Mayo’s most popular manor gets a makeover

WESTPORT House was once a playground for aristocrats. Today, it’s an amenity for the masses.
It has drawn over 5 million to the mouth of the Carrowbeg River since Jeremy Ulick Browne, Eleventh Marquess of Sligo, opened its doors to the public in 1960.
Today, this magnificent 443-acre estate has the potential to be ‘a game changer’ for tourism in Mayo, according to Fáilte Ireland. But how does one draw even more visitors to what is already one of the top attractions in Mayo? A multi-million-euro investment is the first place to start.
The redevelopment of the Westport House estate represents Fáilte Ireland’s biggest-ever investment in tourism infrastructure. But a colossal €20.2 million grant is just part of a €73 million masterplan to reimagine the entire estate.
Over €5 million of that has gone into refurbishing the house itself, which stands on the ruins of one of Granuaile’s castles. Come March 2024, children and adults from far and wide will get to enjoy a brand-new adventure park that will be the estate’s first year-round attraction.
The redevelopment of the nearby Hotel Westport is also in the pipeline, which will see the addition of a 3,202 square metre extension comprising a new entrance lobby and reception, restaurant/lounge spaces, function rooms, ancillary space and meeting room, with associated service areas and staff welfare facilities.
But the so-called ‘game changer’ is a concept called the ‘Wild Realms’ – one which will open entirely unexplored parts of the estate. It’s a novel as it sounds.
Each area, or ‘realm’, will offer an entirely original experience, including tree top walks, fire pits and a pontoon walkway.
Inspired by Irish mythology and designed by renowned landscape designer Mary Reynolds, the concept was overwhelmingly welcomed at a recent public consultation, with 97 percent of attendees in favour of the proposals.
“It’s very unique. We’re not aware of anything that comes close to even the idea of the concept that’s being developed here,” Ruairi Deane, Product Development Manager with Fáilte Ireland, tells The Mayo News. “It’s one of the strongest concepts we’ve ever tested. That was a really, really strong appeal, especially for overseas [visitors].”
On top of that, plans are well underway to introduce an all-new interactive ‘Grace O’Malley Experience’, where visitors can learn about the history and legend of Mayo’s Pirate Queen.
By the time it’s all said and done, it’s estimated that the redevelopment will have added 450 construction jobs and 245 new jobs over the course of the full development plan.
By then, it’s hoped that Mayo’s most popular manor – worth over €50 million to the local region – will draw 277,000 visitors a year, generating about €90 million in tourism expenditure and supporting 2,500 jobs.
And it won’t be just Westport that feels the benefit.
In one on-site survey some years ago, 60.9 percent of respondents reported that Westport House was their principal motivation for traveling to Mayo. But despite all we have going for us, Mayo still only gathers an estimated 5 percent of the business on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Ruairi Deane firmly believes that the redevelopment of Westport House estate will send much more business north of Leenane, away from the long-established hotspots like Galway and Kerry.
“The economic impact is huge, the strategic impact of the Wild Atlantic Way and pushing those visitors north of Galway,” he says, “then having a destination influencing attractor like Westport House, which we believe is totally new and will be a big driver to drive recognition.”
They say, ‘build it and they will come’. But where will they stay?
At present, 21 percent of the Fáilte Ireland-registered beds in Mayo have been contracted to the government as refugee accommodation. Echoing calls from Fáilte Ireland colleagues, Deane says: “No one thinks that’s a long-term solution, neither the Government nor the tourism industry. So that needs to change.”
But despite these challenges, he insists that there is a healthy local bed stock to lodge the throngs seeking to enjoy the new adventure park, the big 297-year-old house and The Wild Realms.
“Westport is well served. It has a good bed stock already. It’s much higher than the likes of Sligo or Donegal. There is a good base there to build on,” he says.
Survey results have indicated that that 84.4 percent percent of visitors to Westport House are Irish. According to Deane, it is hoped that the reimagined Westport House experience will have a 60:40 ratio of domestic to international visitors.
“This needs to be a game changer for driving overseas visitors in particular; they stay longer, they spend more. We’re sure we can retain and grow domestic, but we want to increase the share of overseas visitors.”
The Marquess would surely be proud.