Westport (Cathair na mart, "Stone Fort of the Cattle") lies in the northwest of Ireland on Clew Bay, at the southeast corner of which (Westport Bay) the River Carrowbeg flows into the sea.
Before the coming of the railroad the town - a planned settlement established by the Earl of Altamont in 1780, probably to the design of a French architect -
was a considerable port; it has now developed into an angling center, with good fishing in Clew Bay.
For many Westport is one of the prettiest little towns in Ireland. The little River Carrowbeg flows down the center of The Mall, the town's main street, with lime trees on both sides of the river, which is spanned by attractive old bridges.
The Protestant church (1880) has Art Nouveau carving.
At the south end of The Mall is a pleasant square, the Octagon, with an unusual clock tower on the site of a monument destroyed in 1922.
Print this page
Add to Favorites
