Connacht (Mayo)
Westport is a designed town — laid out in the 1780s by Georgian architect James Wyatt — and Matt Molloy's, owned by the Chieftains' flute player, is one of the most consequential trad-music venues in Ireland. Base yourself here for Croagh Patrick pilgrimage and the Great Western Greenway cycle route.
Written by Séamus O'Byrne · Aug 23, 2026Updated August 23, 2026
Click any pin for the editorial, address + our Guinness score. Zoom in to see the walking distance between rounds — most of these are within a 4-minute walk.
#1 — trad music
Bridge St, Westport, Co. Mayo
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Owned by the Chieftains' flute player — trad venue of national significance
Matt Molloy has owned this since 1989. Session runs nightly in the back room from 9pm and the musicians who show up are frequently household names — Molloy himself sits in when he's home. This is the trad music you flew for.
#2 — historic
Rosbeg, Westport, Co. Mayo
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: A 170-year-old thatched pub on the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage route
Whitewashed, thatched-roof, on the road out to Louisburgh. This is where pilgrims stop for a pint after climbing Croagh Patrick. Turf fire year-round.
Est. 1855 — pouring pints for 171 years
#3 — locals
Quay Rd, Westport, Co. Mayo
9
/10 Guinness
Best for: Quiet weekday pint — no live music, no tourists, correct Guinness
The Westport local's pint when they want to escape Matt Molloy's crowd. Small, dark, unhurried. Weekday afternoons are the play.
#4 — seafood
The Quay, Westport, Co. Mayo
7
/10 Guinness
Best for: Westport Quay location — brewery-attached, seafood on the menu
Down at Westport Harbour. Mescan Brewery is attached and their beers are on tap alongside the standard Guinness. Order the chowder + a Mescan porter.
Skip the taxi rank and lock in your fare before you land.
Pre-book a fixed-price transfer
Our pickDriver waits at arrivals with your name, tracks your flight, and the price you see is the price you pay. English-speaking, fixed price. No surge, no haggling at 2am.
Check transfer pricesRenting a car instead? Compare rentals with free cancellation.Matt Molloy's (Bridge St, Westport, Co. Mayo). Owned by the Chieftains' flute player — trad venue of national significance. Our Guinness quality score: 9/10.
1 pubs on this list run trad-music sessions: Matt Molloy's. Most sessions start between 6pm and 9:30pm and are free to attend — buy a pint, listen.
Cronin's Sheebeen, established 1855. Whitewashed, thatched-roof, on the road out to Louisburgh.
Ireland West Airport Knock (NOC). Book fixed-price transfers before you land; the taxi queues at Irish airports can double your fare if it's a rugby weekend.
Weeknights (Tuesday to Thursday) — locals outnumber visitors, sessions are unforced, and you'll get a stool. Weekends fill fast from 8pm; St Patrick's Day + Guinness-brand event weeks are for tourists only.
4 — hand-picked from a longer shortlist. Every pub here has been visited; the Guinness scores are our own, published dated so you can hold us to them.