If you’re a fan of pirates and tales of swashbuckling adventures, the name Grace O’Malley, AKA Granuaile, will surely ring a bell. The formidable Irish pirate queen carved out a legendary reputation on the high seas, her exploits becoming the stuff of myth and history. So, you can imagine our excitement when we discovered that her ancestral home was in Clew Bay in County Mayo, and that she had significant links to the magnificent Westport House. We were visiting the area and it immediately shot to the very top of our must-see list!
Where is Westport House?
Westport House is just outside the town of Westport in County Mayo. It’s right at the mouth of the Carrowbeg River which opens out onto Clew Bay. This gives it some truly stunning views over the bay, and on a clear day, you can even spot Clare Island and the iconic Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s holy mountain. Clew Bay is apparently where the best oysters in Ireland come from. We don’t like oysters so we can’t confirm that.
You can drive to Westport by taking the N5 from Castlebar or the N84 from Galway. There’s a train from Dublin to Westport which stops at places like Athlone and Claremorris. Westport is also not too far from Ireland West Knock Airport. The Wild Atlantic Way is a popular tourist route in the west of Ireland and it goes right through Westport. We visited after spending some time at the National Museum of Ireland: Country Life near Castlebar.
What is Westport House about?
The current Westport House is a Palladian mansion finished in around 1731 and was the family seat of the Marquess of Sligo. The house was built on the site of the O’Malley castle and Maud Bourke, who was the great-great-granddaughter of Grace O’Malley, was one of its first occupants. You can take a guided tour of the interior of Westport House learning about the incredible history of the house itself featuring tales of kings, queens, pirates and more! You can also explore on your own.
The wider estate is vast with beautiful lush woodland and open spaces. There are different types of accommodation and lots of great things to do. As well as the house, there’s also an adventure park and a number of dining options.
What’s in Westport House?
We’d a great time exploring Westport House, seeing how the grander half lived back in the old days. There’s some interesting stories about the famine and the Browne family who lived in the house throughout the years. The history is really brought to life and you can either take a guided tour or explore on your own. You really get a comprehensive understanding of the cultural and historical significance of the estate. We were fascinated to learn of the family’s links to sugar plantations in the West Indies as we visited the Sunbury Plantation House in Barbados while we were there.
The house contains opulent rooms, antique furniture and a variety of period décor that reflects its long history. There’s rooms laid out as they had looked during the peak of Westport House. You can visit the bedrooms, the dining rooms, the library, even the wine cellar and servants quarters. We enjoyed looking around and getting to know about how the house operated in the past. If you’re a fan of Downton Abbey or Bridgerton, you’ll love it.
Westport House is actually built on the foundations of one of Grace O’Malley’s 16th-century castles. You can visit the old dungeons in the basement which are essentially the remaining parts of her original stronghold. There’s also a permanent exhibition dedicated to her fascinating life and times.
The estate features extensive gardens and grounds, including landscaped gardens, wooded areas and walking trails. The gardens are a blend of formal and informal designs, providing a picturesque setting for nice leisurely strolls. The West Gardens is where you’ll find eclectic treasures like a Greek sarcophagus, a Spanish Armada cannon, famine soup pots, the Sun House and a lily pond.
The estate is also home to Westport Adventure, a new adventure park which opened in 2024. It has a zipline, aerial trekking, a climbing wall, Ireland’s biggest net park and lots more. They’ve really put the effort in to move away from the mechanical rides of the pirate amusement park that was there before and it’s a huge improvement in our opinion.
If you’re looking to extend your visit, Westport House has accommodation options too including a caravan and camping park. Staying on the estate lets you fully immerse yourself in the amazing woodland setting. There’s also the Westport Estate Glamping Village which is one of the top rated in the country. The estate is also home to Gracy’s Pizzeria, Bar & Bistro where the food is really top notch.
The Verdict on Westport House
We really enjoyed our visit to Westport House. It was great to not only be able to learn about the history of the house and the estate but to see it as well. It was great learning about the connection that Westport House has to Grace O’Malley and it’s not hard to see how Clew Bay gave rise to one of the world’s most infamous pirates!
A visit to Westport House is well worth it, whether it’s history or adventure, there’s something for the whole family.
