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Westport, County Mayo

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Westport (Irish: Cathair na Mart, historically anglicised as Cahernamart)[6] is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast of Ireland, at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. Westport has a town centre designed by James Wyatt in 1780, in the Georgian architectural style. Its layout follows the medieval principles of urban design introduced by the Normans in the 13th century. The design for the town was commissioned by the Lord Sligo of the nearby stately home, Westport House, as a place for his workers and tenants to live. A particular feature is the incorporation of the river into the composition, contained for two blocks by low stone walls producing, on each side of the river, attractive tree lined promenades (The Mall) with several stone bridges over the river Carrow Beg. The layout further includes several tree lined streets, addressed by the narrow fronted commercial buildings typical of Irish towns, though with many here remaining of a singular refinement and charm. Some modern interventions, such as the Garda station, are less successful in maintaining the original continuity of the urban fabric.

The famous pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick, known locally as "the Reek" lies some 10 km west of the town near the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. The mountain presents a striking backdrop to the town. The church on the summit can just be made out with the naked eye from Westport.

Westport is a popular tourist destination and has won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition three times in 2001, 2006 and 2008.

History

Westport originates and gets its name, in Irish, from a 16h Century castle - Cathair na Mart (meaning: The Stone Fort of the Beeves) - and surrounding settlement, belonging to the powerful local sea faring O'Malley Clan, who controlled the Clew Bay area.

The original village of Cathair na Mart existed somewhere around what is now the front (East) lawn of Westport House. It had a high street, alleys down to the river and a population of around 700[7]. It was moved to its present site in the 1780s by the Browne family of Westport House, who also renamed it Westport.

Westport is designated as a heritage town and is unusual in Ireland in that it one of only a few planned towns in the country.[8] The design of the town is attributed to James Wyatt, a famous English architect. He also completed Westport House, the stately home of the Marquess of Sligo and designed its dining room. Westport House had originally been built by Richard Cassels, the German architect, in the 1730s, on the site of the original O' Malley Castle. The dungeons of the O' Malley castle still remain. The most notable feature of James Wyatt's town plan is the lovely tree-lined boulevard, the Mall, built on the River Carrowbeg.

Westport House

Westport House 2008

Designed by the famous architects Richard Cassels and James Wyatt in the 18th century, Westport House is considered one of Ireland's most beautiful historic homes open to the public. Westport House is situated in an impressive parkland setting with a lake, terraces, gardens and magnificent views overlooking Clew Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, Achill, Clare Island and Ireland's Holy Mountain, Croagh Patrick. It was built and is still privately owned by the Browne family, who are direct descendants of the 16th century pirate queen Grace O'Malley. given to the kelly's During the 16th century, Grace O'Malley or Gráinne Mhaol was a pirate queen of Connaught. After her death, a report - by Sir Richard Bingham, Governor of Connacht - stated that for forty years she was the stay of all rebellions in the West[9]. She was chief of the O'Malley Clan and ruled the seas around Mayo. Grace O'Malley had several castles in the west of Ireland and it was on the foundations of one of these that Westport House was built. There is still an area of her original castle in the basement of the House (the Dungeons), which is on view to visitors.

There is a bronze statue of Grace O'Malley by the artist Michael Cooper situated on the grounds of Westport House.

The original House was built by Colonel John Browne, a Jacobite, who was at the Siege of Limerick, and his wife Maude Bourke. Maude Bourke was Grace O'Malley’s great-great granddaughter. The House then did not have the lake or a dam and the tide rose and fell against the walls.[10]

Demographics

Population

The population of Westport (including environs) was identified as 5,475 persons in the last census (2006). This was an increase of 19% over the 10-year period 1996-2006.[11]

Age

Currently 20% of the population of Westport is under 20 years of age. A further 20% are 65 years and over. The average age of the population of Westport is 40 years of age, higher than that of the national figure of 35.6 years.

