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Today, the Browne family confirmed the sale of the historic property. Google Maps

'Emotional day' for family as Westport House sold to local businessmen

It was an emotional day for the Browne family, as they finalised the sale of their home.

THE HISTORIC WESTPORT house and estate has been sold to the owners of Hotel Westport.

As part of the sale, it was agreed that the future of the house and estate would be secure, with the new owners promising an investment of €50 million and the creation of 200 jobs.

The previous owners, the Browne family, said that it had been an emotional day for the family as they sold their family home.

“On the one hand,” said Sheelyn Browne, “We are handing over custody of our ancestral family home after hundreds of years but we are doing so in the knowledge that the new owners are committed to bringing to fruition the ambitions and dreams of our late and much loved father Jeremy Browne.”

The late Lord Altamont Jeremy Browne, the 11th Marquess of Sligo, wanted to developed the estate as a tourist attraction.

The estate’s new owner said they would liaise with the family as they develop our plans over the next few years.

“I want to assure all the existing staff, suppliers and customers that we will continue to operate as normal under the new ownership,” said Cathal Hughes, chairman of the Hotel Westport.

“As a local business family, we are delighted to be able to make this investment in our home town. We realise the importance of Westport house as a tourist amenity to the whole of Mayo.”

History

The estate is one of the oldest in Ireland and comprises a range of buildings and facilities. The façade of the present house dates to 1778 and has been in the ownership of the Browne family from before this time. The family traces its lineage back to the 16th Century Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley.

A report commissioned by Mayo Council by CHL Consulting in 2015 concluded that Westport House Estate directly creates 47 jobs and accounts for €50.7 million of indirect expenditure for the region. The Browne family has owned the house for almost 400 years. It has been open to the public since 1960. Westport House Estate has also shown significant growth in recent years with over 162,000 paying customers in 2014 – up 82% on the 89,000 visitors in 2009.

Read: 5 of the most amazing houses up for sale in Ireland this year

Read: What else could I get for… around €500,000?

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27 Comments
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    Mute honey badger
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    Apr 28th 2023, 7:00 AM

    Slava Ukraini.
    Puck Futin.

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 1:40 PM

    @honey badger: Futin?

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    Mute Yvon Queguiner
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    Apr 28th 2023, 8:30 AM

    Like the Nazi, russia is using terror, nothing else, because they can’t win.

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    Mute Dave Grant
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:26 AM

    @Yvon Queguiner: Which country lost 27 Million citizens defeating the Nazis?

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    Mute Elrond Rivendell
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:36 AM

    @Dave Grant: Yeah, 80 years ago. Now Russia has become the modern equivalent of the Nazis. Murder of civilians, including children. Forced deportations, denial of Ukranian citizenship or statehood, torture, looking to install a puppet regime. Looks like they learned a lot from the Nazis, or more reverted to type given their actions against their neighbours for the last 80 years.

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    Mute Michael Howe
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:48 AM

    @Dave Grant: I don’t think they lost them, the government knew exactly where they were sending them.

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:59 AM

    @Yvon Queguiner: Read a history book sometime, then you might not make such daft statements.

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    Mute Elrond Rivendell
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    Apr 28th 2023, 1:18 PM

    @west awake: I see you don’t dispute my statements Putin fanbot.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Apr 28th 2023, 3:05 PM

    @Dave Grant: “Which country lost 27 Million citizens defeating the Nazis?”

    You mean, which country made a pact with Nazi Germany to carve up Poland and only fought Nazi Germany when Germany invaded them?

    Absolutely astonishing how anyone thinks Russia was some moral force in WW2. They fought out of necessity. Not for any other reason.

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    Mute Diaspora'd
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    Apr 28th 2023, 3:16 PM

    @Dave Grant: Stalin was responsible for the deaths of 20 million Russians.

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    Mute John McCabe
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    Apr 28th 2023, 7:11 PM

    @Dave Grant: 1. It was USSR which was formed from 15 now independent states including Russia. 2.USSR started the WW2 as NAZI Ally, and on 23.08.1939 signed Molotov–Ribbentrop pact. USSR attacked Poland together with NAZI Germany and killed. Exactly like current Russia, USSR did not allowed red cross to inspect captured Polish soldiers and thousands died in captivity as well as were executed. 3. Stalin was exactly same bloody dictator as Hitler. 4. Out of those 27 millions citizens you are talking 6.850 000 were Ukrainians Russia now is killing now. Ukraine lost 16.3% of the entire population and had 2d after Belarus highest civilian losses per capita. Russia lost 12.7% of population.

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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    Apr 28th 2023, 7:38 AM

    Slava Ukrainia Heroyum Slava!!

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:55 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: You’re a hero of the Ukrainian-Russian war, for your brave actions in using Google Translate.

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    Mute Emmet Murphy
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:23 AM

    @west awake: Are you a Putin fan, do you have topless posters of him on your wall and get excited by it?Should we get you a playboy magazine, with just Putin in it?

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:46 AM

    @Emmet Murphy: Wow. How did homophobia get dragged into this discussion?

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    Mute Crafty Bodger
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:16 AM

    @west awake: We’re not homophobic. It’s the guys you fancy we have a problem with. You go for the bad boys and they end up brain washing you. Just looking out for you, bud!

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 12:00 PM

    @Crafty Bodger: You have such a deep understanding of the geopolitical situation.

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    Mute Crafty Bodger
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    Apr 28th 2023, 12:10 PM

    @west awake: Thanks! But back to you’re bad taste in fellas. Is it an “issues” thing? Only asking because I think it’s relevant to know why you blindly support Putin. Sorry if it’s personal and you don’t have to answer.

