Ballina sits on the River Moy in north County Mayo, close to the river's estuary and the Atlantic coast. It is a working west-of-Ireland town rather than a polished resort, but it has enough history, river life, and nearby ruins to reward a day if you are moving between Sligo, Westport, and the north Mayo coast.
The Moy is the town's spine. Anglers come for salmon, locals cross the bridges on errands, and the Ridge Pool beside the weir gives the centre a clear sense of place. A short walk away, the Jackie Clarke Collection is much better than its quiet exterior suggests, with a serious archive of Irish political history.
Ballina also works as a base for older North Mayo sights: Rosserk Friary, Moyne Abbey, the Dolmen of the Four Maols, and the trails of Belleek Woods. It is not a place to rush across Ireland for, but it is a good spare day in this corner of Mayo.