“Mayo – The Connected County”
Mayo Day returns on Saturday 2nd May 2026, bringing communities across the county, and across the world, together under this year’s theme: “Mayo – The Connected County.”
Now firmly established as a key date in the cultural calendar, Mayo Day celebrates “Mayo-ness” in all its forms. From local villages to global diaspora communities, it is a day that reflects the deep and lasting connections that bind people to this county.
While events are taking place across County Mayo (and visible here on the Mayo.ie website), here at Mayo North Tourism, we are focusing on our own corner of the county – from Ballina through North Mayo and across to Belmullet – where a vibrant programme of heritage, culture, music, science, and community events will take place throughout the bank holiday weekend.
North Mayo’s Mayo Day 2026 programme showcases the strength of community spirit, creativity, and heritage across the region.
Jackie Clarke Collection, Ballina – Emigration, Memory & Mayo’s Global Story
This May, the Jackie Clarke Collection presents a deeply significant contribution to Mayo Day 2026 through a series of exhibitions exploring one of the most powerful chapters in Mayo’s history emigration. It will have two brilliant exhibitions:
– From Bofield to Battery Park
Visitors are invited to discover the remarkable story of Mayo people who left small towns and villages behind and crossed the Atlantic in search of new opportunities in one of the world’s greatest cities. This exhibition traces how they carried with them Music, Culture, Memory and Resilience. These are the threads that continue to bind the Mayo diaspora across generations and continents. It also tells the story of the famine cottage in Attymass that was moved stone by stone and rebuilt in Battery Park, NY.
– The Addergoole 14 – A Story of Hope and Loss
The second exhibition tells the deeply moving story of the Addergoole 14, the largest group of passengers from any one place to board the Titanic. Their journey is one of: Hope and ambition; Courage and community; And tragic loss that still resonates today. Their story remains a powerful reminder of the human cost of emigration and the enduring strength of the Mayo diaspora.
Exhibition Details
The exhibitions will run:
Tuesday 2nd – Saturday 10th May 2026
10am – 5pm daily
📍 The Seomra and inside the Jackie Clarke Collection, Pearse Street, Ballina
As Ballina comes alive with Mayo Day and Mayo Fleadh celebrations, these exhibitions offer a space for reflection and connection — honouring the journeys that shaped who we are today. Whether you have family links to emigration, a passion for local history, or simply a curiosity about Mayo’s global story, this is a must-visit experience during Mayo Day 2026.
Ballycroy – Mayo Day
Ballycroy Community Council CLG, in partnership with Ballycroy Visitor Centre and Wild Nephin National Park, will host a free family-friendly Mayo Day programme beginning at 9am.
Highlights include:
- Lego workshops for children with a Mayo Day theme
- The Mayo Dawn Chorus experience
- Guided walks through Wild Nephin National Park
- Native tree workshops
- Interactive Mayo Day themed activities
A full day celebrating nature, learning, and community in one of Ireland’s most spectacular landscapes.
Wild Nephin Dark Sky Park – 10th Anniversary Weekend
Mayo Day also marks the start of a special weekend celebrating the 10th anniversary of Wild Nephin Dark Sky Park (2nd–4th May).
Events include:
- Talks by space scientist Dr. Niamh Shaw
- Science, arts, circus, and film events
- Community constellation project launch
- Anniversary reception in Ballycroy
A unique celebration of science, imagination, and the night sky.
National Museum of Ireland – Turlough Park
Mayo Day will also include a special commemoration of Mayo Military Heroes, honouring those who served with distinction at home and abroad throughout history.
This reflective event is open to all and takes place throughout the day at Turlough Park.
North Mayo Heritage Centre
The North Mayo Heritage Centre will celebrate Mayo Day with a focus on genealogy and family history.
Visitors can enjoy:
- Launch of a Genealogy Banner Exhibition
- Expert support for family history research
- Guidance on the newly released 1926 Census records
A valuable opportunity to explore personal and shared connections to North Mayo’s past.
SOLAS, Belmullet
From 1pm–4pm, SOLAS in Belmullet will host a relaxed and welcoming Mayo Day celebration, inviting all ages to come together and enjoy music, atmosphere, and community spirit.
Ballina Arts Centre
Ballina Arts Centre will host a dynamic programme throughout the day, including: Storytelling sessions, Creative workshops, Drawing and visual arts activities, Music performances, Gallery tours and DJ workshops
A vibrant celebration of creativity at the heart of the town.