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    Mute Tom Leddy
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    Apr 28th 2023, 4:23 PM

    @Crafty Bodger: “If you fell in love with a dung heap, you wouldn’t find a bad straw in it.” Poor ould wakey westie is in love!!

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    Mute Eamon
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    Apr 28th 2023, 8:35 AM

    Can’t wait for Trump to be re-elected, he’ll stop the war. Never would’ve started on his watch. At least thats what he claims.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Apr 28th 2023, 8:51 AM

    @Eamon: and will welcome his paymaster putin into Kiev. It could be that putin was banking on trump getting a second term, but the American voter was a bit more clever than usual and messed up putins plan….and economy.

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    Mute Tricia G
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:51 AM

    @Paul Furey: Putin was absolutely hoping Trump would get a second term. And Trump would have done everything to prevent NATO and the US from providing aid. He repeatedly floated leaving NATO prior to the election.

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:56 AM

    @Paul Furey: Russiagate conspiracy theory is so 2018.

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    Mute Emmet Murphy
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:26 AM

    @Eamon: He’ll bend over, there’s a difference and he wants help becoming a Dictator in his own Country.

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    Mute A F
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    Apr 28th 2023, 1:49 PM

    @Paul Furey: ‘paymaster’??…..completely unfounded drivel….

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Apr 28th 2023, 3:07 PM

    @Eamon: You mean the same Trump with withheld aid from Ukraine unless Zelenskyy went along with Trump’s conspiracies to try attack his political rivals?

    You mean the same Trump who called Putin a genius and praised him for invading Ukraine? The same Trump who said Crimea is a part of Russia?

    He’ll stop the war alright, by stopping Ukraine from having the means to defend itself. The war would stop when Russia has killed every last Ukrainian who resists.

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    Mute Stephen Clarke
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    Apr 28th 2023, 1:25 PM

    The Orcs have struck again

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    Mute Brian Boru
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    Apr 28th 2023, 8:19 AM

    Read on Sky News website earlier that the wests has nearly run out of ammunition and the spring offensive by Ukraine will be make or break.

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:59 AM

    @Brian Boru: That’s it, even Sky are reporting the truth now. If this so-called offensive fails, then it’s all over. What a waste of life and resources.

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    Mute Stephen Deegan
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:49 AM

    @Brian Boru: Sky News is hardly a reputable source. I doubt the combined war stockpiles of NATO and the EU is almost exhausted.

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    Mute Crafty Bodger
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @Stephen Deegan: They must be worried if they are searching Sky News to validate their arguments. Apparently, main stream media DOES tell the truth if it suits them. Have to say, I’m shocked. I thought they were guys of principle and conviction. Turns out they switch and change their views depending on which way the wind is blowing. Imagine quoting sky news and still thinking you have integrity. Smh

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    Mute Jeff Cole
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:27 AM

    @west awake: waste of life and resoures trying to save your own country from being invaded? Sure… should have done that in WWII and not tried to fight the Nazis, it was a waste of life and resources.

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 12:02 PM

    @Jeff Cole: You have such a cartoonish childish understanding of the situation, let’s just say, it’s rather more nuanced than you’ve been led to believe.

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    Mute Crafty Bodger
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    Apr 28th 2023, 12:05 PM

    @west awake: Did Sky News tell you that?

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    Mute west awake
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    Apr 28th 2023, 1:16 PM

    @Stephen Deegan: Is that your gut feeling?

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    Mute Gearóid MacEachaidh
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    Apr 28th 2023, 3:12 PM

    @west awake: you are such a tw@t! Do you actually believe the stuff you post or are you just a sad little troll? I used to think you were a bot, then I thought, nah he’s real but clearly uneducated and heartless, supporting Putins massacre of men women and children. Now I think no one can be do dumb as to actually believe the stuff you post so either you’re paid by Russian Nazis or just a sad little troll. If you are real and actually believe what you write a would seriously worry about the people around you because you’re a psychopath. Either way im done with you and blocking you. You’re not worth any more of my time

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    Mute ibrahim Sudane
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    Apr 28th 2023, 10:42 AM

    Sudan conflict , prototype for next biological war putin or Russia one of the shareholders , the other side United statand UK. Dragging rest ot the globe to New level of dogs fight .120 000 sudanese militia soldiers with flip flop and daily income less than 2 euro, driving landcrusier cost 60k, carrying a Russian weapon cost 40k, fighting under vagnner instructions, 3 days ago WHO warn from biological leak from one of sudan labs , convince me how come a country consider poorest nations in the world holding kind of this research labs ?
    Buy the way Emirates imported all pickups with militia currently at sudan, my question
    Who pay for all this ?

    28
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    Mute John Kieran G.
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    Apr 28th 2023, 5:03 PM

    @ibrahim Sudane: Sudanese, Ukranian and Russian people, ultimately.

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    Mute Hans Vos
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:06 PM

    And still they say that they don’t target civilians.

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    Mute De Danainn
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    Apr 29th 2023, 12:59 AM

    Absolute shower of effers, Slava Ukrainia

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    Mute mossy baluck
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    Apr 28th 2023, 9:43 PM

    A special international dispensation for the execution of Russian war criminals on a pay per view event with the funds raised going to the rebuilding of Ukraine. All children over the age of 12 to watch with a sincere explanation of what these hateful humans have done prior to the drop. Sounds Orwellian? I don’t care. I sincerely want to see putin and lavrov with their tongues lolling. History doesn’t work anymore obviously, time for something slightly more medieval.

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    Mute Nestor
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    Apr 28th 2023, 11:18 PM

    A lot of invective in this discussion tonight!

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