Nationality

The majority of people living in Westport are Irish (87%) with the remainder (13%) of the population made up of persons from the UK (4%), other EU countries (5%) and the rest of the world (3%) (with 1% not stated). This is more or less on a par with national figures.

Religion

The vast majority of people living in Westport are Roman Catholics. Of the 5,475 population 4,777(87.25%) identified themselves as Catholics in the 2006 census; 377(6.88%) were of 'other religions'; 253(4.62%) were of 'no religion' and 68(1.24%) 'not stated'.[12]

Westport Town Council

Westport Town Council consists of nine members who are elected every five years by local electors (persons whose names are in the Register of Electors). Any person of 18 years and over is eligible to register and to vote at elections. Council members are elected according to a system of proportional representation. The next local elections will be held in 2014. Each year the Council elects a Cathaoirleach at its Annual Meeting which is held in May or June.

Culture

People from Westport town are traditionally known as Coveys. Some decades ago the Covey dialect still existed and was unintelligible to outsiders. For example the Covey word for a woman was a "doner". To this day inhabitants of nearby areas, including Castlebar, refer to the people of Westport, sometimes mildly disparagingly, sometimes somewhat affectionately, as Coveys.

Matt Molloy of the Chieftains has a vibrant musical pub on Bridge Street at the heart of the town.

  • Matt Molloy's Pub
    Matt Molloy's Pub
  • Westport is a lively entertainment town
    Westport is a lively entertainment town
  • McCarthys Pub.
    McCarthys Pub.

Westport through the year

Several festivals are held in and around Westport each year.

  • The Westport Horse & Pony Show is held on the first weekend in June.
  • The Sea Angling Festival is held annually in the third or fourth week in June. This is internationally acclaimed and in existence for over 42 years, attracting sea anglers from all over the world.
  • The annual Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage is held annually on the last Sunday in July.
  • The Westport Arts Festival is held in the first week of October. This is a festival of arts, music and literature. The Westport music festival has been revived in recent years. This five day event will now run annually in July at the Fairgreen. It began July 18, 2006.
  • The Westport Seafood Festival is held on the October Bank Holiday weekend.
  • The Westport Wellness Week Festival is also now growing in popularity and was last held in the last week of February 2007.
A panoramic view of Westport as seen from the Castlebar side, showing Croagh Patrick (left background) and Clare Island (right background)


Media

Westport has a regional newspaper based in the town, the Mayo News, founded in 1892. There are also copies of the Mayo Advertiser delivered door to door to houses in the area, as well as being available in many businesses around the town. Other local papers widely available are the Western People and the Connaught Telegraph.

Tourism

The skyline reflects off the sand and sea at Clew Bay, near the town

Westport is county Mayo's premier tourist destination[13], popular with holiday makers from all over the World and Ireland, it is considered one of the liveliest and most charming towns in the West of Ireland.[14]

In 1842, William Makepeace Thackeray, the famed English travel writer, visited Westport and wrote of the town:

"The most beautiful view I ever saw in the World... It forms an event in one's life to have seen that place so beautiful that is it, and so unlike other beauties that I know of. Were such beauties lying on English shores it would be a World's wonder perhaps, if it were on the Mediterranean or Baltic, English travellers would flock to it by hundreds, why not come and see it in Ireland!"[15]

Today's visitors come for several reasons. Some of the most important being the magnificent scenery; the plethora of pubs and restaurants in the town; blue flag beaches and Croagh Patrick.[16] Its proximity to Connemara, Achill, Clew Bay and Croagh Patrick, and numerous hotels and guest houses, make it a popular base for holidaymakers to tour the region.

Westport is also well known for sea-angling and freshwater fishing is popular on nearby Loughs Mask and Carra and on the Eriff river. Westport House and its Pirate Adventure Park is a particular draw for families, many of whom stay at the caravan and camping park which belongs to Westport House. Westport has an 18-hole golf course, popular with visitors. A nearby 9-hole course has an attached guest accommodation. In January 2008, Westport became Google Earth's first fully 3D town[17][18] allowing potential tourists and other visitors to the town stroll through the streets whilst sitting at their computers. The 'Westport3D' model was created by 3D imaging firm AM3TD using long-distance laser scanning technology and digital photography and includes the highest resolution photo-realistic textures to be found anywhere in Google Earth. This is outdated by Google Street View which is available in the UK & Northern Ireland.

