Ballinasloe
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Ballinasloe (Béal Átha na Slua in Irish) is a town in the eastern extremity of County Galway in Ireland.
The town developed as a crossing point on the River Suck, a tributary of the Shannon. The Irish placename — meaning the mouth of the ford of the crowds — reflects this purpose. The latter part of the name suggests the town has been a meeting place since ancient times. A new public marina has been developed on the river in recent years that allows traffic from the Shannon navigation to access the town.
It has successful soccer and rugby teams, and it contains the Duggan Park GAA grounds. The local GAA clubs are St. Grellan's Gaelic Football Club, Ballinasloe Hurling Club and Ballinasloe Camogie Club.
The Ballinasloe Fair is one of the oldest horse fairs in Europe, dating back to the 1700s. Today the fair is still held, along with a festival that attracts up to 100,000 visitors from all over the world. The town also boasts a successful summer festival called An tSúca Fiain.
The N6 road passes through the town, which is also served by the Dublin–Galway railway line. From 1828 to the 1960s, Ballinasloe was the terminus of the Grand Canal.
The biggest local employers are Portiuncula & St. Brigid's hospitals.
The patron saint of Ballinasloe is Saint Grellan, whom tradition believes built the first church in the area at Kilcloony. A local housing estate, the branch of Conradh na Gaeilge, and formerly a school are named after him.
See also
External links
- [ballinasloe.com]: Ballinasloe Town website with up-to-date local news and information on the town for visitors and residents alike.
- [ballinasloe.org]: An independent site with articles on Ballinasloe's history as well as a tips on genealogical research. Also has a bulletin board.
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