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Westport, Ireland: Into the Real West
By Jennifer M. Eisenlau
Unfortunately, many trips to Ireland do not live up to the
Blarney. Brochures promise a land of emerald enchantment; however, some
travelers find themselves in pubs the size of big box super stores, on high
streets thronged with shoppers, and in cars idling in traffic. Not your idea of
Eire? If you want the Ireland of your imagination, then fly to Shannon, rent a
car and drive north 125 miles to County Mayo as fast as you can go.
Westport (population 5300) is worth a few days on your
Ireland itinerary. As it sits between the widely-known cities of Galway and
Sligo, Westport is easily visited. And if you do stop in this unspoiled seacoast
town, you might just find it to be the perfect anecdote to all the Blarney.
 Westport was a planned community – designed in the 18th
century by a Mr. John Browne. Westport can trace its roots back 5000 years to a
settlement called Cathair na Mart (Gaelic for Stone Fort of the Beeves). Today,
Westport is a peaceful blend of these two worlds: orderly Georgian architecture
mixed with Celtic energy. Westport feels like Ireland – there is no other way to
describe the aura exuded by this large country town set against a mountain and
the sea.
You will most likely arrive by car in the afternoon, so the
first thing to do is to take a nice long walk -- to a nice old pub. Start at the
Mall, and then turn onto James Street toward the Octagon Monument. Look at St.
Patrick atop the plinth as you make your way up Tober Hill. Once you crest the
rise, take the Railway Links Path, which winds down to the ocean through fields,
past horse pastures, and behind houses (look into windows for a glimpse of real
Irish living). You will pop out at the waterfront; stroll Quay Road to the
Towers bar and Restaurant, a “James Joyce Irish Pub” prizewinner. Awarded for
its authenticity and sense of Joycean tradition, this public house serves up a
delicious fish bake pie. Enjoy it with a pint of Guinness. Go on, you earned it.
 After dinner, take Quay Road (or a cab) back to town for
some postprandial craic (fun). Luckily, Westport offers a big selection of pubs
offering traditional music sessions, free of charge. John J. O’Grady’s, located
on the Mall, is popular with local folks. Stop in and sip a small one --
Jameson’s or Paddy’s -- and listen to the fiddles and flutes. On weekends,
the people from the surrounding villages drive in for a night on the town. Look
around the drinking establishments and notice the mix of ages. You will soon see
why the best people-watching, and the best opportunity for people-meeting, is in
a pub.
Not all entertainment in Ireland is of the Riverdance
variety. Real live music still exists in informal and intimate settings. The
best way to find out what is on for the evening is to ask your B & B’s landlady
or the hotel porter. Always a good time is Matt Molloy’s Public House on Bridge
Street.
 The
pub is named for and operated by Matt Malloy, flutist with the Chieftains.
Playing since the 1960s, this mainly instrumental band has shaped Celtic music
as we know it today. If you are fortunate, Molloy, himself, might even
play -- it’s been known to happen.
If Westport is not rustic enough for you, then you will be
delighted to find yourself on Clare Island (pop.150). To arrive on the island,
drive west to the Roonagh Quay Ferry Dock, 8 km outside Louisburg. Board the
Pirate Queen. The ferry is named for Grace (Granuaile) O’Malley, a contemporary
of Queen Elizabeth. She is Clare Island’s most famous inhabitant.  You will see
her castle when you arrive on the island. Bring sturdy shoes and warm clothes,
as there are miles of inviting roads to walk, all with views of rugged hills and
sheep-filled fields. A hot lunch overlooking the sea is available at the
island’s only hotel, the Bayview, owned and operated by the same family who runs
the ferry. You can sit back and have another pint. There will be time. The
boat’s captain is most likely pouring your Guinness.
As you drive back toward Westport, there is a lone speed
bump on the main road: this is the center of Murrisk Village at the foot of
Crough Patrick Mountain. Stop, for if you go any farther, you will miss The
Tavern. Recommended by the Irish Fisheries Board, the Tavern offers seafood
pulled from the water in the morning and then served in the evening. Dinners
include platters of Clew Bay mussels, seafood chowders, and poached prawns.
If you happen to in Westport on a Sunday, you may wish to
attend Mass. So what if you are not Catholic? Most of Ireland is, so when in
Rome…do as the Roman Catholics do and visit St. Mary’s Church, also located on
the Mall. Sit quietly in the back of the old edifice and admire the stained
glass. Or, if you prefer to be a more hands-on approach to your spiritual
endeavors, go visit one of Ireland’s favorite saints in the flesh, so to speak.
Drive north along the coast, to Croagh Patrick. Walk up to Paddy’s statue that
overlooks Clew Bay. Legend has it that during Lent in AD 44, this holy man
chased the snakes from Eire, but science tells us that serpents never crawled in
Ireland. Regardless of the legend’s actuality, if the weather is nice and you
have two hours and the proper gear (boots, poncho, fleece, food, water, hat,
mittens, maps – really) a climb up to the top of the 2,510 foot cone is time
well spent. Along the way, you can stop and pray at shrines dedicated to St.
Patrick, or perhaps you will strike up a conversation with one of the many
pilgrims who trek this mountain as an act of penance.
 Once you descend the peak on the same path you climbed,
cross the road and see more of Ireland’s history. The Coffin Ship, the country’s
largest bronze sculpture crafted by John Behan, is a Famine Memorial. It recalls
the horror of the Great Hunger that decimated Ireland in the 1840s. Metal
skeletons intertwine to form a ship that sits upon a hill, overlooking the bay
from which thousands sailed for America, Australia, and Canada.
After you leave Westport, you will recall this Mayo town
with a genuine sense of fondness. The term “Blarney” was coined by Elizabeth I
of England, in response to an Irish lord who grandly promised her much and
delivered little. There is little blarney in Westport because this town will
deliver a real glimpse of western Ireland.
Most major carriers fly into Ireland. Aer Lingus is the
Ireland’s national airline. 800-474-7424 www.aerlingus.com
Dan Dooley Rent-a-Car is an Ireland-based car rental
company. 800-331-9301 www.dandooley.com
The four-unit Tubber Cottages (Tober Hill) are located
conveniently a few blocks from the Westport’s square.
www.goireland.com (and then search “Co. mayo – self catering”)
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