Ballina Municipal District

Hidden gems in Ballina Municipal District

Coastal Secrets & Ancient Ruins

This collection explores the rugged northern coastline of County Mayo, highlighting the dramatic Dún Briste sea stack at Downpatrick Head and the maritime heritage of the River Moy. The list features significant medieval ruins, including the 13th-century Rathfran Abbey and the well-preserved Rosserk Friary. Visitors can discover Neolithic history at Rathlackan Court Cairn, Napoleonic-era defenses at Creevagh, and the poignant Titanic Memorial Park in Lahardane, which honors the fourteen local emigrants who boarded the ill-fated ship.

Coastal Secrets & Ancient Ruins — Map

Denise Figueiredo / CC-BY-SA

A

Downpatrick Head

Features the 50-meter-high Dún Briste sea stack, separated from the cliffs in 1393. The site includes ruins of a church founded by St. Patrick, a holy well, and a stone marker from a WWII coastal lookout post.

B

Titanic Memorial Park

Located in Lahardane, this memorial honors the 'Addergoole 14' who sailed on the Titanic. It features bronze plaques and a commemorative garden dedicated to the eleven locals who perished in the 1912 disaster.

C

Rosserk Abbey

A well-preserved Franciscan Friary founded around 1440. Notable architectural details include a fine double piscina with intricate carvings and a square bell tower overlooking the River Moy.

D

Crete Boom

A concrete-hulled tugboat built in 1919. Towed to the River Moy in 1937 to serve as a breakwater, it remains a visible shipwreck at low tide near the Ballina quay.

E

Florette

The remains of a wooden ship located in the River Moy estuary, situated near the concrete wreck of the Crete Boom.

F

Rathfran Abbey

Ruins of a Dominican Friary established in 1274. The site features a long, narrow church and remains of the living quarters located on the banks of the Cloonaghmore River.

G

Rathlackan Court Cairn

A Neolithic megalithic tomb featuring a gallery and an enclosed courtyard. It is part of a prehistoric field system and offers views over Lacken Bay.

H

Walled Garden

A restored 19th-century garden located within Belleek Forest Park, featuring original stone boundary walls and traditional horticultural layouts.

I

Creevagh Signal Tower

A Napoleonic-era signal tower built in 1804 as part of a coastal defense system against French invasion. The square stone ruins occupy a prominent position on the Creevagh headland.

J

Castlelacken

The ruins of an 18th-century Palladian-style manor house, also known as Lacken House, featuring a symmetrical facade and surviving stone masonry.

Other Lists

Ballina Municipal District Essentials North Mayo Heritage & Art Historic Religious Sites Historic Castles and Fortifications