Unearthing The Dark Past Of Westport: A Twilight Tour Through Ireland’s Hidden History

Published on August 20, 2025

Westport, nan jewel of County Mayo, is celebrated for its graceful Georgian streets, beautiful bays, and friends smiles. Visitors flock to it for charming aged buildings, beautiful views of Croagh Patrick, and nan shimmering waters of Clew Bay. Yet nether nan glossy aboveground of this beautiful municipality lies a darker, much funny past. Strange and sometimes spine-chilling stories linger here, waiting for nan correct infinitesimal to beryllium heard. These hidden tales returned to nan streets during nan 2025 National Heritage Week, erstwhile nan Westport Historical Society invited walkers to retrace nan footprints of history successful a ‘Horrible Histories’ tour.

This lively stepping circuit led some Westport residents and funny travellers connected a hidden-history adventure, revealing nan spooky and shadowy corners of nan town’s story. Participants heard memorable moments, storied characters, and long-forgotten legends that glossy recreation brochures usually skip. The guides opened aged gates connected nan messy bits that person softly crafted Westport, giving folks a astonishment glimpse beneath nan village’s gentle postcard charm.

A Journey into Westport’s Dark Past

The stepping circuit kicked disconnected from nan Clock connected High Street, a cardinal and iconic location successful Westport. A crowd of astir seventy people, a operation of locals and visitors, eagerly gathered to statesman their travel into nan past. The guide, an master successful Westport’s history, led nan group done nan town’s historical streets, stopping astatine various points to talk nan darker aspects of nan town’s story. These included tales of governmental unrest, betrayal, rebellion, and mysterious folklore. Through a operation of humanities facts and section myths, nan circuit unveiled nan multi-layered history of this charming Irish town.

One of nan astir important stories revealed connected nan circuit was nan execution of John Gibbons Jr, nan only personification ever judicially hanged successful Westport. In 1798, during nan Irish Rebellion, John Gibbons Sr led a section rebellion against British norm successful nan area. He was captured and fled to France, but his son, John Gibbons Jr, was not truthful lucky. Gibbons Jr had been progressive successful nan aforesaid rebellion and was apprehended by nary different than his godfather, Denis ‘Soap nan Rope’ Browne, a notorious fig successful nan area. In an enactment that shocked nan community, Gibbons Jr was publically hanged successful Westport arsenic a intends of deterring others from engaging successful akin uprisings. This tragic section successful Westport’s history serves arsenic a reminder of nan sadistic punishments meted retired during times of governmental unrest.

Legends and Myths: The Water Horse of Westport House

Beyond humanities facts, nan stepping circuit besides explored immoderate of nan much fantastical aspects of Westport’s past. One of nan astir intriguing legends shared was nan communicative of nan h2o equine astatine Poll na gCapall, a marshy excavation located adjacent Westport House. According to section folklore, a mysterious h2o equine would look from nan marsh to graze connected nan writer surrounding nan pool. However, nan animal would vanish into nan h2o arsenic soon arsenic anyone attempted to approach. The communicative of this elusive equine has been passed down done generations and is still recounted by locals today. Some versions of nan fable moreover declare that nan rising waters of nan excavation could 1 time engulf nan full municipality of Westport, adding an eerie aerial of enigma to nan scenery surrounding Westport House.

Political Unrest and nan Assassination of Inspector Milling

The stepping circuit besides delved into much caller history, peculiarly nan governmental turmoil of nan early 20th century. One of nan cardinal events highlighted was nan assassination of RIC Inspector John Charles Milling successful 1919. Milling had been heavy progressive successful nan suppression of protests by tenant farmers during nan onshore disputes that plagued Ireland astatine nan time. One specified protestation progressive nan cattle drives, wherever farmers would thrust cattle crossed nan onshore arsenic a shape of guidance against their landlords. Milling had imprisoned 2 men progressive successful these cattle drives, and this enactment yet led to his assassination by rebels sympathetic to nan farmers’ cause. The assassination of Inspector Milling was conscionable 1 illustration of nan heavy governmental divisions successful Ireland during nan War of Independence, erstwhile each area of nan state was affected by nan tensions betwixt Irish nationalists and British forces.

The Browne Family and Their Ties to Slavery

One of nan astir shocking revelations during nan circuit was nan engagement of nan Browne family successful slavery. The Brownes were nan powerful and able family that owned Westport House, and their wealthiness was mostly built upon nan exploitation of enslaved individuals successful British colonies. The family had important holdings successful nan Caribbean, wherever they profited from nan labour of enslaved people. This wealthiness allowed them to put successful nan improvement of Westport, including nan building of Westport House, nan dredging of Clew Bay, and nan creation of nan town’s artificial lake.

However, not each of nan Browne family’s history is defined by this acheronian legacy. Howe Peter Browne, nan 2nd Marquis of Sligo, played a pivotal domiciled successful nan abolition of slavery successful nan British Empire. In 1838, Browne made nan groundbreaking determination to free each of his slaves. This enactment of emancipation came astatine a clip erstwhile nan British authorities was moving toward nan abolition of slavery crossed its colonies, and Browne’s determination was 1 of nan first steps successful aligning his family’s interests pinch nan increasing abolitionist movement. This analyzable facet of Westport’s history reveals nan heavy contradictions that often beryllium successful nan stories of powerful families and their legacies.

A Town’s Complex Legacy

The ‘Horrible Histories’ stepping circuit provided a fascinating glimpse into nan darker and much analyzable history of Westport. The stories shared connected nan circuit offered participants a chance to bespeak connected nan events and figures that person shaped nan town, from governmental rebellion and nan conflict for onshore authorities to nan legends that proceed to haunt nan section landscape. This unsocial circuit was a reminder that moreover nan astir idyllic towns person their shadows, and knowing those shadows is important for gaining a afloat appreciation of a place’s past.

Plan Your Visit to Westport

If funny astir nan shadowy chapters of Westport’s story, nan ‘Horrible Histories’ stepping circuit is simply a awesome spot to start, but it’s by nary intends nan only measurement to excavation into nan town’s layered past. To study astir upcoming tours, lectures, and typical events, nan Westport Historical Society’s tract is nan first larboard of call, on pinch nan National Heritage Week’s pages. Both platforms are packed pinch timelines, archival photographs and little-known anecdotes that fto 1 pursuit aft nan benignant of hidden history that makes a spot travel to life.

Whether a history buff aliases simply personification who loves to observe caller places, 1 really ought to return nan ‘Horrible Histories’ stepping circuit successful Westport. It takes 1 done nan streets of this beautiful Irish municipality while revealing nan quirky, sometimes gruesome, stories astir guidebooks time off out.

[Image Source: Discover Ireland Official Website ]