Octagon – This is Westport’s main square, but as it’s eight-sided, it’s called the Octagon.” Surrounded by 30 townhouses, it as the centerpiece of the planned town back in the 1760s.
The big limestone structure with the clock was the old market house, where trade was organized, and taxes and customs paid.
The monument in the center of the Octagon was built in 1843 (just before the famine) to honor Lord Browne’s banker, George Glendenning. But the statue of the English banker was shot to pieces by Irish patriots in 1922, during the civil war.
Notice the gunfire-pocked column). Today, St. Patrick perches on top, garbed in Roman clothes (recalling his kidnapping from Britain’s corner of the crumbling Roman Empire.
As we wander around town, you can feel Westport’s pride and strong community spirit. It’s competitive – in 2012 Westport got the award for “best Irish town to live in.” The skinny bronze statue just up the hill from the Octagon celebrates Westport’s claim to be the most livable town in Ireland.
James Street – If one pay attention, one notices a few things. First, there are no stop signs.
That’s because traffic is supposed to be so friendly that drivers yield to anyone in a crosswalk without being reminded. Second, there are no chain stores.
The town council has allowed no big chains to open in the town center. Finally, note how locals seem to have almost no expressions on their faces. Rick Steves says that’s because the biggest employer here is Allergan Pharmaceuticals, and about a thousand people In Westport earn their living making Botox. 😊
Along the River – By the water, the bust of Westport-born Major John MacBride, one of the more colorful rebels of the 1916 Easter Rising. MacBride joined a band of insurgents marching into position in Dublin at the start of the rebellion, and was among the 14 men executed at Kilmainham Gaol after its failure.
Matt Molloy’s Pub – likely the biggest draw in town – it’s famous because its namesake owner is the flutist for the trad group The Chieftains.
Thomas Moran Storefront – This place is so classic it’s on an Irish stamp.
