River Moy – Ireland's salmon river

Overview

Ballina calls itself the Salmon Capital of Ireland, and the reason runs straight through the middle of town. The River Moy (An Mhuaidh) rises at the foot of the Ox Mountains in County Sligo and runs about 110 km to Killala Bay at Ballina, draining a 2,086 km² catchment at an average of 61.5 m³/s. It is one of the most productive salmon rivers in the country – though, as below, not the river it once was – and the corridor doubles as a spine for walkers and cyclists, threading Victorian architecture, monastic ruins and quiet woodland.

History and heritage

The Moy’s name appears in Ptolemy’s 2nd-century geography as Libniu and later in Adomnán’s 8th-century Life of Columba as Modam fluvium; its modern Irish name likely derives from the Old Irish muad, ‘noble’. The river shaped settlement, most of all at Ballina. Originally Belleek, the town was formally laid out in 1723 by Charles O’Hara, 1st Baron Tyrawley, and a new quay in 1836 turned it into a working seaport and market hub.

The 1840s brought the Famine and the Ballina Poor Law Union workhouse – once one of the country’s largest, its surviving buildings now the District Hospital. The river also had a walk-on part in the 1798 Rebellion, when French troops passed through the Tyrawley estate on their way to Killala. Today the Moy still frames Ballina’s Victorian-Gothic St Muredach’s Cathedral (1834) and the Belleek Castle estate; across the water, Ardnaree keeps its 19th-century bridge and quiet riverside paths.

The friaries

Six religious houses went up along the river between the 13th and 15th centuries, and most survived the 16th-century Dissolution only as ruins. If you have time for one, make it Rosserk.

• Rosserk Abbey – the best-preserved Franciscan friary on the estuary, with foliate pillars, an intact east window and a round-tower piscina carved into the wall.
• Moyne Abbey (founded 1462) – a large Franciscan friary with a complete cloister, ship graffiti and a secretarium. Access is over a stile and a right-of-way across private farmland, so it suits the sure-footed more than anyone with limited mobility.
• Ardnaree Abbey (Ballina) – the first Augustinian priory in the west of Ireland, pre-1400, still showing its west door.
• Court Franciscan Friary (Lavagh) – 15th-century, with a hidden anchorite cell and faint medieval murals.
• Banada Augustinian Friary (1423) – worth a look for the surviving stair up to the dormitory.
• Priory of the Holy Cross, Straide (c.1240) – a Dominican house known for the sculpted tomb set into its north wall.
• Rathfran Abbey – a ruined Dominican friary (founded 1274) on the north bank, good stonework and river views.

Salmon fishing

The Moy was once among Europe’s premier salmon fisheries. Drift-netting drove a steep decline late in the 20th century, but a 2006 ban and a modern weir near the river mouth have helped the run hold on. That said, be realistic about the numbers: over the last ten years the annual rod catch has averaged around 6,500 fish, well below the river’s heyday, and recent seasons have been leaner again, with estuary counts down in the low hundreds. Catch-and-release is strongly encouraged for a reason.

The season runs from 1 February to 30 September, with the best sea-trout in late spring and early summer. The most prized lie is the Ridge Pool in the centre of Ballina, which traditionally yields around a third of the annual Moy catch. Beats on the lower and upper river are reserved for guests at Mount Falcon; otherwise local operators such as Moy Charters run salmon and sea-trout trips on the estuary. Carrowmore Lake, a short drive off, holds spring salmon and sea-trout.

One thing to confirm before you travel: Inland Fisheries Ireland can close the Moy and Erriff fisheries when water temperatures pass 20°C, as it did in May 2025, and a proposed licence-lottery system for the river is under consultation. Don’t assume last season’s rules hold – check with the local fishery office. Rod licences come from the Central Fisheries Board, online or at Ballina tackle shops. Even non-anglers get something out of the weir: the public promenade looks straight into the holding pool from late spring through early autumn, with fish visibly working the current.

