Some returned to Ballina for nothing (3)
I believe the answer is:
nil
'nothing' is the definition.
(eg nil is zero in football)
'some returned to ballina for' is the wordplay.
'returned' says the letters should be written backwards.
'some' says the answer is hidden in the clue (some parts of the word are used).
'lin' is hidden in the letters of 'ballina for'.
'lin' back-to-front is 'NIL'.
(Other definitions for nil that I've seen before include "Zero, no score" , "Latin zero" , "Nothing, no score" , "There's nothing left" , "Nothing - in Latin" .)