placenamesBallina
Béal an Átha
Within Ballina’s wider district, the Shannon bridge and local playing fields record successive investments in shared space.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Béal an Átha · Irish · main form · validated name
- Ballina · English · main form
Place & story
Alterations to the Shannon bridge
Killaloe Bridge joins the Ballina bank of the Shannon with County Clare. The architectural inventory records several distinct alterations: five central arches were rebuilt in 1825, wider eastern arches followed in 1843, and a lifting section was added in 1929. Pedestrian refuges project from the parapets, giving people room to step aside on the narrow crossing. Its varied masonry records repeated rebuilding. [2]
A permanent home for Gaelic games
Ballina GAA's county-board history traces its formal establishment to 1885. The club later developed a playing field at Cullina on the Portroe Road, supported by fundraising marquees in the late 1960s and 1970s. Its official opening in 1982 featured Tipperary playing Limerick. A further four-and-a-half-acre field, purchased in 2008, expanded the space available for local games. [3]
The old crossing changes purpose
In October 2025, Clare and Tipperary county councils announced that the old bridge would become a permanent walking and cycling link from 17 October. The decision followed a trial closure and the opening of Brian Boru Bridge on 22 May that year. Council monitoring found no detrimental effect on traffic flows, while consultation recorded both support for pedestrianisation and concerns about business access and emergency response. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Ballina. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Killaloe Bridge, registration 22306005 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Tipperary Club Focus: Ballina GAA Club, 31 March 2021 · Michael Quinn, Tipperary GAA
- Permanent pedestrianisation of old Killaloe Ballina Bridge, 15 October 2025 · Tipperary County Council and Clare County Council
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.