A little story.

I guess its important to find out where we are going, but to begin with we need to see where we came from.As a blow in to this town I hit the net to get a history of the town and where it all began.A brilliant article and I have to admit it came from the most unlikely of sources. Read it first and I will tell you where it came from.

Brief History of the Development of Ballina
While there is evidence of prehistoric and early Christian settlement around the area, it is generally acknowledged that the first significant development near Ballina occurred in 1427 with the establishment of the Augustinian Abbey on the eastern banks of the River Moy. It may be presumed that the Abbey formed the nucleus of a small urban settlement typical of that found throughout the rest of Ireland during the Middle Ages outside of the walled towns.

The ‘modern’ plan of Ballina began to emerge after 1723 thanks to the efforts of Lord Tyrawley who brought flax and linen workers into the area from the northeastern counties to work at new mills at Bunree. The mill and the dwellings constructed to house the workers constitute the first major development in Ballina since the foundation of the Abbey; it also provided a spur for the construction later in the 18th century of two new bridges across the River Moy as well as a military barracks in Ballina.

The early to mid 19th century was a period of economic success in Ballina. In 1817 William Malley brought large trading vessels to Crocketstown for the first time, essentially establishing Ballina as a seaport. The building boom was extended by the commencement in 1827 of St. Muredach’s Cathedral and went on to include the construction of Belleek Manor, Ballina House, and two new modern, stone bridges across the Moy to replace the earlier structures. Thoroughfares were built along the Moy’s new banks and a road was built connecting Ballina to Swinford.

Before 1870, Ballina had acquired a courthouse, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, a workhouse (the fifth largest in the country), an icehouse and a large convent (to house the Sisters of Mercy who had arrived from Sligo in 1862). At around this time, however, Ballina fell into a long period of decline which the Tyrawley Herald attributed to the demise of the local linen trade: while formerly the Trades Union Societies of Ballina had 600 members and 101 apprentices, by 1864 membership was reduced to fifty.

Housing schemes developed throughout the early to mid 20th century created for Ballina a suburban ring, however, the urban core of the town still centres on the 18th and 19th century development along Pearse and the adjoining streets. While few new buildings of note were added to the building stock, one 20th century structure left a lasting impression on the Ballina townscape: the Creteboom.

This was taken from The Ballina Development Plan 2009 - 2015. It is a large document and may take sometime to load.Now that you know the story behind OUR town whats your story?