Discover Westport
Mayo's planned Georgian town, between Clew Bay and the Reek
What's On
Upcoming events and things happening in Westport
Matt Molloy's Trad Sessions
RecurringNightly trad sessions at Westport's most famous pub.
Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival
RecurringIreland's leading bluegrass festival, early June across the town.
Reek Sunday (Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage)
RecurringTens of thousands climb Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday of July.
Westport Festival of Chamber Music
RecurringClassical chamber music across Westport House, the theatre and Holy Trinity.
Westport Right Now
Westport weather is Atlantic-coast Mayo weather: mild, wet and quick to change, with the wind off Clew Bay and cloud often sitting on Croagh Patrick. Pack a proper waterproof and layers, treat a bright spell as a window to get out in rather than a promise, and remember the summit of the Reek is several degrees colder and far windier than the town.
🚆 InterCity from Westport
Iarnród Éireann InterCity departures
InterCity service from Westport. Updates every minute.
🌊 Tides
Westport Harbour
Heights relative to chart datum
The town the Brownes built, on the pirate queen's old ground
Westport is one of the very few towns in Ireland that was designed rather than grown. From around 1767 the Browne family, later Marquesses of Sligo, laid out a new estate town beside their house, with the Carrowbeg river canalised between the North and South Malls and the Octagon as its centrepiece. The Brownes were direct descendants of Grace O'Malley, the 16th-century pirate queen of Connacht known in Irish as Granuaile, and Westport House stands on the foundations of one of her castles, with part of it still shown to visitors as the Dungeons.
Today Westport is the tourism and culture capital of County Mayo, named the Irish Times Best Place to Live in Ireland in 2012 and a three-time Tidy Towns winner. It sits at the head of Clew Bay on the Wild Atlantic Way, under Croagh Patrick, with the 42km Great Western Greenway running out along the old railway line to Achill. Bridge Street keeps a trad-music reputation that punches far above the town's size, anchored by Matt Molloy's, the pub owned by the flautist of the Chieftains.
The Octagon at the centre of Westport, County Mayo, with St Patrick's statue on the column
Where To Eat
From fine dining seafood to fish and chips by the harbour
An Port Mór
Frankie Mallon's award-winning fine-dining room off Bridge Street, seafood-led.
Sage Restaurant
Contemporary Irish dinner restaurant on High Street, good for an occasion.
Sol Rio
Long-running Portuguese-Irish restaurant and café opposite Matt Molloy's.