Ballinode (Irish: Béal Átha an Fhóid) sits about six kilometres from Monaghan town and three kilometres from Scotstown, in the Parish of Tydavnet. The Monaghan Blackwater (a tributary of the River Corr, itself a tributary of the Ulster Blackwater) flows through, defining the place.
The village has a Church of Ireland church with clock tower, a cemetery, a church hall, one public house, and a takeaway. An astroturf football pitch serves the local GAA club. That is the list of amenities. That is also the whole point.
"On the road in Ballinode" was an annual festival in the 1990s with cart racing, amusements, and canoeing races on the river. It no longer happens. What remains is quiet.
The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.
Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.
There is no bad time. There are different times.
The landscape greens.
Settled weather. Good for walks.
The light is particular.
The paths are muddy. The weather is harsh.
Monaghan is 10 minutes. Scotstown is 5 minutes.
Local Link bus route M1 connects to Monaghan several times daily.