Explore Ballinasloe is LIVE!

The ‘Exploring Ballinasloe and Surrounding Areas’ Project is an initiative of the Ballinasloe Fit Town project together with Galway Sports Partnership and Galway County Council and has been made possible with the support of Healthy Ireland and Fit Town funding. The aim of the project is to continue our journey in promoting the health and wellbeing of our community and in doing so, to create more awareness of the rich natural landscape, biodiversity, heritage, strategic location and infrastructure that Ballinasloe enjoys, 

Explore Ballinasloe Project Team:
L-R Marion Ruane (Ballinasloe Fit Town, Project Lead), Fran McEvoy (Galway County Council), Humphrey Murphy (ILC Consultants), John Egan (Ballinasloe & District Road Runners), Noel Slevin (Ballinasloe Cycling Club), Claire Dolphin, Karhleen Ward, Liam Roche (Rosway Walking Club). Missing from photo – Mick Curley (Galway Sports Partnership), Denise Boland (Ballinasloe & District Road Runners).

The benefits of exercise to our overall health and wellbeing (both physical and mental health) is well documented. There is no denying our modern lifestyles place many demands on us and the challenge for many is to find time to incorporate exercise into our everyday life.

We have worked together with representatives from Rosway Walking Club, Ballinasloe and District Road Runners (BRR) and Ballinasloe Cycling Club to identify a number of recreational trails within the Ballinasloe area and surrounding villages. A key focus of the trails identification process was to select routes which showcase the diverse natural landscape which is unique to Ballinasloe and includes the River Suck and old Grand Canal waterways. In addition we have included a number of established local and National routes which include the Hymany and Beara Breifne Way.

This is by no means an extensive catalogue of trails, but rather an opportunity to encourage you to explore this beautiful area. The selected trails are a combination of on road and off road routes of varying distances, which can be enjoyed by walkers, runners and cyclists alike however, it is important to remember at all times you are sharing the roads with other road users and you must adhere to road safety guidelines (see www.rsa.ie for further information).

To visit the site go to www.exploreballinasloe.ie 

A few tips before you go exploring;

• Plan ahead and prepare – ensure you have the correct clothing, footwear, drinks and food.
• Be considerate of others.
• Respect farm animals and wildlife.
• In order to minimise your social and environmental impact please follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. For further information please visit www.leavenotraceireland.org
• We encourage you to support local businesses.
• Whether you are on your own, with friends or family the most important thing is to enjoy the experience and appreciate the beauty and tranquillity of the great outdoors and all the health benefits that brings.