NatCountry house · 1730–1735Westport House (country house)WestportPhoto: Michael Deligan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons file
Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval) · Photo: MickReynolds · CC BY-SA 4.0239buildings on the National Inventory
History of Westport · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Westport has 239 buildings on the National Inventory, 2 of them of national importance
For its size, Westport has more on the record than 95% of towns: 348 buildings for every 10,000 residents. 7.5% of its homes date from before 1919; the typical town has 3.4%. Its oldest building dates from 1700. The Sites and Monuments Record adds 27 archaeological sites inside the town.
On the National Inventory
239
348 per 10,000 residents
typical town: 48
typical town: 48
Of national importance
2
NIAH National or International, and national monuments
Archaeological sites
27
Sites and Monuments Record
Oldest building
1700
the first date on its record
Homes built before 1919
7.5%
typical town: 3.4%
In pictures
14 photos of Westport’s landmarks, and 3 old views
Of Westport’s places of national importance, 2 are photographed. 13 of Westport’s recorded places are photographed. The old photographs show Westport between 1889 and 1910.
Westport House (country house)National rating (NIAH)
Westport House (gate lodge)Regional rating (NIAH)
Westport Post OfficeRegional rating (NIAH)
Dr. Johnston MemorialRegional rating (NIAH)
Glendenning MonumentRegional rating (NIAH)+9See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Through time
Westport from 1889 to 1910
3 old photographs, in date order. All made before 1950.
1865–1914
c. 1902
1906–1914From Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server: public domain, or from the National Library of Ireland’s collections (Lawrence, Poole, Eason and others) with no known copyright restrictions. Each credit opens the image’s page.
The map
Where Westport’s history is
Every building and site on the record inside the town, by its rating.
National and InternationalRegional and other sites
Hover a dot for its name; tap one to open its page.
The 239, by rating
2 National and International237 Regional and other sites
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage is the State’s survey of buildings from 1700 to today, county by county; each record gives a rating, dates, a type and an appraisal. Being on it is not legal protection: that is each council’s Record of Protected Structures.
Points from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
National and International
2 places of national importance in Westport
Buildings the National Inventory rates National or International: of significance across Ireland or beyond. Each one opens its own page.
NatChurch / chapel · 1865–1875Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval)Newport Street, WestportPhoto: MickReynolds · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons file
Regional and other sites
237 more historic places in Westport
Buildings rated Regional, of significance in their region, and archaeological monuments with an encyclopedia article.
All 87, A to Z
AbbeywoodAshlawnBridge HouseCherry Cottage (house)Cloghan HouseDr. Johnston MemorialEllen's VillaFlorencevilleGalmoyGates, Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval)Gates, Mount Saint Mary's Convent of MercyGlendenning MonumentGraveyard, Mount Saint Mary's Convent of MercyGrove HouseHarbour HouseHewetsonHoly Trinity National SchoolIvy CottageJ. McGingJ.J. GavanJ.J. GlynnJim McLoughlinKate McCormack and SonsKincoraLinden HallLuggykelly BridgeM. KellyMajor Mac Bride MonumentMalroc HouseMarine VillaMoran and CompanyMount Browne HouseMount Saint Mary's Convent of MercyNorth River HouseO'ConnorO'Donnell'sQuay CottageQuay HouseRoscaoin HouseRossbeg HouseRossbeg VillaSacred Heart SchoolSaint Mary's Catholic ChurchSchool, Mount Saint Mary's Convent of MercySean MaloneSeapoint HouseSummerhouse, Mount Saint Mary's Convent of MercySummervilleSurveyor's HouseThe BoulevardThe Railway TavernThomas McGrealThomas MoranThomond HouseUlster BankWesport Wesleyan Methodist ChurchWestport CourthouseWestport House (boathouse)Westport House (bridge)Westport House (bridge)Westport House (church / chapel)Westport House (demesne walls / gates / railings)Westport House (farmyard complex)Westport House (folly)Westport House (garden structure misc)Westport House (garden temple)Westport House (gate lodge)Westport House (gate lodge)Westport House (gate lodge)Westport House (gates / railings / walls)Westport House (gates / railings / walls)Westport House (gates / railings / walls)Westport House (mausoleum)Westport House (stables)Westport House (walled garden)Westport House (worker's house)Westport Market HouseWestport Post OfficeWestport Quay Custom HouseWestport Railway StationWestport Railway Station (building misc)Westport Railway Station (foot bridge)Westport Railway Station (post box)Westport Railway Station (store / warehouse)Westport Railway Station (train shed)Westport Railway Station (turntable)Wood Cottage
150 recorded by their type and address
150 are recorded only by their type and address: 87 homes, 39 street furniture and 8 walls, gates and bridges; most date from the 19th century.
