Is Ballina autism friendly?

Yes. In 2026, Ballina became the first town in the west of Ireland to earn Autism Friendly status from AsIAm, Ireland’s autism charity. It also won a Community Engagement Award for the way local people, businesses and organisations got involved. Ballina now has a new Sensory Park, a sensory room at the library, quiet shopping evenings and sensory spaces at its biggest festivals.

Ballina sits on the River Moy, famous for its salmon fishing and its lively summer festival. Over the past few years, the town has worked hard to make sure that everyone, including autistic people and their families, can enjoy all it has to offer.

This guide covers how Ballina got there, what autism friendly means in the town, and the places and events where autistic children, teenagers, adults and their families can expect a calmer, more welcoming day out.

Status: AsIAm Autism Friendly Town

Awarded: 2026, the first in the west of Ireland

Other awards: Community Engagement Award (2026); New Community Recognition and Sensory Accessibility Awards (2025)

Run by: Ballina Autism Friendly Town (BAFT), a volunteer committee

More information: baft.ie

How Ballina became the west’s first Autism Friendly Town

Ballina’s journey started with a public meeting at the Great National Hotel in May 2024. Local parents invited businesses, schools, sports clubs and community groups to come on board, and the response was strong from the start.

The Ballina Autism Friendly Town committee is made up of autistic adults, parents of autistic children, professionals and community members. It officially launched with AsIAm in October 2024, with AsIAm’s CEO and local public representatives there to support it.

Even before the launch, the group was already making a difference. It worked with the Ballina Salmon Festival, the Ballina Fringe Festival and the Mary Robinson Centre’s 1.5 Degree Festival to add sensory spaces and accessible areas, so autistic children and adults could enjoy events they might otherwise have missed.

The committee aimed to finish its accreditation well inside AsIAm’s three-year timeline, and it did. In 2025, Ballina won AsIAm’s New Community Recognition Award and Sensory Accessibility Award. Then, at the AsIAm Autism Friendly Towns Awards in Dublin City Hall in April 2026, it earned full Autism Friendly Town status, along with a Community Engagement Award.

What does autism friendly mean in Ballina?

The committee focuses on four invisible barriers that autistic people often face: communication, predictability and control, the sensory environment, and the judgement and attitudes of others.

To tackle them, local businesses, clubs and organisations become Autism Friendly Champions. Each Champion:

• completes autism awareness training
• makes practical, easy changes, such as quieter times, calmer spaces or clearer communication
• welcomes assistance dogs
• helps visitors know what to expect, often with a social story or sensory map

The group also works with event organisers to make festivals and community events more autism and disability friendly.

Autism friendly places and events in Ballina

These are the places and events with published autism-friendly features. Supports can change, so it’s always worth checking before you go.

Ballina Sensory Park 

Ballina’s newest attraction is a sensory park on the banks of the River Moy. It opened in September 2026 in Tom Ruane Park on the Sligo Road, right beside ABC Park.

The park has a water feature, sensory planting, communication boards and a mix of textures, colours and equipment. There are calm, quiet areas for resting and a more active area for play, so children can choose what suits them. It’s designed to welcome visitors of all ages and abilities, and it’s especially valuable for neurodivergent children and their families.

The project was led by Ballina Community Clean Up Group, working with FLOW Community Project and Ballina Autism Friendly Town. Fundraising began back in 2021, and the first phase is now complete.

Where: Tom Ruane Park, Sligo Road, Ballina, Co. Mayo

Ballina Library Sensory Room

Ballina Library has a dedicated sensory room, open to all library users. Inside, you’ll find a bubble tube with lights, glowing cubes, a projector and a cosy nook with LED lighting and a range of calming sounds.

It’s a lovely space for autistic children, people with sensory processing differences, or anyone who needs a calm break. Contact the library on 096 70833 to book.

The Mary Robinson Centre 

The Mary Robinson Centre is an Autism Friendly Champion. Its staff have completed autism-friendly training, including sensory awareness, and assistance dogs are welcome.

