Westport Harbor

A trip to Westport would not be complete until you have visited our unique harbor area which hosts a variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and shops on the waterfront. A number of boat owners now operate from the Harbor providing fishing trips, cruises and sightseeing opportunities. In addition a number of bike, kayak and adventure companies will cater for all your adventure needs! There are also a number of shops which supply groceries, clothing, interior products and local crafts while the restaurants and bars on the Quay provide a wide variety of sumptuous dishes and a great atmosphere.

Quay Area

The charming Quay area is just a few minutes from Westport’s town centre and possesses a unique character of its own with pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops and galleries now occupying the old coastguard station and warehouses.

Westport House

Westport House overlooks Ireland`s holy Croagh Patrick mountain, Clare Island and out over Clew Bay to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. The limestone house is built over three floors on an estate with formal gardens, terraces a lake and parkland, the estate also has the remains of an old boathouse open to the sea. The house was built on the site of an original castle belonging to Grace O`Malley, the `Pirate Queen`.

Inside the house some of the rooms display a selection of their original contents including portraits and landscapes, a collection of silver, Waterford glass and historic Irish books in the library. Visitors also have the opportunity to visit part of the original castle belonging to Grace O`Malley which is now in the basement or the dungeons as they are known. In the grounds families can enjoy the Pirate`s Den an adventure playground with log flume, pirate ship, mini railway and an indoor soft play area. The house also has its own bar and café in the old farmyard named after the pirate queen it is the venue for live music most weekends. Westport House is considered one of the most beautiful historic houses in Ireland and is open to the public between May and October, 10am and 5:30pm daily (Sundays only in May).

St. Mary`s Church

For almost two hundred years, the celebration of Mass has taken place on this site. On entering the church, you will sense immediately that this is not a museum of the past but a living place of worship, providing a spiritual home for all who worship here. The present church was built in two stages - 1928 and 1958. It replaced and older, neo-Gothic style church, constructed in 1831, which had become too small for a growing congregation. The most recent renovations (2004), have enhanced the beauty of the church and have brought it into the twenty-first century.

Holy Trinity Church

In April 1869, plans were approved to build a new Church on the Newport Road in the town. This building would replace the old Parish Church that had been built in 1797 on the Demesne of Westport House. The Holy Trinity Church is of Gothic style, consisting of a semicircular apse at the east end, the organs been in the north side and the tower and spire on the south side. The porches are on the west side. The spire reaches a height of 185 feet; the spire is surmounted by an Irish cross in gilt metal, 6 feet long. The Church is built of Irish stone, believed to be located in the locality, punched, the dressings been in Scotch stone. The Holy Trinity Church was consecrated on 26th of September 1872. Since its opening in 1868, much work has been done on the interior of the Church to improve its decoration.