Walking and cycling

The Moy corridor is laced with well-marked routes for every fitness level. The flagship is the Monasteries of the Moy Greenway, a 14 km signed path from Ballina to Killala that starts outside the soccer club at Belleek Woods:

The grades are gentle and it’s fine for families and unhurried cyclists; bike hire is in Ballina (below).

For a shadier walk, Belleek Woods holds up to 6 miles (10 km) of trails through an urban forest planted in the early 19th century; the main loop is about 4 km and takes an easy ninety minutes. Look out for the 1830 lime kilns, a secluded Hermitage, the Ice House, a mausoleum and a Fairy Trail of handcrafted wooden houses. Further upstream, the long-distance Western Way and Foxford Way cross the valley for multi-day treks, and a short drive inland brings you to Foxford, where a stone bridge spans the river above the woollen mills.

Wildlife and nature

Salmon dominate the conversation, but the Moy supports a broad ecosystem. Otters show up along the quieter stretches at dawn and dusk; the banks and woodlands bring in kingfishers, grey herons and the occasional summer osprey. Badgers, red deer and native flora hold in the floodplain. Spring and autumn are the pick for birdwatchers, as migratory waders and raptors use the corridor to feed.

Around the valley

Beyond the river there’s enough to fill a few days:

• Céide Fields – a short drive north, these 5,000-year-old Neolithic field systems are among the oldest enclosed farms anywhere, seen on guided tours.
• Belleek Woods – 78 ha of mixed woodland, a riverside loop and native red squirrels.
• Jackie Clarke Collection (Walsh Street, Ballina) – over 100,000 maps, newspapers, political posters, photographs and films spanning four centuries, from the Land League to 1916. Free admission; open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm.
• Foxford Woollen Mills – a working mill with loom tours and a shop of hand-woven goods.
• North Mayo Heritage Centre (Enniscoe) – exhibitions on Famine walks and local history.
• Father Peyton Memorial Centre (Attymass) – on Fr Patrick Peyton, founder of the Family Rosary Crusade, with a contemplative garden.
• Dolmen of the Four Maols and St Patrick’s Cross – stone monuments in Ballina town centre.

Golf runs to the links at Enniscrone and the parkland course at Ballina; Easkey beach to the north has surf schools.

Festivals

• Ballina Salmon Festival (July; 2026 dates: 12–19 July) – a week of fishing competitions, music and food stalls built around the run.
• Ballina Street Festival (July) – street performance, a Mayo crafts market and family events.
• North Mayo Sculpture Trail (year-round) – contemporary works dotted along the estuary and coast, good for a slow walk.

Where to stay

• Mount Falcon Estate – a 4-star Victorian manor on the west bank (around €180–280 a night), with a spa, on-site salmon beats, falconry, clay-shooting and archery.
• The Ice House Hotel & Spa – riverside spa hotel in Ballina.
• Belleek Castle Hotel – country house set in Belleek Woods (from about €165 a night), with a library restaurant.
• Ballina Manor Hotel – family-run 4-star in the town centre, near the greenway.
• Brigown B&B – riverside, with an 18-choice breakfast and a freezer for anglers’ catch.
• Moy Hotel (Foxford) – a 4-star in nearby Foxford, handy for the woollen mills.

Practical information

The Moy is a public waterway with free access to its banks, walking trails and public fishing stretches. Angling licences are required for salmon and trout, bought through the Central Fisheries Board or local tackle shops.

The valley centres on Ballina, a rail-linked town on the N5 and N59. The nearest airports are Ireland West Airport Knock (45 km) and Dublin (250 km). Bus Éireann routes 440 and 442 connect Ballina with Castlebar and Westport. Parking in Ballina is free on-street, with a paid car park near the quay and parking at the greenway trailheads; there’s wheelchair-friendly access on the Ballina waterfront promenade.

Bike hire

Moy Charters

The friary ruins are open-air sites on uneven ground with no formal hours, generally open all year but occasionally closed for conservation; Moyne in particular needs a stile and a walk across private land. One last, serious note: the Moy runs fast and cold after heavy rain, and there have been drownings, including a fisherman near Foxford in 2018 and a rescue in January 2025. Swimming is not advised, and anglers should wear proper safety gear.