Greanaí, Rossport – Lá Mhaigh Eo
Teach Greannaí will host an afternoon of traditional music and food, offering a warm and informal space for the community to gather, share stories, and celebrate Mayo Day together.
Highlights include:
- Lego workshops for children with a Mayo Day theme
- The Mayo Dawn Chorus experience
- Guided walks through Wild Nephin National Park
- Native tree workshops
- Interactive Mayo Day themed activities
A full day celebrating nature, learning, and community in one of Ireland’s most spectacular landscapes.
Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo – Launch Concert
To close Mayo Day in style, Ballina will host the Fleadh Cheoil Mhaigh Eo 2026 Launch Concert, featuring some of the finest traditional musicians in Ireland.
Featuring:
- Colm O’Donnell & Friends
- All-Ireland Senior Trio Champions
- The Bofield Céilí Band
A powerful night of traditional Irish music and culture, celebrating Mayo’s rich musical heritage.
Mayo Day Celebrations at Ballina Parkrun
To mark Mayo Day 2026, Ballina parkrun is encouraging everyone to join us this Bank Holiday weekend and celebrate in true Mayo style!
We’re asking all participants to dress in their Mayo colours — so dig out anything green you can find and come along ready to show your county pride.
- Best Dressed Prize, A €50 One4All voucher is up for grabs for the best dressed Mayo participant, so feel free to go all out!
There will be refreshments after the event, so please stick around to enjoy the celebrations and a chat with fellow parkrunners.
Whether you’re walking, jogging, running, volunteering, or cheering, we’d love to see the Ballina parkrun community come together to celebrate Mayo Day.
Ballina parkrun, outside the soccer club
Saturday 2nd May @ 9.30am
parkrun is free, weekly, and for everyone.
Walk The Stories of Ballina – Free Guided walking Tour, celebrating Mayo Day
Whispers of the Moy Tour Launch
Free Heritage Walking Tour – Mayo Day 2026 | Saturday, 2nd May | 11:00am | Jackie Clarke Collection.
I’ve been working away on this tour for some time now, and I honestly can’t think of a more fitting day to finally bring it to life than Mayo Day. This year’s theme is “The Connected County” and if ever a place embodied connection, it’s Ballina. A river that linked us to the wider world. People who left, but never truly left. Stories woven into these streets, waiting to be heard.
Whispers of the Moy is a 90-minute guided walk through the town, beginning at the Jackie Clarke Collection and winding through lanes, markets, bridges, and riverbanks before returning again. It’s a journey across two centuries of Ballina’s history, from 1723 to the 1930s. Nine stops. Two hundred years. One river that witnessed it all. Along the way, we’ll stand in places where history unfolded: A street commentating a man who was executed without trial in 1798. A square where a family once left with nothing and whose descendant would return generations later as President of the United States.A barracks taken on Valentine’s Day 1922, and burned just months later during the Civil War.
And we’ll reflect on what this town chose to rebuild when it was all over.
This special Mayo Day tour is completely free, kindly supported by Mayo County Council as part of the 2026 celebrations.
Places are limited. If you’d like to join, please send me a message or email in advance to reserve your place.
And if you can’t make this one, don’t worry, Whispers of the Moy will be running every Saturday throughout the summer, and I’d be delighted to welcome you along then.
Meeting Point: Jackie Clarke Collection, Pearse Street, Ballina, Time: 11:00am, Free | Limited places | Registration required
Mayo Day at The Céide Fields
To celebrate Mayo Day Céide Fields are offering free admission on Saturday May 2nd. Feel the pride in the ancient history of this amazing County.
See how our farming ancestors in Mayo were managing the land nearly six thousand years ago. This is an opportunity to come and learn about the significance of the North Mayo neolithic field systems in world archaeology.
Enjoy a guided tour on the natural bog and hear the skylarks singing their hearts out. Inside you can experience our family friendly interactive exhibitions. Local musicians will be playing traditional music from 1pm to 2.30pm while you can enjoy some lunch and delicious home made snacks by Kell’s Kitchen.
Celebrating a Connected County
Mayo Day 2026 is a celebration of connection — between people, places, and generations. In North Mayo, that connection is deeply felt in our landscapes, our communities, and our stories.
From Ballina to Belmullet, this weekend offers something for everyone — whether it’s heritage, music, nature, creativity, or simply time spent together. Wherever you are, we invite you to take part, explore, and celebrate everything that makes Mayo extraordinary.
Lá Mhaigh Eo Sona Duit – Happy Mayo Day from North Mayo!