17th century3
18th century60
19th century72
20th century15
Historic streets
Bridge Street has the most
Streets with three or more buildings on the record, by the address it gives.
Bridge Street22 on the record
Altamount Street20 on the record
Mill Street18 on the record
North Mall16 on the record
South Mall15 on the record
Newport Street11 on the record · 1 of national importance
Shop Street11 on the record
James' Street9 on the record
Peter Street8 on the record
Westport Quay7 on the record
Quay Hill7 on the record
Fair Green6 on the record
Of the 239 records, 187 give a street address.
What’s recorded
More street furniture than the national record: 17% in Westport, 3% across Ireland
The latest date on Westport’s record is 1980. 140 of the records are homes (59%). Two of the highest-rated records are Westport House and Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval).
Homes140
Street furniture40
Walls, gates and bridges19
Churches and chapels9
Public buildings6
Mills, stations and works4
Memorials and tombs3
Farm and estate buildings3
Inns, shops and warehouses1
Other buildings14
Types as the National Inventory records them, grouped; a building keeps the type it was built as.
How old
Most of Westport’s dated buildings come from the 19th century
Each building by the first date on its record.
1500–1799 three centuries87
19th century 1800–189997
1900 and later to today55
87 of the 239 dated ones were built before 1800. The oldest is M. Kelly, from 1700.
Archaeology and around
Archaeology in Westport
The Sites and Monuments Record lists every known archaeological site; most are field monuments with little to see. By kind:
27 archaeological sites inside the town
Sites on the Record of Monuments and Places, the statutory list drawn from this record, are protected by law: anyone planning work at or near one must give the National Monuments Service two months’ notice.
| Enclosure9 records |
| Ringfort - rath3 records |
| Salt works2 records |
| Standing stone2 records |
| Mound1 record |
| Midden1 record |
| Souterrain1 record |
| Castle - unclassified1 record |
| House - 16th/17th century1 record |
| Architectural fragment1 record |
| Settlement cluster1 record |
| Burial ground1 record |
| Ritual site - holy well1 record |
| Monumental structure1 record |
| Children's burial ground1 record |
Just outside Westport: 32
| Knockaniska BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 3 km outside the town |
| Lisnafarn CottageRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.1 km outside the town |
| Mallow CottageRegional rating (NIAH) · 300 m outside the town |
| Prospect HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 2.7 km outside the town |
| Westport House (worker's house)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Westport House (bridge)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Aghamore BridgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.4 km outside the town |
| Cherry Cottage (folly)Regional rating (NIAH) · 100 m outside the town |
| Trafalgar LodgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Kilmeena Church (Kilmeena)Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.7 km outside the town |
| Barley HillRegional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Alpine LodgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.4 km outside the town |
| CarraigmorRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.7 km outside the town |
| ClarevilleRegional rating (NIAH) · 400 m outside the town |
| Marine LodgeRegional rating (NIAH) · 800 m outside the town |
| Rossymailley HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 300 m outside the town |
| Saint Helen's (building misc)Regional rating (NIAH) · 500 m outside the town |
| Saint Helen's (gates / railings / walls)Regional rating (NIAH) · 300 m outside the town |
| Shivdella HouseRegional rating (NIAH) · 1.4 km outside the town |
| Rectory, Saint Thomas's Church (Knappagh)Regional rating (NIAH) · 2.5 km outside the town |
Homes by age
34% of Westport’s homes were built from 1981 to 2000
At least one home in two in Westport was standing by 2001. New building is strong in Westport: 8.5% of homes date from 2011 on, where most towns have 5.8%. Homes built between the wars make up 4.3% of Westport’s, about the typical 3.9%.
