Ballyhaunis

Ballyhaunis (Irish:Béal Átha hAmhnais) is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated at the crossroads of the N60 and N83 National secondary roads and on the railway line connecting Dublin to Westport and Ballina.

It is thought that the town grew up around St Mary's Augustinian Friary (popularly referred to as "the Abbey"), which was founded in 1348, according to local tradition. The town and the surrounding hinterland is steeped in history and contains an extraordinary concentration of megalithic monuments. Local writer Paul Waldron explains that the full meaning of the name Béal Átha hAmhnais remains elusive: "The origins of that name has been the subject of much study and debate over the centuries. Beal Átha means the ford mouth, but what the last element means is still the subject of debate. Suggestions range from derivatives of 'Abhann', meaning river, or of 'amhnas', said to mean 'strife' or 'plunder'."