Travel
Travel Note
Travel plans
Oakley and Ellie will be spending some time in Oakley's family village of Doohoma (google map Doohoma Head) before and after the wedding. If you are interested in visiting Doohoma, please reach out to Oakley or Ellie. It is an hour from Ballina and reachable only via car.
Flight
Ireland Airports
Most international guests will be flying to Dublin airport. For information on how to reach Ballina from Dublin, see below on car rentals and trains. The closest airport to Ballina is Knock Airport. However, flights are available only from UK/European hubs (not Dublin).
Rental Car
Car Rentals
Taxis and car rentals are both available from all airports. We find CarJet (www.carjet.com) to aggregate the best rental deals- just be sure to pick a reputable company! If you do decide to drive yourself, some important tips: the Irish drive on the left-hand side, speed signs are in kilometers-per-hour, and all roads within an hour of Ballina are one-lane only each way and can be narrow and winding. Slow vehicles are common and passing places can be rare. Navigation apps may underestimate route timings, so stick to M or N roads (in that order), for a smooth schedule. From Dublin, a nonstop journey to Ballina will take 3 – 4 hours, from Shannon 2 – 3 hours and Knock 45 minutes.
Train
Irish Rail
If you'd prefer not to rent a car to travel to County Mayo, a train to Ballina leaves every 4 hours from Heuston Station in central Dublin. A change is required at Manulla Junction to reach Ballina where the station is near the center of town.
Hotel
Ballina Manor Hotel
On the day of the ceremony, shuttles will pick up from this hotel (and Ice House). If you book directly through the website, our discount code OAKLEY&ELLIE will give you 10% off normal booking rates the weekend of the wedding.
Hotel
Ice House Hotel
On the day of the ceremony, shuttles will pick up from this hotel (and Ballina Manor). No discount code here, but you might like the spa!