7.5%
Before 1919
4.3%
1919–45
21%
1946–80
34%
1981–2000
25%
2001–10
8.5%
Since 2011
WestportTypical town
Census 2022, households by the year their home was built (CSO, Small Area Population Statistics, CC BY 4.0); the typical town is the middle Irish town of 2,500 or more.
Born here
7 notable people born in Westport before 1900
From James Hardiman (1782) to Thomas Derrig (1897): their lives on one timeline, earliest first.
James Hardiman
Charles Magill
John J. Carter
John MacBride
Meg Connery
Michael Browne
Thomas Derrig
175017751800182518501875190019251950
John MacBride1868–1916 · Irish republican
JH
James Hardiman1782–1855 · Irish librarian
Thomas Derrig1897–1956 · Irish politician
Meg Connery1879–1956 · Suffragist organiser and activist
CM
Charles Magill1816–1898 · Canadian politician
JC
John J. Carter1842–1917 · Medal of Honor recipient; Oil millionaire
MB
Michael Browne1895–1980 · Irish bishop
Everyone born in Westport → Birthplaces from Wikidata, each checked against the person’s English Wikipedia article; portraits from Wikimedia Commons.
Towns its size
Westport has the 2nd most of 16 towns its size
Towns of 6,600 to 7,200 residents, by buildings on the record.
Westport239
#2 of 16for buildings on the record per resident (348 per 10,000). O'Connell Street, Westport and South Gate lead.
Only O'Connell Street has more. The typical town its size has 81.
Neighbours
Westport and its neighbours
| Town | People | National Inventory | National | Archaeological sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westport | 6,872 | 239 | 2 | 27 |
| Castlebar | 13,054 | 79 | 0 | 22 |
In brief
Westport in brief
Few towns are as rich in recorded buildings as Westport: per resident it has more than 95% of Irish towns of 2,500 or more. All told, the list holds 239 places on the record, 2 of them in the top tier, including Westport House. Its housing is old: 7.5% of homes date from before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town. Only one of the 16 towns nearest its size has more recorded buildings.
Bridge Street alone has 22 places on the record. Most entries on the list, 59%, are homes. John MacBride (1868), James Hardiman (1782) and Thomas Derrig (1897) are among the 7 people born here before 1900.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The National Inventory. The State’s survey of post-1700 buildings, made county by county since 1990 (NIAH); a few records are older. It records; it does not protect.
- Ratings. International and National: of significance across Ireland or beyond. Regional: in its region. Local and record-only buildings get no page here.
- Archaeology. The Sites and Monuments Record (National Monuments Service) lists known archaeological sites; the national monuments to visit and the sites with an encyclopedia article get pages here.
- Protection. Both registers are surveys, not protection: a building is protected by its council’s Record of Protected Structures, and no national open list joins the 31 councils’ records.
- The grade. Ireland’s History grade is not built yet: the page describes, and gives no grade.
Questions about Westport’s history
How many historic buildings are recorded in Westport?
239 buildings on the National Inventory, 2 of them of national importance, from the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.
Which places in Westport are of national importance?
Westport House (country house) and Holy Trinity Church (Oughaval).
What is the oldest building in Westport?
Bridge, Distillery Road, Westport: the first date on its record is 1700.
Are there archaeological sites in Westport?
Yes: the Sites and Monuments Record lists 27 archaeological sites inside Westport.
How old are the homes in Westport?
7.5% of its homes were built before 1919, against 3.4% in the typical town.
Are the buildings on this page protected?
Being on the National Inventory or the Sites and Monuments Record is a record, not protection by itself: buildings are protected by their council’s Record of Protected Structures, which each council keeps and no national open list gathers, so this page can’t say which are on it.
This page describes its history; it gives no grade.
Source: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and Sites and Monuments Record, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0); Wikidata (CC0).
Sources: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (buildingsofireland.ie) · Sites and Monuments Record and the National Monuments Service’s monuments to visit · CSO Census 2022 (homes by the year built) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, including the National Library of Ireland’s collections, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata and English Wikipedia for people born here · Wikidata (CC0) for other names and articles. Under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).