Westport House generates €50m a year for Co Mayo

Westport House in Co Mayo generates some €50 million a year in indirect investment in the county and wider western region, according to a consultants' study.

A total of 162,000 people visited the house and estate last year, an increase of 82 per cent over a five-year period.

The report by CHL Consulting for Mayo County Council said that Westport House contributed €1.7 million directly to the exchequer and local economy in 2014.

Owned by the Browne family for almost 400 years, the property currently sustains 47 full-time jobs.

The report found that 84 per cent of visitors to the house were Irish, and more than 60 per cent of respondents to a survey last year said it was their “principal motivation” for travelling to Co Mayo.

Wild Atlantic Way

The report notedthe estate’s central position on the Wild Atlantic Way, and said that the extension of the Mayo greenway cycle track through the grounds offered further potential for attracting visitors.

The study was commissioned by the local authority to “determine the significance of Westport House as an economic asset in the tourism industry in Mayo”.

The estate, which has an adventure park, train tour, camping and special events, was 23rd on Fáilte Ireland’s list of top visitor destinations last year.