Holiday Destination: Westport

Westport is a town in County Mayo in Ireland. It is at the south east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast of Ireland. The town centre was designed by James Wyatt in 1780, in the Georgian architectural style. Its layout follows the medieval principles of urban design introduced by the Normans in the 13th century. The design for the town was commissioned by the Lord Sligo of the nearby stately home, Westport House, as a place for his workers and tenants to live. A particular feature is the incorporation of the river into the composition, contained for two blocks by low stone walls producing, on each side of the river, attractive tree lined promenades with several stone bridges over the river Carrow Beg. The layout further includes several tree lined streets, addressed by the narrow fronted commercial buildings typical of Irish towns, though with many here remaining of a singular refinement and charm. Some modern interventions, such as the Garda station, are less successful in maintaining the original continuity of the urban fabric.

Climate

Summer 16 °C (61 °F), Winter 3 °C (38 °F)

Tourist Season

Summer is the best for visiting Westport.

Accommodation

Hotels and Apartments.

General Information Of Westport

• Land Area: 157 sq mi (586 km2)
• Population: 6 Thousand.
• Capital City: Mayo.
• Language: Irish and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Westport

The Great Western Greenway

The Great Western Greenway is a greenway rail trail in County Mayo, Ireland. It is 42 km long and begins in Westport and ends in Achill, passing through the towns of Newport and Mulranny as it runs along the coast of Clew Bay. It is an off road trail intended for use by cyclists and walkers. It follows the route of the former Achill extension of the Westport railway line, which was constructed in the 1890s and closed in 1937. An estimated 300 people cycle and walk the trail each day, which was constructed at a cost of €3 million. The first section, from Newport to Mulranny, was opened in April 2010. It was named as the 2011 Irish winner of the European Destinations of Excellence award.

The Legend of Grainne Mhaol

The popular summer music show ‘The Legend of Gráinne Mhaol’ returns to Hotel Westport for its fourth season this summer with a star studded line up of musicians, singers and dancers from all over the West of Ireland. Based on the real life story of the legendary Irish Pirate Queen Grace O’ Malley or Gráinne Mhaol this live show runs every Monday and Wednesday night from June 13th until September 26th. The show is a must see for anyone visiting Mayo this summer. Lord of the Dance fiddle player Cora Smyth headlines the show with renowned balladeers James Kilbane and Jenny Mulvey, Latino dancer Pollyanna Guedes, All Ireland champion box player Darragh Healy and some of Ireland’s most gifted sean nós dancers Ashline and Micheal Cunningham and Liam Scanlon all on board for this magical and mythical voyage into Mayo.

Ballycroy National Park

Ballycroy National Park is located in the Owenduff Nephin Mountains area of the Barony of Erris in northwest County Mayo, Ireland. It is one of the largest expanses of peatland in Europe, consisting of 117.79 sq km of Atlantic blanket bog. It is a unique habitat with a diverse flora and fauna. It was established as a national park on 1 November 1998. The area of the park is a candidate Special Area of Conservation as part of a site known as the Owenduff Nephin Complex. It is also a Special Protection Area and part of the Natura 2000 network. Blanket bogs, cliffs and river habitats are found in the park. The blanket bog is one of the largest expanses of peatland left in Europe. Conservation of the bog is thus of international importance because of the niches it provides for various species, such as rare species of plants.

Westport House

Westport House in Westport, County Mayo, Ireland is the stately home of the Marquess of Sligo. It was built by the Browne family in the 18th Century, on the site of an O'Malley castle whose dungeons are still present today. The architects were Richard Cassels who built, the east section of the house facing the town, and later James Wyatt who built the other three facades to form a quadrangle. Later the quadrangle was filled in with a grand staircase. North and south wings were added to the designs of Benjamin Wyatt. The south wing, which contained a library, was burned soon after it was built due to a defect in the heating system. A model farm was built in the demesne in the early part of the 19th century with accommodation for housing animals and animal feed.

Loughs Mask

Lough Mask is the upper of the two lakes, which empty into the Corrib River, through Galway, into Galway Bay. The lake is visited for its trout fishing. Lough Mask feeds into Lough Corrib through an underground stream. In 1338 Sir Edmond de Burgh was drowned in the lake by his cousin Sir Edmond Albanach Bourke of County Mayo, at the end of the Burke Civil War 1333 to 1338.The lough was the scene of the 1882 'Lough Mask murders', when two bailiffs working for Lord Ardilaun were killed, described as "an old man and a lad". Tensions had arisen in the area during the Land War and the proximity of land managed by Charles Boycott. The corpses were found in the lough itself.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Gobus station

1 Forster Court
Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland

Galway Cathedral bus stop

Gaol Road
Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland

Burkes bus stop

18 R339
Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland

GMIT - Dublin Road bus stop

Dublin Rd
Galway, Co. Galway, Ireland

Airport

Ireland West Airport Knock: For International and Domestic flights.

Railway Stations

Westport railway station

Westport, Ireland