Ballina
The largest town in Mayo is Ballina, an angling centre on the River Moy. The Moy is excellent for salmon and trout and nearby Lough Conn has equally good fishing; golf (9) and hunting are other attractions.
The original settlement at Ballina was at Ardnaree, on the east side of the river. This site is marked by the ruins of a 14th century Augustinian friary, dwarfed by the Victorian cathedral of St Muredach. In the 18th century Ballina developed on the west side of the river and it today, a thriving industrial and commercial town.
Near Ballina's railway station is the dolmen of the Four Maols, three large rocks, capped by a massive boulder, a tombstone dating from the bronze age.
The legend surrounding the rocks is from the early christian era. Four Foster brothers, named Maol, murdered their master Ceallach, a 6th century bishop, whose death was avenged by his own brother. The four were hanged, and supposedly buried there.
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