Before you visit, you can download two helpful guides from the centre’s website:

• a sensory map of the centre
• a social story, created with Ballina Autism Friendly Town, so visitors know what to expect

The centre has also hosted its 1.5 Degree Festival with sensory spaces provided by the committee.

SuperValu Ballina: Autism Friendly Shopping 

SuperValu in Ballina runs Autism Friendly Shopping every Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm. To help you prepare, SuperValu’s website has audio clips of the store’s sounds, from the bakery to the tills, and a downloadable sensory map showing areas that may be loud, bright, cold or strong-smelling.

Ballina Salmon Festival and other events

Ballina Autism Friendly Town works with event organisers to add sensory spaces and accessible areas. It has done this at the Ballina Salmon Festival, the Ballina Fringe Festival and the 1.5 Degree Festival, giving autistic children and adults a calm place to take a break while still enjoying the day.

Check the festival programmes and BAFT’s social media each year to find out what’s planned.

Local businesses, clubs and organisations

Ballina’s Champions include local businesses, sports clubs, community groups and public services that have completed autism training and made changes for autistic customers and visitors. Ballina Rugby Club has hosted Champion training sessions for local organisations.

Look out for Champions as you explore the town, and ask staff about any supports they offer.

Planning an autism friendly day out in Ballina

A little preparation makes a big difference. Here are some tips based on how local supports work:

• Download guides before you go. The Mary Robinson Centre’s social story and sensory map, and SuperValu’s sensory map and sound clips, help everyone know what to expect.
• Start at the Sensory Park. Its calm areas and water feature make it an easy, relaxed place to begin.
• Book the library sensory room. It’s a great option for a rainy day or a quiet break.
• Shop on a Tuesday evening. SuperValu’s Autism Friendly Shopping makes the weekly shop much easier.
• Plan festival visits around sensory spaces. If you’re going to the Salmon Festival, find out where the sensory space is before you arrive.
• Take a walk by the Moy. The riverside is right in the town if someone needs space and fresh air.
  
  
  

Looking ahead: an Autism Friendly Mayo

Ballina’s committee has bigger plans. Its members have presented to Mayo County Council with a vision for Mayo to become Ireland’s first Autism Friendly County, pointing to the benefits for local families and for tourism. Other Mayo towns, including Westport and Castlebar, are also working on autism-friendly initiatives.

To get involved or become a Champion, contact Ballina Autism Friendly Town at ballinaautismfriendlytown@gmail.com.

FAQ’s

Is Ballina autism friendly? Yes. Ballina became the first town in the west of Ireland to earn Autism Friendly status from AsIAm, Ireland’s autism charity, in 2026. It also won a Community Engagement Award that year.

What is the first autism friendly town in the west of Ireland? Ballina, Co. Mayo. It earned Autism Friendly Town status from AsIAm in 2026.

Is there a sensory park in Ballina? Yes. Ballina Sensory Park opened in September 2026 in Tom Ruane Park on the Sligo Road, beside the River Moy. It has a water feature, sensory planting, communication boards and calm, quiet areas.

Is there a sensory room in Ballina? Yes. Ballina Library has a sensory room with a bubble tube, glowing cubes, a projector and a cosy nook with LED lighting. Contact the library on 096 70833 to book.

Is the Ballina Salmon Festival autism friendly? Ballina Autism Friendly Town has worked with the Ballina Salmon Festival to provide sensory spaces and accessible areas, as well as at the Ballina Fringe Festival.

Is Mayo an autism friendly county? Not yet. Ballina’s committee has asked Mayo County Council to work towards making Mayo Ireland’s first Autism Friendly County.

Find autism friendly things to do in May

Do Stuff! lists classes, activities and events across Mayo, with icons that show when an activity is accessible or can support additional needs. Browse What’s On in Mayo on Do Stuff! to plan your next day out.

Do you run an autism friendly class, club or activity in Ballina or North Mayo? Help local families find you. Add Your Autism Friendly Activity to Do Stuff!

We aim to provide up-to-date, useful information to readers. Email contact@dostuff.ie if any information here needs updating, or to tell us about a new place we can add.