Westport House in summer 2007

International ties

Westport is twinned with two towns:

  1. Plougastel Daoulas in the département of Finistère in western Brittany. Schoolchildren from the two towns regularly exchange visits.
  2. Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Links between the two towns have their roots in the 1980s and the official ratification and twinning ceremony took place in 2002.[19]

Westport also has a partnership with the town of Aror in Kenya, and the people of Westport have often contributed to improving the infrastructure of Aror.

Religion

St Patrick's statue at the Octagon
  • There are three churches in the town namely, the Catholic Church, St Mary's, the Anglican church, Holy Trinity, and the Evanglical church, Calvary Church Westport.
  • Historically, a Methodist church on existed on the Mall, but it has not been used for some years. It was renovated a few years ago and is currently a restaurant.
  • Religious genealogical records for the 19th century for the Westport area (Church of Ireland, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Civil, Gravestone Inscriptions, etc.) are held at the South Mayo Family Research Centre in Ballinrobe and The Clew Bay Heritage Centre at Westport Quay.

Transport

Rail

  • The town is the terminus of a 250 km railway route from the capital, Dublin, which serves the town and surrounding area. This railway also serves the county town, Castlebar, about 18 km east-north-east of Westport. Westport railway station opened on 28 January 1866.[20] The line originally ran through to Westport Quay station (opened on 1 January 1875 and closed in April 1977)[20]. This line was lifted overnight in 1977 by Córas Iompair Éireann (CIE). In order to pacify local concern, the bulk of the trackbed of this extension was converted to a public walkway, still open today. There was also a branch to Achill Island branching off after the station, but this closed in 1937.

Road

  • The N5 national primary route also connects the town to Castlebar, as well as connecting to the N4 near Longford that leads onward to Dublin. The other major road passing through Westport is the N59 secondary route, which rambles around the West of Ireland both to the north and south of the town.

Air

People

  • A monument stands on the Mall in memory of Major John MacBride. Born locally in 1865, he joined the Boer army which fought the British in the Second Boer War, rising to the rank of major. He was executed in 1916 for his part in the Easter Rising. He was the father of Sean MacBride, the Nobel peace laureate.
  • Cornelius Coughlan who won the Victoria Cross in the service of the British Army is buried locally.
  • Irish writer George A. Birmingham (real name James Hannay) was the Protestant rector in Westport for a number of years. He infamously caused a riot in the town when his successful play 'General John Regan' was staged there and the locals began recognising, to their disdain, that the characters were based on themselves.

The Quay

Sunset over Clew Bay in Westport
  • Westport has a small adjoining port, the Quay, once busy but no longer used for commercial shipping, now a suburb notable for its many warehouse conversions.The quay is also known for its restaurants and pubs.
  • It also includes the famous "point" pitch, training ground of Westport United.
  • A small museum, celebrating the history of Westport and maritime history of Clew Bay, is open to the public here, the Clew Bay Heritage Centre.

Sport

The Gaelic football club, Westport United soccer club and the Rugby club have a venerable tradition in both county and national competition. Westport, and the surrounding region, has been identified as a primary centre for adventure sports by Failte Ireland.[21] In August it annually hosts the largest one day adventure multi-sport race of its kind in the World - Gael Force West.[22][23] It is also home to horse riding; surfing; sea kayaking; wind surfing and sailing schools and other adventure sports.[24] Sea angling has always proven a popular activity and there are angling competitions and festivals throughout the year.

Angling

Westport is a very popular angling centre providing ample opportunties for sea fishing on Clew Bay and game and coarse fishing on numerous nearby loughs and rivers.

