Westport House Honoured at CIE Tours International 24rd Annual Awards of Excellence
Westport House Only Mayo Visitor Attraction to Win and One of Four Westport Merit Award Winners
Westport, Co. Mayo. (Thursday, 30 January 2014). At a reception in Dublin Castle on Monday night, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Mr Michael Ring TD presented plaques to 80 winners at the 24th CIE Tours International Awards of Excellence. Winners were chosen according to feedback from 28,000 customers in 2013 on more than 450 providers of accommodation, dining, tours and attractions. Merit awards were presented to those achieving over 90% in the surveys.
Westport House, in its second year of welcoming back CIE Tours, was honoured to receive a merit award: the only award given to a visitor attraction in Mayo and one of only four in Connaught. It was particularly proud to stand alongside three fellow tourism partners from Westport including Hotel Westport, Clew Bay Hotel and Knockranny House Hotel.
Sheelyn Browne, joint managing director of Westport House was delighted with the award and said “We believe this is a testament to the fantastic tourist and heritage offering that both Westport House and Westport provides to visitors from all over the world. We appreciate the support and vision that CIE Tours has in bringing tours to Westport House and in turn, we re-pay this with a warm welcome, a fascinating insight into the family who built and still run the place as well as surrounding visitors with original furniture, paintings and artefacts in what has correctly been called Ireland’s most beautiful historic home. We look forward to welcoming many more CIE Tours visitors in the future.”
The ultimate in old world heritage, Westport House captures visitors’ imaginations. The beauty of the house itself and its stunning interior is complimented by its natural parkland and lakeland setting, its proximity and connection to Westport town as well as a story, which goes back to Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Connaught, and includes slave emancipators, pioneers and a family line that has survived alongside it. It has all of the modern conveniences required by coach visitors including coach parking, toilets, tea rooms and a gift shop. And most importantly, we guarantee a warm Westport welcome from all of the team and family in Westport House.
Westport House re-opens to the public on February 1st each weekend in February and daily from March 1st from 10am. Locals are encouraged to consider its Annual House & Grounds membership for €50 per person which provides unlimited visits to the house and grounds as well as passage way through the Church Lane gate during normal opening hours and summer season.
Mr Brian Stack, Managing Director of CIE Tours International, said: “2013 was another successful year with business up 20%. Our success is due to the efforts of thousands people up and down the country who are focused on providing excellent service.”
Photos available for download from https://www.dropbox.com/sh/apgrt8c257n2uer/N0OixiCixC