BALLINA, a seaport and market-town of Ireland, county of Mayo, 18 miles N.N.E. of Castlebar, situated on the River Moy, which is here crossed by two bridges. It has a parish and a Roman Catholic church (the latter being in the suburb of Ardnaree on the opposite side of the river), Baptist and Methodist chapels, a court-house, three branch banks, a workhouse, hospital, dispensary, barracks, and several schools. A convent was erected in 1867. The salmon fishery and fish-curing are important branches of its trade; and it has also breweries and tiour-mills, and manufactures snuff and coarse linen. The amount of harbour receipts in 1873 was £1266. In 1798 Ba∏ina was for ä short time in the possession of the French, under General Humbert. In the neighbourhood there is an interesting dolmen, proved by the early annals of Ireland to belong to the 5th century a.d. (vide Fergusson’s Rude Stone Monuments'). To the east of the village are the remains of an abbey, with a Gothic door-case in fine preservation (Archdall). Population in 1871, 5551.

BALLINASLOE, a town of Ireland, province of Connaught, 91 miles W.S.W. of Dublin. The River Suck, an affluent of the Shannon, divides it into two parts; the western being in the county of Galway, the eastern in the county of Roscommon. They are connected by two bridges and a causeway across an island. The town is clean and well built, and contains a handsome church, with a singular octagonal spire springing from scrolls. There are Roman Catholic and Methodist chapels, several public schools, a district lunatic asylum, union workhouse, market-house, a savings bank (established in 1822), several flour-mills, and breweries. In the neighbourhood is Garbally Castle, the seat of the earl of Clancarty. A great annual cattle fair is held here from the 5th to the 9th of October. Its importance may be judged from the fact, that in 1874 there were exposed for sale 18,018 horned cattle and 65,130 sheep. The Western Star is published in the town. Population in 1871, 4619.