Westport Estate ‘Awaken Your Wild’
Located on the West Coast of Ireland, Westport Estate is undertaking an ambitious venture, with significant investment from Fáilte Ireland, to transform the visitor experience at the site. Creating a world-class tourist destination that will benefit the wider region in the process.
Commissioned as Interpretation and Visitor Experience Consultants, through a series of workshops with the client team, hsd are currently developing a holistic concept proposal for this iconic historic site.
The project aims to engage audiences through three core experiences:
Westport House and Formal Gardens
hsd are reviewing the existing interpretation that traces the story of the 400-year-old historic house – from its construction as the ancestral-seat of the Browne family, to its restoration by the present owners the Hughes family. A suite of new interpretative tools will supplement the popular guided tours, with the aim of conveying how different characters (both above and below-stairs) have contributed to the survival of the house.
Grace O’Malley Experience
hsd are currently exploring a number of options for a new immersive visitor experience that will convey the dramatic story of Grace O’Malley, the pirate queen of Connacht. A consultation process will help to refine the preferred approach, giving voice to the notorious 16th century figure who fought fiercely for the Gaelic way of life.
Wild Realms
hsd are working to contextualise a series of uniquely Irish re-wilded landscapes. Designed by renowned landscape designer Mary Reynolds, these spaces aim to ignite a sense of discovery and action by connecting audiences with gardens inspired by Irish mythology.