Clew Bay itself is an internationally recognised sea angling centre hosting many sea fishing competitions each year and it is renowned for being the best venue for common skate fishing in the country and holds the Irish record for a 160 lb white skate. It is also considered one of the best venues for tope, huss and ray.[25][26]

Gaelic games

The Westport GAA club, CLG Chathair na Mart, have a long history going back to the nineteenth century. Gaelic football is the main sport played within the club. They are the current holders of the Mayo Intermediate Football title.

Golf

Westport Golf Club(championship) is currently ranked 43rd out of the top 100 golf courses in Ireland by Golf Digest.[27] It has hosted prestigious tournaments, both the Ladies Home Internationals in 1989 and the Irish Amateur Close Championship on three occasions, most recently in 1997. It also hosted the Irish PGA Championship in 2002.

Soccer

The Westport United club was founded in 1911. Westport United won the FAI Junior Cup in 2005 in front of 2,000 supporters in Kilkenny and play their home matches in the Sports Park; matches are advertised on the local press. The club colours are red and black.

Rugby

The Westport Bulls Rugby Club is located a few kilometres out of town close to the Golf Club. Players from ages seven to senior age participate.

Schools

Westport has 3 secondary schools and 4 primary schools.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westport, County Mayo.

References

  1. ^ Census for post 1821 figures.
  2. ^ http://www.histpop.org
  3. ^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
  4. ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  5. ^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  6. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland (see archival records)
  7. ^ An Outline History of the Town of Westport, Peadar O'Flanagain BA, Cathair na Mart Journal
  8. ^ http://www.heritagetowns.com/westport.shtml
  9. ^ Ireland's Pirate Queen, 1998, Anne Chambers
  10. ^ 'Westport House A Brief History' published by Westport House 2008
  11. ^ Westport Town and Environs Draft Development Plan, February 2009, Mayo County Council, Page 10/11
  12. ^ http://beyond2020.cso.ie/Census/TableViewer/tableView.aspx
  13. ^ Lonely Planet, Ireland, 7th Edition, page 425, Davenport et al
  14. ^ Essential Ireland, page 150, AA Publishing 2007
  15. ^ The Irish Sketch Book, 1845, William Makepeace Thackeray
  16. ^ http://www.westportireland.com/town/westportfacts.aspx
  17. ^ MyguideTravel Blog Google Earth and Tourism, MyguideTravel.com Blog 3D Westport
  18. ^ Irish Independent, Western town boldly goes into virtual world
  19. ^ http://www.westporttc.ie/AboutWestport/TwinTowns/tabid/564/Default.aspx
  20. ^ a b "Westport and Westport Quay stations" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
  21. ^ Failte Ireland - West, Operational Plan 2008, Failte Ireland
  22. ^ http://www.runireland.com/gaelforce-west-2009
  23. ^ http://www.gaelforceevents.com/
  24. ^ http://www.gaelforceevents.com/west/en/about_westport/adventure_sports.html
  25. ^ http://www.discoverireland.com/us/ireland-things-to-see-and-do/activities/fishing/sea-fishing/
  26. ^ http://www.ukseafishing.com/faq/irish_sea_fishing_records.html
  27. ^ http://www.irishgolfdesk.com/news-files/2009/5/25/golf-digest-ireland-top-100-for-2009.html
  • An outline history of the town of Westport. Part 1. The origins and early development of the town 1750-80, Peadar O Flanagan, in Cathar na Mart:The Journal of the Westport Historical Society volume 1, part i, 1981; parts II-Iv in volumes 2, 3 and 4, 1982-84.
  • Clew Bay boating disaster, Kieran Clarke, in Cathar na Mart 6, 1986.
  • Westport - an early Irish example of town planning, 1734-1950, Brendan Jeffars, Cahar na Mart 8, 1988.
  • The port of Westport, 1800-1850, Jarlath Duffy, in Cathar na Mart 15, pp. 1–14, 1995.
  • Westport and the Irish Volunteers. Part I:the early years, 1914-1916, Vincent Keane, Cathar na Mart 22, pp. 84–88, 2002
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