Today, the Minister of State at the Department for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Minister Alan Dillon TD, officially turned the sod on a transformative tourism redevelopment project at Westport Estate in Co. Mayo.

Fáilte Ireland funding of up to €36million forms part of an overall €65.5million* investment, with the remaining match funding to be provided by the Hughes Family, the owners of Portwest. This represents one of the largest single investments in the tourism sector, delivering a world class visitor attraction that will drive significant tourism impact across the northern half of the Wild Atlantic Way.

The project will deliver a high quality, immersive heritage experience of national and international significance, responding to evolving visitor expectations and setting a new benchmark for tourism development in Ireland. This significant investment marks a major commitment to strengthening Ireland’s tourism infrastructure, supporting sustainable growth and enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness as a tourism destination with international appeal.

It directly aligns with the Wild Atlantic Way Regional Tourism Development Strategy 2023 to 2027, which identifies a clear need for major attractors to stimulate demand, extend visitor dwell time and support greater regional dispersal in the northern half of the route, where there is significant opportunity to grow tourism. The new Westport Estate project will help support more balanced regional tourism growth, create a compelling reason for visitors to travel further along the Wild Atlantic Way and unlock new economic opportunities for the wider region, with the objective that all tourism businesses benefit from the increased tourism activity in the region. Westport Estate is also identified as a catalyst project in the Clew Bay Destination Experience Development Plan, reflecting its potential to elevate the destination’s profile. 

Fáilte Ireland projects that over 10 years, the redevelopment will attract an additional 1.1 million domestic and overseas visitors generating an extra €113million in direct visitor spending for the local and regional tourism economy. This additional economic activity will support 226 jobs annually, both directly and indirectly, across tourism and related sectors.

At the heart of the development is an ambitious and multi-experiential offering designed to create a compelling and immersive visitor journey across the 430-acre estate. The project will bring together heritage, landscape, storytelling and innovation across several new and significantly enhanced core experiences:

• Wild Realms – a new visionary landscape and nature experience covering 34 acres spread across the estate and featuring three interconnected, immersive outdoor spaces or “realms” inspired by the Irish mythological story of the Tree of Life. Designed by award winning Irish landscape designer Mary Reynolds, it is brought to life through exclusively native planting to restore and support biodiversity.
• Westport House – a significantly enhanced experience delivered through a range of interpretive media, telling 350 years of stories about the estate, with the house being made universally accessible to visitors for the first time. The formal Italianate gardens around the house are also being restored and will now be open to the public.
• Coach House Visitor Centre – a new central visitor hub including reception, retail, café and orientation point for the estate.
• Ireland’s Pirate Queen – the Grace O’Malley Story – a new fully immersive 360-degree cinematic experience with multi-sensory effects, telling the story of Grace O’Malley.

Westport Estate’s redevelopment represents one of the most significant tourism investments made in the west of Ireland. It forms a key part of Fáilte Ireland’s strategy to develop large scale, high impact attractions that encourage visitors to explore less mature destinations. This latest phase builds on the Hughes family’s long-term commitment since acquiring the Estate in 2017. Significant investment has already transformed key areas of the estate, with substantial further investment planned to realise a multi-phase vision that will secure the Estate’s future, strengthen Westport’s position as a leading tourism destination and create a lasting legacy for the region.

Speaking at the sod-turning, Minister Alan Dillon said:

“It is a privilege to mark the beginning of this landmark development at Westport Estate. Over the two-year construction phase, the project will support 226 jobs, both directly and indirectly, bringing real economic value to the town and the wider region.

“Once completed, it will offer a world class visitor experience unlike anything else in Ireland, celebrating our heritage, landscape and stories while strengthening the tourism offering in Westport, across Mayo and along the Wild Atlantic Way.

“Government investment like this is crucial to our ambition of attracting more visitors, encouraging them to stay longer and ensuring local communities and businesses benefit. I congratulate Fáilte Ireland and everyone involved in bringing this ambitious vision to life.”

Commenting on the project Minister Peter Burke TD said:

“This level of investment reflects the clear priorities set out in our new national tourism policy, A New Era for Irish Tourism, which emphasises the need for sustainable growth, stronger regional balance and the development of high-quality visitor experiences. The Westport Estate project is a strong example of how these ambitions can be delivered in practice. It also highlights the importance of partnership, with public and private investment working together to enable projects of this scale and ambition. Developments like this would not be realised without that collaboration, and they are critical to strengthening Ireland’s tourism offering and ensuring the benefits of growth are felt across all regions.”

CEO of Fáilte Ireland, Caroline Bocquel said:
“This is a transformative project that will position Westport Estate as a flagship destination on the Wild Atlantic Way. With this project, which is supported by significant government investment of up to €36 million, we are addressing a clear gap in the tourism offering in the northern half of the route and creating a compelling reason for visitors to come, stay longer and explore the wider region. It reflects our focus on developing distinctive, high-quality attractions that strengthen Ireland’s overall tourism offering and deliver long term economic and social benefits.”

Barry O’Connor CEO, Westport Estate, said:

“In 2017, when the Hughes family acquired the historic Westport Estate, they understood its extraordinary potential to become one of Ireland’s great heritage destinations. Therefore, today’s announcement marks a very proud moment as we embark on this exciting partnership with Fáilte Ireland and the Government. Together, we are creating a long-term investment that will support employment, strengthen local businesses, attract more domestic and international visitors, and generate lasting economic and social benefits for Westport, Mayo, and the wider Northwest.

We are deeply grateful to the Minister Dillon and everyone who has shared our confidence in this project, including our own exceptional team and the people of Westport who take such pride in their town and locality.”