to the beautiful Quay village. between 5-7pm. “Life’s better on the water”
To Book, WhatsApp Mikee on 086 0315737
Saturday 28th May, Enjoy a flavour of Irish History & Heritage at the Jackie Clarke Collection. Open from 10am – 5pm.
Featuring Mayo themes of Michael Davitt’s No Rent posters, “Mayo Forgotten Famine Girls”, the Mayo story of 1798, War of Independence exhibition and so much more!
Admission is Free. A very warm welcome awaits you at the Jackie Clarke Collection and Walled Heritage Garden in the heart of Ballina.
Saturday 28th Ma: Kayaking on the River Moy with Paddle and Pedal’s David Horkan.
Contact David at 087 680 8955 | [email protected]
Saturday night 28th May: Ballina Live Music Trail
Follow the trail around the town of Ballina and pop into the iconic music venues and locations, featured recently in ‘Other Voices Ballina’ Music trail. Join the interactive music sessions and discover why Ballina is considered one of the country’s best towns for live music and trad sessions.
Sunday, 29th May: Mayo Marquee in the Market Square 11am-6pm
Featuring cooking demos and discussions with Chief Ronan Fox and local food producers. Showcasing pieces from Brendan Farrell’s ‘Take Me Home’ show, Trad session with Hup, and excerpts from Atlantic Rhythm’s new show ‘An Immigrants Return’, poetry reading by Sean Walsh.
Mayo Marquee in the Market Square is sponsored by the Local Live Performance Support Scheme funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts Gaeltacht, Sport & Media, administered by Mayo County Council, With thanks to Mayo County Council for funding and supporting Ballina’s Home to Mayo Festival Weekend.
Sunday 29th May: Ballina’s Home to Mayo Fishing Competition on the Moy, in association with Ballina Salmon Anglers Association. 10am – 4pm
Register at Ballina Training Centre, Riverside from 9.30am. *Entrance fee €15. Entrants must have current salmon licence. Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd placed winners
Prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd placed winners:
First Prize €300 Ballina Shop local vouchers
Second Prize €200 Ballina Shop local vouchers
Third Prize €100 Ballina Shop local vouchers
Refreshments served after at prize-giving ceremony.
Further information Contact Peter 087 992 2200.
Restrictions apply.
Ballina’s Home to Mayo Fishing Competition on the world-famous River Moy, in association with Ballina Salmon Anglers Association.To welcome back friends and family of the fishing fraternity to the River Moy, Ballina Salmon Anglers Association and Ballina Chamber have created a very special fishing competition to coincide with Ballina’s Home to Mayo weekend festival.With the competition commencing at 10am and running till 4pm that day, registration for the competition starts at 9.30am adjacant to the Ballina Training Centre, Riverside.Important Terms & Conditions:
*Entrance fee €15.
Entrants must have current Salmon Licence.
Location controls & restrictions apply.
This will be highlighted at registration.
Further information, Contact Peter 087 992 2200.Prizes for the Competition:
Refreshments served at Prize Giving ceremony.
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Monday 30th May: Mayo Changemakers – Mayo’s Global Climate Community, Ballina Arts Centre, 10am to 4.30pm
Hosted by The Mary Robinson Centre, this is a climate-themed gathering of all Mayo’s diaspora in partnership with Mayo County Councils Climate Action Office as part of Ballina’s Home to Mayo Festival, taking place in Ballina Arts Centre and online.
Mayo Marquee in the Market Square – full programme
Sunday 29th May
- 11am–2pm: Chief Ronan Fox will host two 50-minute cooking demos, and invite local food and drinks producers into the conversations around local foods, farm to fork, highlighting the move towards food systems that stimulate dietary changes beneficial for health, decreasing the impacts on the environment and climate, while leaving no one behind.
- 1.30-2pm: Home to Mayo Cocktails! Local Mixologist will mix up and some classic cocktails and Irish favourites.
- 2pm–3pm: Brendan Farrell & friends will perform passages from his show ‘Take Me Home’
- 3pm – 4pm: Trad session in the Marquee with HUP, featuring Martin O’Donnell & friends.
- 4pm-5pm: Atlantic Rhythm Productions performs passages from the sequel to ‘An Immigrant’s Farewell’, and new show ‘An Immigrant’s Return’ with guest appearances from the Moffatt School of Irish Dance and Centre Stage Vocal Academy.
- 5pm: Poetry Reading by Sean Walsh. Featuring specially commissioned poem written by Sean Walsh.
- Close: Final performance by the ‘North Mayo Music collective’, with Brendan, Martin and friends Sheila Moffatt and Maureen Lawlor.
Further information on the programme is available at www.ballina.ie.
