Travel Information

UPDATED 23/05/2016

As the big day approaches, we are very much starting to put our day together and our wedding weekend is starting to feel near. Now is the time to start checking this blog again as I (we) will be putting more time aside for it.

Thanks,

Adam (and Saerlaith!)

 TRAVEL 

This bit is really aimed at people residing in the UK, to hopefully make their journeys a bit easier.

Flights with Ryanair are often on offer and reasonably priced. Saerlaith and I always travel with Ryanair and have never had any major problems. During sales, tickets can be as low as £9.99 per person. It's worth booking as soon as you see them so cheap, as the prices change very frequently.

Flights to Dublin

You can fly to and from Dublin from the following U.K. Airports with Ryanair;

1. Birmingham
2. Bristol
3. Cardiff
4. East Midlands
5. Edinburgh
6. Glasgow
7. Leeds Bradford
8. Liverpool
9. London Gatwick
10. London Stanstead
11. Luton
12. Manchester
13. Newcastle

Flights to Knock

Knock is the closest airport to Westport and was built by a priest. One can fly to Knock with Ryanair from the following locations;

1. Bristol
2. East Midlands
3. Liverpool
4. London Stanstead
5. Luton

Travelling by Road

If you choose to drive, car hire in Ireland is reasonably priced. This section will have a few of the different routes to Westport, from different locations.

The best route from Dublin Airport to Westport;

From Dublin Airport - 

• Get onto the M50 Southbound (toll to be paid online - check with lease companies)
• Turn off M50 onto the N4 at junction 7 which becomes the M4 (toll road 2.90euro).
• Stay on the M4 until you get to Longford.
• At Longford take the N5 all the way to Westport!

From Knock Airport to Westport;

From Knock Airport -

• Head from Knock airport towards Swinford.
• Before Swinford, take a left at a junction onto the N5.
• Follow the N5 all the way to Westport

Travelling by Ferry

The two easiest ferry terminals are Liverpool (P&O Ferries) and Holyhead, Wales (Stenaline/Irish Ferries). Both ferries dock in Dublin bay. Liverpool has a longer time on water but the car journey is much easier. It's the exact opposite for Holyhead, as it is the most North Westerly tip of Wales.

Getting the Train from Dublin

The train from Heuston Station, Dublin to Westport takes about 3 hours, which is about the same time it takes to drive. There is also a handy connecting bus from Dublin Airport to Heuston Station. 

The service has 9 stops enroute as can be seen below;

Booking your hotel

If you have decided to join us on 3rd of September then it's time to start thinking about Hotels (and travel, but we'll concentrate on Hotels for now). I'll try to update this as we see places that are available. We understand that for many travelling from the UK and beyond.

Because we have a full weekend of events planned, we recommend that you stay for three nights, arriving on Friday and leaving on Monday. But of course the choice is yours!

FYI ALL MAJOR HOTELS CAN BE BOOKED THROUGH BOOKING.COM

Hotel Westport - The Reception Venue

 We are having our reception and afters at Hotel Westport, and as such we have been given special wedding rates. If you decide to stay at Hotel Westport then they can offer our guests discounted prices. The best way to get these rates is directly by telephone.

Hotel Westport
 Republic of Ireland -1850 53 63 73
Northern Ireland / UK - 0870 876 5432
http://www.hotelwestport.ie/index.html

A List of (some of the) Lovely Places to Stay

Hotels

The Harbour Mill Apartments represent great value and each apartment can sleep between 3 and 6. Friends should think about grouping together and splitting the cost!

Phone: +353 (0) 9828555
Email: info@theharbourmill.com
website: Theharbourmill.com

Knockranny House 
"... is one of Ireland’s finest 4* hotels. Set in secluded grounds on a hillside, this luxury hotel stands proudly overlooking the picturesque town of Westport and enjoys breathtaking views of Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay’s islands to the west and the Nephin Mountains to the north."

Phone: 353 (0) 98 28600
Email: info@khh.ie
website: knockrannyhousehotel.ie

Westport Woods Hotel 

Phone: 353 (0) 98 25811
Email: info@westportwoodshotel.com
website:westportwoodshotel.com

Westport Coast Hotel (formerly The Carlton)

" ... Located at the Quay village bustling with friendliness and atmosphere.  Feel and taste the ocean’s force on your door step while enjoying the sheer beauty of Clew Bay and the greatness of Croagh Patrick."

Phone: 353 (0) 98 29000

Email: info@westportcoasthotel.ie

website: wesportcoasthotel.ie

The Wyatt Hotel is in the centre of Westport town, close to all the shops, bars, pubs and restaurants.

Phone: +353 (0) 98 25027

Email: info@wyatthotel.com

website: wyatthotel.com

The Castle Court is a 4 star Hotel, just a short walk from the main street but may be quite pricey. If you want a bit of luxury then you should stay here.

