Westport House – A Complete Visitor’s Guide 🇮🇪

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 infamous 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 Westport House. We were visiting the area and it immediately shot to the very top of our must-see list!

As one of the most well-known historic homes in Ireland, Westport House is an absolute must-visit attraction on the West Coast. This is not just another stuffy old mansion where you have to whisper. Set against the backdrop of Croagh Patrick, it’s a sprawling estate steeped in centuries of history. It has a great mix of ancient pirate legends, grand architecture, woodland trails and family-friendly outdoor adventures. Whether you’re into history or you just want a day out with the kids, you’re bound to enjoy a visit to Westport House!

A statue of the fearsome pirate queen Grace O’Malley, also known as Gráinne Mhaol or Granuaile.

Where is Westport House?

Westport House is located in Westport, County Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland. The house itself was built on the ancestral castles of the pirate queen Grace O’Malley. The estate now has an adventure park and great accommodation options on site.

Getting to Westport is very straightforward. The train runs directly from Dublin Heuston and takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes. It is a really beautiful journey that cuts right across the middle of the country. We recommend checking Omio for tickets. It’s great for comparing train and bus options if you’re travelling around Ireland.

If you’re driving the Wild Atlantic Way (which we highly recommend!), the house is well signposted from the N5. We were nearby in Castlebar at the National Museum of Ireland: Country Life and it was very easy to drive from there. If you need to rent a car for your trip west, we usually use Discover Cars to compare prices as rentals in Ireland can get pricey in summer.

The best thing about Westport House is that you don’t actually need a car to visit. It’s a lovely 15-minute stroll from the town centre to the House through the grounds. You can enter via the pedestrian bridge near Hotel Westport or via the Quay entrance. It’s a beautiful walk and sets the scene perfectly for a day of exploring.

While the estate has its own Glamping Village and Caravan Park, most visitors stay in the town itself. Places like the Castlecourt or the Westport Plaza are very close by and offer a bit of luxury. We’d recommend checking Booking.com for the best rates as Westport fills up very fast in the summer months!

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.

The original house was designed by the famous German architect Richard Cassels. Later in the 18th century, the famous English architect James Wyatt was brought in to finish the interior and design some of the most spectacular rooms in the building.

You can take a guided tour of the interior of Westport House learning about the history of the house itself featuring tales of kings, queens, pirates and more! If you want to learn more about the town itself, the Walking Tours of Westport are fantastic and highly rated. The wider estate is vast with beautiful 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 had a great time exploring Westport House, seeing how the grander half lived back in the old days. Because the house was lived in by the same family for centuries, it doesn’t feel like a  museum. It just feels like a grand family home that has been frozen in time.

There’s some interesting stories about the famine and the Browne family who lived in the house throughout the years. During the darkest days of the Great Famine in the 1840s, the 3rd Marquess of Sligo actually rented a ship to bring food into Westport harbour and set up soup kitchens to keep the locals alive. The history is really brought to life and you can either take a guided tour or explore on your own. We were fascinated to learn of the family’s links to sugar plantations in the West Indies because we visited the Sunbury Plantation House in Barbados while we were there.

Inside The House

The house contains opulent rooms, antique furniture and period décor that reflects its long history. There’s thirty rooms laid out as they had looked during the peak of Westport House. One of our favourite features was the Sicilian marble staircase which was installed in the 1850s. It’s incredibly grand and makes you feel like royalty just walking up it!

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.

The Pirate Queen Connection

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 life and times. You can learn all about how she commanded a fleet of ships and even sailed to London to negotiate face-to-face with Queen Elizabeth I. If you want to read up on her before you go, we recommend picking up Granuaile by Anne Chambers. It really brings the history to life!

The Grounds & Gardens

The estate is absolutely massive and we really enjoyed just wandering around. It’s a mix of landscaped gardens and lovely wild woodland trails. It’s the perfect place to clear the cobwebs if the weather is on your side, although it’s Ireland so bring a jacket just in case!

Make sure you check out the West Gardens. It has a really random collection of things to spot including a Greek sarcophagus, a cannon from the Spanish Armada and even old Famine soup pots used to feed the starving locals. It sounds like a strange mix but it’s really interesting to see!

The Adventure Park

The estate is also home to Westport Adventure, a new adventure park which opened in 2024. Built into the old quarry on the estate, 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. It makes it a brilliant destination for older kids and teenagers.

Casual Fun

If you aren’t in the mood for high ropes, there’s plenty of chilled-out options too:

• The Swan Pedalos: These are iconic! You can rent a giant swan pedalo and head out onto the lake. It’s harder work than it looks (your legs will feel it!) but it gives you a unique view of the house from the water.
• The Westport Train: If you don’t fancy the walk, there’s a little road train that runs around the estate. It’s very cute and a great way to get from the house down to the farmyard without tiring your feet out.
• Interactive Gaming Zone: Located in the farmyard, this is a new indoor wall-gaming area. It’s handy if the Irish weather decides to rain on your parade!

Food & Drink

You won’t go hungry here. The estate is home to Gracy’s Pizzeria, Bar & Bistro which has become a real hub for the estate. Located in the old farmyard buildings, the food is really nice. They do proper wood-fired pizzas and have a great outdoor seating area that’s perfect for a sunny day. There’s usually a good buzz here and they serve craft beers too. If you just want something quick, keep an eye out for the Toastie Truck which serves… well, toasties!

Make a Day of It

Because you’re already in one of the most beautiful parts of County Mayo, it’s easy to make a full weekend out of your trip to Westport. The town of Westport itself is a gorgeous heritage town packed with colourful shop fronts and beautiful stone bridges crossing the Carrowbeg River. After your visit to the estate, you have to pop into Matt Molloy’s pub in the town centre. Owned by the flautist from The Chieftains, it’s legendary for its live traditional Irish music sessions.

If you want to stretch your legs further, Westport is the starting point for the famous Great Western Greenway. You can easily rent a bike in town and cycle the scenic off-road trail all the way out to Newport, Mulranny or even Achill Island if you’re feeling fit!

For those looking for a real challenge, the iconic peak of Croagh Patrick looms large over the town. Known as Ireland’s holiest mountain, climbing the rocky path to the summit takes a few hours but rewards you with the most amazing views over Clew Bay. There’s so many things do in the West of Ireland that could make an unforgettable addition to your visit to Westport House.

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 standing right in her actual dungeons. When you look out over the waters, it’s not hard to see how Clew Bay gave rise to one of the world’s most infamous pirates! If you have time, we highly recommend taking a Clew Bay Cruise to see the coast from the Pirate Queen’s perspective.

A visit to Westport House is well worth it. Whether it’s history, beautiful scenery or adventure, there’s something for the whole family.