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Westport scenic view

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

Recurring

Nightly trad sessions at Westport's most famous pub.

MusicMost nights, year-roundMatt Molloy's, Bridge Street, Westport

Westport Food Festival

Recurring

A weekend of Mayo food, demos and street food on the Quay.

FoodAnnual, OctoberWestport town centre and the Quay

Westival

Recurring

Westport's flagship arts festival over the late-October weekend.

ArtsAnnual, late October bank holiday weekendVarious venues, Westport

Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival

Returns annually

Ireland's leading bluegrass festival, early June across the town.

MusicAnnual, early JuneVarious venues, Westport
Live

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