Considering moving to Westport

3

3CC

Registered User
Messages
364
Hi All,

My wife and I are considering moving to Westport after spending the last 20 years in Co Dublin. The area we are looking at is Carrabaun which is 2-3 km out the Lenane Road (N59) to the south of Westport.

I'd be grateful if any knows the area and could give us some advice. Plusses and minuses? Anything to watch out for?

Thanks.
 
Good move. Moving out of Dublin and heading west is something you won’t regret. (Did that myself some years ago).

Space, cost of living and quality of life generally, we found, is better in the west than in Dublin. It’s great if you have kids. Though you’ll miss the amenities Dublin has to offer. And the anonymity.

Westport is a fine town, but in terms of property values, it is somewhat pricier than elsewhere in the county. You’re near all the beaches outside Westport as you head towards Louisburg which is great in the summer. Westport has some great restaurants, pubs and cafes.

You’re 15 minutes away from the shopping town of Castlebar and you can get to Achill via Newport easily from Westport.

Westport has a train station which brings you to Heuston and there’s a new road connecting Westport to Turlough outside Castlebar which will shave (they say) 15-20 minutes off the drive to/from Dublin. Taxis operate in Westport afaik.

Westport is very touristy in the summer but very safe. It attracts a lot of hens/stags.

Downside - it’s a lot wetter in the west than in Dublin. The road to Lenane is quite winding but you’re only a few KMs out.
 
One aspect might be kids and expectations of possibly attending college in Dublin - they could stay at home if still living in Dublin but could be a substantial drain on resources if not.
Having spent 6 months working from Galway it's definitely a lot wetter on the west coast. Not as familiar with Westport but Mayo has so many stunning beaches and scenery so a definite plus there.
 
It's a nice town and, like most towns in the West of Ireland it's a lovely place for about 7 months of the year. But can be pretty bleak for the other 5 months! Missus and I relocated to West Cork a decade ago; for 90% of the time, it's great, but the other 10% makes me wish that I had stayed in Portmarnock!
 
Last edited:
Westport is a really lovely town - very well kept and clean.. However traffic can be quite busy in and around the town and there are a lot of things to consider
Depending on your circumstances, consider:
- jobs / career growth
- access to university : don't be fooled by the third level in Castlebar - it has an incredibly poor reputation. Donno if this is a factor for you
- hidden costs such as buses to school ; cost of home heating ; maintenance of a house in Mayo (harsher weather, larger plot); cost of petrol if you are a drive away from the shops
- access to hospitals - don't think I'd fancy relying on Castlebar hospital as I age being honest
- weather and increased rainfall
- socializing and what's important (music/gig , social dancing etc, cliquey area )
- access to beaches (Westport , Louisburgh have fab beaches) , watersports
- look 10 years ahead and consider what if there were any health issues etc Would you have support?
- re-sale prospects of houses. without speculating on prices , up til post-Covid, the market in Mayo was extremely slow. Westport would be an area that is in demand but don't expect to sell it in the future as you would a Dublin house.

I spent 15 years in Mayo and some amazing places but it really hit home during lockdown that I was a distance from everything and with university/college (hopefully) in the horizon , I made the choice to sell up (at a hefty loss) and purchase back in Dublin. It was the right choice for us, however depending on what phase of life you are at and your interests, Westport could be a really nice place to live. There's a good mix of social outlets, beaches , shops etc and road network has improved again recently as an earlier poster mentioned.
 
3CC said:
Hi All,

My wife and I are considering moving to Westport after spending the last 20 years in Co Dublin. The area we are looking at is Carrabaun which is 2-3 km out the Lenane Road (N59) to the south of Westport.

I'd be grateful if any knows the area and could give us some advice. Plusses and minuses? Anything to watch out for?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Biggest thing to watch out for are people in blue jerseys sponsored by Arnott's thinking they're cool. You'll be out of your comfort zone of Croke Park down here, but don't worry, we'll take care of you. If you've a sense of humour you'll love it, if you haven't, you might be as well off to stay where you are:cool:
 
Traffic is very bad in Westport. The new road might alleviate some of that. Getting from one side of the town to the other is very arduous for many hours of the day.
 
Thanks a million for all your comments - I really appreciate the feedback.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top