What to see and do in Westport (Ireland): music at Matt Molloy's

You will agree with me that a trip through ireland It will be incomplete if you do not have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional irish music in a pub.

Precisely that was one of the main attractions of my first trip to that country, where we had the opportunity to discover one of the most emblematic places of this Irish tradition, the Matt Molloy's pub.

This corner has become one of the reasons to visit the town of westport, west of ireland.

Irish music tradition

In my first musical memories, the Celtic music It occupies a special place, and I have always liked to listen to it, both by Irish groups and by Galician and Breton musicians, who have common musical roots.

La irish music It is well known for its frenetic, highly danceable rhythms, but it also offers beautiful ballads that tell traditional stories.

A clearly identifying aspect of Irish music are the instruments used to perform it, such as the violin, flute, accordion, Celtic harp, tambourine or drum.

If you are especially interested in deepening your knowledge, here you have more information about the traditional irish music.

How to listen to traditional music in an Irish pub

This tradition also has an aspect that you should not miss on your trip to Ireland, how easy it is listen to irish music in a Ads of any city or town.

Indeed, in many Ads Around a table sits a group of musicians who with their violins, flutes or accordions liven up the evening of the numerous clients who are having a Guinness, Synonym of beer in ireland.

Enjoy live irish music It will be easy for you, because surely one of the Ads of the city or town where you are, show their weekly concert program on a poster on their façade.

It can also happen, as in a Ads from a town near the Cliffs of Moher, that while eating there, suddenly in a corner a singer and two musicians with a violin and accordion start performing beautiful songs.

Or like on our last trip to Ireland, when dinner time was over in a Ads, totally changed the atmosphere, and beer and Irish music took center stage.

Irish music at Matt Molloy's pub in Westport

But if there is a place that is very famous for its musical evenings, it is the aforementioned one. Matt Molloy's pub, one of the reasons to visit the very beautiful town of westport, in the county mayo, west of Ireland.

Matt Molloy, the owner of the Ads, is a prestigious interpreter of the irish flute who since the 80s has been a member of The Chieftains, one of the most emblematic traditional music groups of that country.

If you are a fan of this type of music, as is my case, on your trip through the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland you should not miss visiting this Ads, whose origins date back to 1896.

When after dinner you go to Matt Molloy's, ask for one Guinness and go to the back room and try to settle in, because when the music starts playing, it will get crowded.

In the videos that accompany this article you can see himself Matt Molloy and the atmosphere that exists in your Ads during one of the sessions irish music. and, on the other hand, here you have more information about pubs with traditional music in Dublin.

What to see and do in Westport

But in your Westport visit You will also have the opportunity to walk through its streets and thus enjoy the charm of this very careful Irish town.

Its colorful facades of its houses full of flowers in the summer, or a walk along the shore of its river, will be memories that will surely remain with you when you return from your trip through this area of ​​​​the west of Ireland.

However westport It also has a long history, reaching relevance during the 16th century as it was the area where the then famous pirate queen Grace O Malley. 

Visit Westport House

You will be able to learn more about their adventures during your visit to the Westport House, A large mansion that was built by a German architect in 1730, a good example of the Georgian architecture.

Now converted into the main tourist attraction of the town, Westport House It occupies the site of one of the castles that the aforementioned town occupied during the 16th century. Grace O Malley in this Irish coastal area.

For this reason, the figure of the pirate queen takes center stage during the visit.

Thus, in a forest adjacent to Westport House has been installed Pirate Adventure Park, a family-oriented attraction.

Therefore, it will not surprise you to know that this mansion receives more than 140.000 visitors every year.

During your visit you will not only tour the halls and other rooms of the mansion, but you will also go down to the basements to see some areas that belonged to the original castle, which shows a pirate atmosphere.

The mansion is surrounded by gardens with a lake that make up a very pleasant and cozy corner.

To reach Westport House from the town you can use a tourist train, which completes the attractions that this corner has for families, which has been recognized as one of the main family attractions in Ireland.

With this train you can go to the mansion, but also take a tour of the nearby Westport docks.

Westport House schedules and ticket prices

Here you can consult the Westport House visiting hours, which opens to the public every day, with variations depending on the time of year.

And here you have the ticket prices, with a general rate of 13,50 euros for adults.