Search Results for 'Westport House'

Tens of thousands of people are on the move across the county this weekend as two major festival events are attracting a huge influx of visitors and have seen local hotels, B&Bs, and self-catering accommodation booked to capacity.

A rare life-size masterpiece by a 19th century French sculptor, which has stood in Westport House for generations, is to be auctioned by Sotheby’s to secure the future of the stately home.

A boutique food and music festival, choral celebrations, a recreation of Humbert’s 1798 invasion, and a kitesurfing lake battle are some of the local festival events which will benefit this year from €49,000 announced in grant funding.

The 2014 date for Gaelforce West, one of the most gruelling adventure races in Ireland, has been announced for August 16.

Pirate adventuring, winter wonderlands, and a boutique music and food festival have all played a part in growing visitor numbers to stately Westport House by some 50 per cent in the last five years.

The first Westport Festival of Chamber Music will be held from Friday September 6 to Sunday September 8 in Westport House and Holy Trinity Church. As well as some of Ireland’s top international musicians, the festival will showcase some rising stars in the music world. Violinist Mairead Hickey and pianist Gary Beecher, both from Cork, will perform works by Schumann, Sarasate and Debussy at 12 noon in Holy Trinity Church on Saturday September 7.

Mayo groups Coda and The Clew Bay Pipers have recently collaborated to release a very well received new single called “Mayo Home”. “Mayo Home” is a tribute song to the county of Mayo and its people. Coda and The Clew Bay Pipers hope that it will inspire all Mayo people wherever they are but most importantly the Mayo football team in their endeavour to bring Sam back to the red and green county in almost 62 years!

It has been more than 500 years since the Pirate Queen, Grace O’Malley, commanded the seas from Scotland to Spain from the west coast of Ireland. Can any modern day woman match the determination and bravery of this great Irish legend? The organisers of a new adventure race have thrown down the gauntlet to the women of Ireland. This event will take place on Saturday September 14 on Clare Island. The race course is over 26.6km and involves running, cycling, climbing, and walking the plank. The adventure race is part the Festival of the Pirate Queen which will run for the first time from September 13 to 15.

The first Westport Festival of Chamber Music will be held on September 6 to 8. Tickets for the event are on sale in the Clew Bay Hotel and online at www.classicallinks.ie. Both Westport House and Holy Trinity Church are perfect venues for live music performances, providing a most appropriate setting for a music festival.

Get ready for a whole week of exciting activities in the great outdoors around Westport and join in to both free and ticketed events. The Westport Duathlon Weekend event marks the beginning of an extensive activity programme for the Westport Get Out There Festival, organised by Westport Town Council and Westport Leisure Park, and runs from Saturday June 8 to Saturday June 15.