to be built near the Tesco and Aldi stores in the town. Construction began on the single-storey cinema in March 2022, with a planned opening in late 2022. In May 2022, Irish discount store chain Mr. Price announced its plans to open a store in the town in June 2022. Places of interest Places of interest in the surrounding area include: The Battle of Aughrim Interpretive Centre is located in Aughrim, a village west of Ballinasloe. The centre offers insight on how three rival European Kings – William of Orange, James II, and Louis XIV - took hold of Ireland in their struggle for power, gathering at Aughrim in 1691. Clontuskert Abbey is a National Monument, located approximately 7 km from the town. The cloister and church of the medieval priory are open-access to the public. Hymany Way is a hiking trail between Portumna and Aughrim, following the banks of the River Shannon. The trail passes through Ballinasloe. Famine Remembrance Park is a Famine memorial park located approximately 1 km from the town centre in Cleaghmore. Transport Road Once a notorious traffic jam on the old Galway to Dublin road, Ballinasloe is now bypassed by the M6 motorway. The motorway was opened on 18 December 2009 as the N6 was upgraded. The town can also be accessed by public bus, with CityLink and Aircoach serving the town on their Limerick to Galway and Dublin to Galway routes. Bus Éireann previously served the town, but announced in July 2021 that it would end its Athlone services to Dublin and Galway. Bicycle The Athlone to Galway Cycleway is a planned long-distance cycling and walking greenway that passes through Ballinasloe en route to Galway city. It was completed in December 2021, as part of the Dublin-Galway Greenway, following a long consultation process that began in 2014, with Ballinasloe being the first stop in the west. Rail The Ballinasloe railway station opened on 1 August 1851, and is served by the Dublin–Galway railway line. Water From 1828 to the 1960s, Ballinasloe was the terminus of the Grand Canal. Guinness Company used the town's canal stores to store and distribute the Guinness to the midlands. The Grand Canal provided a route for Guinness barges to travel from Dublin to Shannon Harbour. The town features a public marina which was developed on the River Suck to allow traffic from the Shannon Navigation to access the town.