Ahoy Maties – Her.ie Heads West For Ireland’s Best Halloween Fest

This week Her.ie girl, Grace, got to combine two of her main loves, fancy dress and pirates, as she headed off to Co. Mayo for the Westport House Halloween Festival. Grace hit the road late Wednesday afternoon and unfortunately didn’t quite manage to escape the capital’s traffic. With her four-year-old nephew and sister in tow, the group would enjoy a night’s stay at the beautiful Castle Court Hotel and spend time at the ghostly 16th Century, Westport House. Castle Court Hotel The Castle Court Hotel is nestled right in the heart of the town of Westport. The four star hotel itself is situated in a courtyard, directly across from its sister hotel, The Westport Plaza. Both hotels offer free car parking and baggage drop-off facilities, which is ideal when you have a fairly tired 4-year-old who just wants to rest his head. The Castle Court boasts two dining rooms, a leisure complex, a spa, and even a hair salon. This hotel is literally a female’s travel dream and would come highly recommended for Hen parties or weekends away with the ladies. Upon arrival we were greeted by two friendly female staff, who supplied us with a large colouring book and pencils, perfect to be keep a little man content. The room was a spacious twin double bed, with a large bathroom. It came kitted out with a digital television, hairdryer and iron. The hotel also offered free WiFi, which is great if you’re a social media addict like me. We arrived late in the evening, and sadly the Bistro had just closed, however the large buffet and breakfast the next morning made up for it. We managed to sneak in a quick drink in the hotel’s main bar which hosts a live band on various nights of the week. Wednesday happens to be one of those nights! Overall the hotel has a great vibe and the staff could not have been anymore welcoming if they tried. When checking out Thursday we couldn’t help but notice the large queue of families and groups arriving to stay for the Bank Holiday weekend, which was really a testament to the establishment. Without a doubt, the Castle Court deserves all four of its stars.   Westport House & Pirate Adventure Park So on Thursday we made our way to the main attraction just before lunch. The weather was just what you'd expect of Ireland in Autumn, cold, blustery and showers on and off, but we certainly didn't let that dampen our spirits. The beautiful harbour area of this charming tourist town is where you’ll find the scenic winding drive up to Westport House. The 18th century house is privately owned and operated by the Browne family, direct descendants of 16th Century Pirate Queen of Connaught, Grace O’ Malley. The ticket office is situated just a few yards through the gates, alongside Gracy's Café, which of course was a fantastic photo opportunity for myself and a certain Spiderman. I got to meet my idol and inspiration for my retirement, Grace O’ Malley in bronze statue form, who is perched at the end of the scenic winding drive, watching over the house and the beautiful surrounding grounds. The historical building was transformed into a frightening haunted house, with its very own Grim Reaper greeting you at the front door. Our first activity was in the Drawing Room for story time with the  Westport House resident White Witch. The room filled within minutes, children all huddling round and selecting each tale. Personally this was my favourite in-house activity, however 15 minutes in and Spiderman was rearing to go. We grabbed a quick light lunch in the café situated in the dungeons, (spooky stuff),  before making our way outside. I would advise that you bring cash, as unfortunately there are no card facilities in the restaurant but thankfully the staff in the reception area of the house were able to accommodate me. Additional in-house activities that we did't avail of included; carving your very own Jack O’Lantern to ward off evil spirits when you get home, though it sounded great but I felt my nephew was a little too young. Also on was the ‘Zombie shuffle’ in the formal Large Dining room where folks get up to scratch with all the moves to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', which we also passed-on because quite frankly, one over eager Superman couldn't wait to get on the Ghost Train! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pyll-zIfY4o Westport House has its very own train on the grounds, which of course was turned into a ghost ride for the festival. I have to say this was very enjoyable, and although a little too short for Spiderman's liking, was conducted by an absolute gentleman driver. The Pirate Adventure Park has welcomed over 4.5 million visitors since opening and it is no surprise that Westport House’s Halloween Festival has been voted the country’s number one event, with something for both kids and adults. We got our thrills and chills on-board the swinging pirate ship, and very wet on the log flume water ride. This wasn't our greatest idea as we ended up very cold, so a change of clothes would be advisable! Before departing on our four-hour drive home, we made room for some go-karting. I think we possibly have a budding Michael Schumacher on our hands! Should you ever plan a visit to this part of the world, whether it’s part of a historical trip, or just an adventure with the kids, Westport House really has something to offer for everyone. I'm already looking forward to next year.