Phone: +353 (0) 98 55088

Email: info@castlecourthotel.ie

Website: http://www.castlecourthotel.ie

The Mill Times Hotel 

Phone: +353 (0) 98 29200
Lo Call from UK: 0845 8620043
Email: info@milltimeshotel.ie
website: milltimeshotel.ie

Bed & Breakfast

There are COUNTLESS B&B's available in Westport as it is a tourist hotspot. Here is a list provided, and recommended by, Hotel Westport.

1. Abbeycourt Town House - Kate Hastings, 353 (0) 98 28166, Khastings@eircom.net
2. Hazlebrook - Mary Cafferkey, 353 (0) 98 26865, hazelbrookhouse@eircom.net
3. Twin Peaks, 353 (0) 98 28744
4. Brook Lodge, Noreen Reddington, 353 (0) 98 26654, brooklodgebandb@eircom.net
5. The Westerly, 353 (0) 98 26177
6. St. Anthony's, Sheila Kilkelly, 353 (0) 98 28887
7. Mountain View, Cora Sadik, 353 (0) 98 25575
8. Clooneen House, C. Reidy, 353 (0) 98 25361
9. Augusta Lodge, Liz O'Regan, 353 (0) 98 28900, info@augustalodge.ie
10. Ellen Ville, Eileen Murdock, 353 (0) 98 27618
11. Deerpark Lodge, 20 Deerpark East, 353 (0) 98 26003
12. Elderberry, Myra Berry, 353 (0) 98 26374
13. Ploughastel House, Sandra Corcoran, 353 (0) 25198
14. Linden Hall, Maria Breen, 353 (0) 98 27005, lindenhall@iol.ie
15. Willow Lodge, 26 Deerpark East, 353 (0) 98 50488
16. Teallach An Gabha, Maureen Lambert, 353 (0) 98 25704

Why are we dragging everyone to County Mayo?

MAYO - IRELAND "Maybe we don't win as much as others, but that doesn't seem to matter. Our heart is here and our heart always will be here." - Fr Charlie McDonnell
Posted by Alan Clarke on Saturday, 21 November 2015

Saerla hasn't quite figured out how to post on the blog yet, so I am posting this on her behalf. We've both been super busy recently so our blog has been on the back burner, but now life is settling down we should have some time to share information with everybody again.

This morning Saerla found a brilliant video on Facebook that illustrates exactly why we have chosen County Mayo as the place to get hitched. There is also a wonderful appearance from our priest Fr. Charlie. Check it out above...

Location... Location... Location...

Written by Adam.

On Wednesday 29th July we travelled cross-country to Westport to find a wedding venue, and so I could see the location of our wedding for the first time.

Enjoying my journey to the West!

The Location

Driving along the N5 from Dublin, glimpses of the beauty of Saerlaith's maternal home flashed over the Horizon. I am certain Croagh Patrick and Clew Bay are two of the most spectacular sights in Ireland and a fitting backdrop for our wedding. Click here to find Westport in google maps.

The view of Westport below Croagh Patrick, from the N5

Old Head Beach, Clew Bay.

The Church

We visited two churches in the area. The first in the town and the second out into Clew Bay. Initially we wanted to keep the venue and church together in town but, for us, Westport Church was far to big and took away the intimate atmosphere we want during the ceremony.

So a short drive out of town brought us to St. Patricks Church in Lecanvey. A beautiful small church at the foot of the mountain with wooden joists supporting the ceiling and whitewashed walls. And a size perfect for creating our intimate feel.

Lecanvey Church

The Venue

This was painstaking! We visited every venue in the vicinity of Westport during our stay. With a budget in mind, a vision to fulfil and logistics to plan, we deliberated for three weeks before making a decision. Hotel Westport became our choice for a number of reasons. We liked the family feel, the reception room was very nice and the grounds surrounding the Hotel are pleasant. The hotel events manager, Rhona, was also a decisive factor. Her attention to detail, dedication to her clients and kind nature was visible and impressed at our two visits.

Main Entrance to Hotel Westport

All in all my first experience of Westport was amazing. I cannot wait to return in the months leading up to our wedding, and the many years after it!

The Count Down Begins!

Written by Adam.

The counter above makes Saerlaith draw breath. I think that she is just beginning to realise how fast time gets away from us. In a leap year to the day we are getting married!

Welcome to our blog. We want to make your journey and time in Westport as simple, practical and - most of all - as enjoyable as possible. Although our 'Save the Dates' have just gone out - and should be in the post if you haven't got it yet - we want to give you as much information as possible so you can plan and get the most from the visit.

So we both decided that a blog was the best way to get the most information to as many people as possible.

You can expect to find all the updates as they occur, advice on travel (especially those coming from the UK), accommodation and events that are happening around - but of course not on - the big day.

So make notes in your diary, hand in the little yellow holiday slips and come and share the biggest day of our lives with us. We cannot wait and we hope you feel the same way to!