World class plans for Westport House Estate

Works are underway to transform Westport House Estate into a world class global attraction over the next few years. The Estate’s director of sales and marketing Siobhan O’Sullivan has said that while historically, tourists coming into Westport have very much been domestic, “we want to change that to attract a global clientele.” Ms O’Sullivan was addressing members of Westport Chamber of Commerce at their AGM last week and took the opportunity to provide an update on the “exciting project”.

She assured members that the finished product would be a world class tourist destination when it opens in 2027/28 adding: “Visitors are looking for that luxury experience and connection to people. Americans coming into Ireland are always looking for something new so this is really an exciting time for such a project.” 

A new promotional video was shown, which began with Cathal Hughes of Westport Estate stating: “We knew we could do something really wonderful here,” followed by Cathal Hughes Jnr, who said the dream was to develop something unique “With the hope that in a 100 years’ time this is still a vibrant and unique tourist attraction.” 

Head of Commercial Development Biddy Hughes said the estate would ultimately be very much telling the Brown family story and the Grace O’Malley story, alongside the comprehensive garden project being designed by award-winning landscape gardener Mary Reynolds.

A number of local business people also feature in the video, including Carl O’Grady of Clare Island and hotelier Joe Corcoran, who said they believed the new Westport Estate would help achieve the goal of attracting international visitors, as well as Ireland West Airport MD Joe Gilmore, who asserted the Estate will become an iconic attraction for the world with something for everyone.

Landscape gardener Mary Reynolds outlined her three-realm plan which she said springs from a childhood dream of a tree of life that will incorporate a crown, middle and root section (underground) offering opportunities to interact with nature and experience Ireland’s true nature through plants, stories and heritage. She described one new walk experience set to be launched in Westport Estate where visitors will be invited to remove their shoes, pick up a stone, walk to a height and deposit the stone, all the while letting their minds focus on a question or thought they are seeking answers to.

Commenting on the plans, Cathaoirleach of Westport-Belmullet MD Cllr Peter Flynn said: “I don’t think people appreciate yet what is going on behind the walls of Westport House but it is going to be so exciting for Mayo and the Western seaboard because it will put Westport on the world map and also the new Grace hotel with 129 rooms, which makes for a really exciting future for Westport in very uncertain times.”