History of Westport

Westport is designated as a heritage town and is unusual in Ireland in that it is one of only a few planned towns in the country. 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 Ó Máille Castle. The dungeons of the Ó Máille castle still remain. The most notable feature of James Wyatt's town plan is the lovely tree-lined boulevard, the Mall, built on the Carrowbeg River