Connemara and County Mayo - Ireland 2014 - page 489

$$ Boulevard Guesthouse is the best value in town. Located right on the leafy Mall,
it has six large, quiet, tasteful rooms and a cushy lounge with an interesting guest lib-
rary under the stairs. Sadie and John Moran make you feel welcome (Sb-€45-50, Db-
€70-80, Tb-€105, Qb-€120-140, cash only, discount for multiplenight stays, Wi-Fi, park-
ing, South Mall, tel. [phone], mobile [phone], www.boulevard-guesthouse.com ,
[e-mail] ).
$$ Plougastel House B&B, named after Westport's sister town in Brittany, has six
inviting, smartly furnished earth-tone rooms with marble-floored bathrooms (Sb-€40-50,
Db-€70-80, cash only, Wi-Fi, Distillery Road, tel. [phone], info@plougastel-
house.com , www.plougastel-house.com , Sandra Corcoran).
$ Abbeywood House Hostel, hidden uphill behind the Holy Trinity Church, is a
former monastery. In summer they rent seven rooms with views of Croagh Patrick (dorm
bed-€20-24, D-€60, includes continental breakfast, kitchen, Wi-Fi, closed Sept-May ex-
cept for large groups, Newport Road, tel. [phone], mobile [phone],
www.abbeywoodhouse.com , [e-mail] ).
Eating in Westport: Most of your best bets are clustered on Bridge Street. A good
choice for dinner is J. J. O'Malleys' restaurant (€16-26 meals, daily 17:00-22:00, Bridge
Street—upstairs, above their pub, tel. [phone]). Because Mangos Seafood Restaurant
serves the town's best fish in a cozy atmosphere, reservations are a good idea (€15-25
meals, daily 17:45-22:30, July-Aug also serves lunch 12:30-15:00, Bridge Street, tel. 098/
24999, mobile [phone]). Madden's Bistro is on the ground floor of the Clew Bay
Hotel, offering contemporary casual dining (daily 12:30-21:00, James Street, tel. 098/
28088). For a quick and easy lunch, try O'Cee's Coffeeshop (€9 cafeteria-style lunches,
Mon-Sat 8:30-18:00, Sun 10:00-16:00, Shop Street, tel. [phone]) or Chilli's Cof-
feeshop (Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 11:00-18:00; Bridge Street, tel. [phone]). Irish mu-
sic fans seek out Matt Molloy's pub (no food unless you're on an all-peanut diet, great
sessions at 21:30, grab a seat by 20:30 or stand all night, Bridge Street, tel. [phone]).
MattMolloyisn'tjusttheownerofthepub—he'salsoaflutistfortheChieftains,thegroup
credited with much of the worldwide resurgence of interest in Irish music over the past 50
years. The SuperValu market has picnic fare (Mon-Sat 8:00-22:00, Sun 9:00-21:00, Shop
Street). Dunnes Stores has a similar grocery selection (Mon-Wed 8:30-18:00, Thu-Sat un-
til 19:00, closed Sun).
Westport Connections: If you want to visit Westport but lack wheels, here are your
options. You can take a bus to/from Galway (5-7/day, 2-4 hours), Derry (2-4/day, 5.5-6
hours, change in Sligo), or Dublin (6-7/day, 4-6 hours). For details, see
www.buseireann.ie . You can also reach Dublin by train (5/day, 3-3.5 hours,
www.irishrail.ie ).