Oct 4, 2024
Amazing Corporate Day Out at Westport House! - We at Coyle Environmental Ltd. & Sewage Systems, spent our Corporate Day Out in the breathtaking & historical Westport House back in late August 2024. Westport House were kind enough to allow us have our Company Strategy Meeting in the morning, in the beautiful Mahon Room . There was tea, coffee, pastries and fruit in the room which was a lovely way to kick start our morning! They facilitated a presentation screen which was great for our company meeting and the staff were so helpful when we were setting up our tech.
After our meeting, we were given a tour of Westport House. We were brought through it's extraordinary history and were amazed at it's captivating charm. A special thank you to Moirin, our tour guide, who told the stories of Westport House with such character and humour. After our tour, we were able to explore the house and it's many rooms, even it's cool & creepy dungeon! Kathyrn, also known as "The Duchess" was so kind to take some photographs of our company team altogether in the grand library, which was something to behold.
For food and drinks, we dined at Gracy's where we had delicious stoned-baked pizzas and smash burgers. It was one of our staff's last day with us, and the staff at Westport House (Kathryn) and at Gracy's were so accommodating with setting aside flowers and bringing out our staff members going-away cake.
For the afternoon element, we chose the archery activity at Westport House which was great fun and there was lots of healthy competition. The activity was perfect as it was suitable for all levels and a great way to have the craic with one another. The two workers organizing the archery for us were great, and helped us summon our inner Robin Hood skills!
Everyone at Coyle Environmental & Sewage Systems had a great day out. Everyone at Westport House was so lovely and friendly. They run an excellent set-up there and it's clear that the people working there really do care about the history, beauty and heritage of Westport House.
I want to give the biggest thank you and acknowledgement to Darren Cawley, who coordinated the whole day for us and helped along every step of the way from food options at lunch to the activities in the afternoon. We were spoilt for choice and Darren made the process of organizing the day so much easier.
Everyone was so pleased with how the day turned out (we were very lucky with the weather also!) and we would recommend Westport House to everyone and anyone, especially for those in companies who wish to treat their employees to a really wonderful day out.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 3, 2024
Brilliant tour guide, very informative - We visited Westport House and Gardens on Wednesday October 2nd, and had a fantastic tour around the house. We would like to thank our tour guide Dolores for being a very informative guide as she took us through the history of Westport House and Gráinne O'Malley. We hope to revisit when the renovations are complete. Many thanks! From the Brennan and Dickinson family.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 3, 2024
Thankful and moved - The history of the house is quite extraordinary, and was explained in detail by the knowledgeable curator, having worked there for years. I accidentally left my wallet (in the ‘dungeon’ no less, and was happily returned safe and sound by Breda. Very thankful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 30, 2024
Beautiful, Don't Miss It! - Westport House was incredible. The grounds were beautifully maintained and it felt like I was waking around in a movie. The House itself was full of history and the people who maintain it clearly care about its history and sharing it with others. I highly suggest you visit! I did not do the guided tour, but I still learned a lot and enjoyed my time. I want to say a giant thank you to Breda and Moirin who were working that day. Breda gave a quick version of the tour when I bought my ticket, giving me just enough information to better understand the House. Both Breda and Moirin helped me as I was leaving, answering questions about the House and they had helpful tips for while I was staying in Westport in general. They were so kind and patient - thank you Breda and Moirin for making my visit that much better!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 19, 2024
Stunning! - Stunning! We were greeted by an extremely friendly and helpful member of staff (Breda) who gave us a very informative welcome. The house is beautiful, and the gardens/water stunning! A great place to take lots of photos. Wish the place had a gift shop.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 17, 2024
If this house is not on your itinerary, you need to add it! - If you are asking yourself whether you should visit or not, JUST DO IT! This place is an absolute diamond in the rough! My friend and I stumbled upon it by accident not knowing anything about it and I am so glad that we did.
Westport House has a rich and fascinating history. It is very early on in it's conservation so the damage from years of neglect is very much visible but they are hard at work in restoring it to it's former glory. I, personally, really loved seeing a historic building actively being restored as opposed to one that has been completed. It is a place with a story still being written by people who care about preserving this place for generations to come.
Even though there are places where you can see the damage from many years of a leaky roof (they just completed a new roof so there will be no further water damage), they still have many rooms set up and open to peep into, all filled with a huge wealth of artifacts. Take the tour with one of the very knowledgeable guides! It is free with admission. Dolores was our guide and she was fantastic! She is just chock full of interesting facts and tidbits about the place and it's history.
While not the cheapest house to visit, I think it is worth every penny - I am more than happy to have contributed even a small amount to helping get this beauty of a house the care it needs! I only wish I had more time to spend wandering it's halls and the beautiful grounds it sits on. Absolutely do not miss this one!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 16, 2024
An Irish Gem - Catherine was our tour guide and was so knowledgeable on the history of the house , family, and future restoration project. A true Irish gem!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 6, 2024
Westport House - Loved visiting Westport House! The staff are so friendly and knowledgeable and there are so many things to see. I loved the exhibition showing the struggles and wonderful ways the previous owners tried to keep the house. It is great to hear the house is being restored by the new owners and in a way it was good to see the exposed areas of damage which shows just how much work is required to keep these amazing buildings intact. I am looking forward to seeing it restored to its former glory but loved the way it felt like a much loved and lived in home.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 5, 2024
Take the Quick Tour First - This place is required a park and walk about a mile to the House. There is a fee to enter. You can walk around the house and see the many rooms there are. Thank you to the generous Hughes Family for allowing visitors! Please be respectful of the house and its belongings. I would say give yourself about 2 hours to walk there, do the tour and walk around on your own.
I didn’t go to the gardens but I assume they are just as gorgeous as all the other flowers!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Aug 30, 2024
Unloved areas didn’t meet expectations! - Easy to find, lots of parking, super lovely staff (especially the lady in the ticket office, the barista in the cafe, and the road train driver). Our toddler loved both trains, and the swan boats. We loved the parkland.
However, the website (which is also tricky to navigate and understand) and map need updating as a lot of the site is closed/under construction. We would still have gone, but if we had known the future plans, that closed and dilapidated areas are still visible, and what is actually available now for toddlers/young families, we wouldn’t have been so disappointed.
The old, closed pirate play areas could do with some decent screening (maybe with a hint of what’s replacing them) as they look awful and unloved from the little train.
The courtyard toilets need some attention and the winter wonderland graveyard could also do with screening.
But, the sun was shining and we still had a lovely time, we had just expected more!
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