Up to 30000 expected in ballina for quay regatta festival

THERE'S just no getting away from the Galway-Mayo theme this weekend. While Sunday's match in Salthill is a big attraction, so too is the fact that the exciting Ballina Quay Regatta is to receive a visit from the Galway hooker 'MacDuach'.

The boat is due to sail up the River Moy estuary to Ballina Quay at approximately 3.30 p.m. tomorrow (Friday, June 12) as the weekend festival kicks off. Its the first time ever that the Quay will host a traditional Irish Galway hooker boat.

The regatta, presented by the Moy Estuary Boat Club supporting the Ballyglass Lifeboat RNLI service, revives an old favourite on the festival circuit but brings it bang up to date. Last held in the mid-1990s, Ballina Quay Regatta for 2015 stages All-Ireland currach racing on Sunday with a round of Coiste Lar na gCurrachai and throughout the weekend there will a range of activities for the entire family.

These include concerts, a pirate treasure hunt, races on the water, a ceilí mór, bike hire, a four-man parachute jump, pony riding, the Monarch of the Moy (on opening night), two air stunt displays, and fireworks to conclude the festival on Sunday night, among much, much more.

“The idea was to revive an old festival and mark the fact that Ballina Quay is a point of interest on the Wild Atlantic Way,” explained one of the festival organisers, Paul Garvin.

There has been a 'huge reaction' to the festival's reactivation, said Paul. “We're expecting up to 30,000 for the whole weekend, with possibly 15,000 coming on Sunday for the currach racing. With 30 teams entered, it's going to be one of the biggest regattas in Ireland this year.”

The location also makes the regatta one of the best for spectators in the whole of Ireland, Paul added. “Normally they (regattas) are held out in a bay but here it comes right into the quay area and it's very good for viewing.”

The only thing to rival it from a spectator point of view on Sunday is the big match but football fans are catered for too, with Crocket's marquee coming complete with big screens - so none of the action will be missed. “The Galway lads wouldn't have come down from Carraroe if we didn't have the match on!” Paul quipped.

For more information on the festival, including a full schedule of events, see moyboatclub.com or like the Ballina Quay Regatta page on Facebook.