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Bridge on the Wonderful West Coast of Ireland

Take on this unique Bridge and Explore Holiday, staying at the 4-star Westport Woods Hotel & Spa. The hotel is situated between the heritage town of Westport and the Quay, nestled in its own 300-year-old woodland and including an indoor swimming pool, spa, and wellness centre. Join us on our included trips out, starting with a morning guided tour of Westport House, plus a scenic day out with a local guide visiting Achill Island with an included light lunch. Enjoy the beauty of Connemara with a visit to the beautiful Kylemore Abbey, followed by a relaxing cruise on Killary Fjord.

6 days from £1,050pp Departure Dates

Your Tour Includes

  • 5 nights’ half-board accommodation
  • Varied bridge sessions
  • Welcome drink and dinner on the first evening
  • Masterpoints and prizes awarded
  • Entrance fees and excursions
  • Flights are included from London Gatwick airport to Knock ( Flights from Liverpool are available at a supplement). Transfers from airport to hotel included on packages including flights
Experts
Barry and Maggie Watts

Barry and Maggie Watts

Barry and Maggie Watts are experienced First for Bridge Hosts who work alongside our Directing Teams to ensure a high-quality bridge holiday. They are both retired professionals who have played club bridge for many years, as well as organising bridge and corporate events of various kinds. Barry is an ex-Army Officer and a retired local government officer. He is an established club director. Maggie is a retired teacher, charity events organiser, and is currently the Area Chairman for The Arts Society, an international Arts Charity.

Barry and Maggie aim to ensure that you have the best possible holiday whether you come with a partner, in a group or alone. It will be well organised, relaxing and fun. They look forward to meeting you!

Itinerary

Our bridge programmes will vary according to the length of your break.

Your duplicate bridge will be available every evening between 7:45pm and 11:15pm. We endeavour to vary these evening sessions, balancing between teams and pairs and featuring at least one Swiss event during a two-week break.

Bridge will also be offered some afternoons between 2:30pm and 4:45pm. These sessions are normally given over to open pairs/teams. On UK holidays, bridge sessions may take place in the mornings instead of the afternoons, complimenting any included excursion programme.

Masterpoints are awarded on evening bridge sessions, and on day sessions with over 5 tables.

During your bridge holiday, nothing is obligatory, and you can play in as many or as few bridge sessions as you wish. We don’t forget you are on holiday and our bridge programmes also allow time to relax, giving the opportunity for you to explore the surrounding area.

Today we fly from London to Knock in West Ireland. On arrival we transfer by coach to our hotel in Westport, a town on the edge of an Atlantic inlet on Ireland’s rugged west coast. Relax and enjoy dinner at the hotel followed by evening bridge.

Includes Dinner

This morning, we take the short journey by coach to visit Westport House and grounds. This Palladian mansion was built in the 18th century and is often described as one of Ireland’s national treasures. It is housed in a magnificent setting with terraces, gardens, and a lake with splendid views out over Clew Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The house was owned and lived in for over 300 years by the Brown family, direct descendants of the Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley. Your guide will regale you with stories of life upstairs and downstairs as you explore the ‘Big House’, with around 30 rooms and several permanent exhibitions, one of which tells Grace O’Malley’s story.

Following our visit to Westport House, we are transferred by coach into Westport town with free time to explore and have lunch (at own expense). This afternoon there will be a bridge session available at the hotel, followed by dinner and evening bridge.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Included Highlights

Westport

Joined by a local guide, we board our coach today for a scenic drive to Achill Island, Ireland’s largest island full of natural beauty. After crossing the Michael Davitt Bridge, we will enjoy the views of sandy beaches, rocky headlands, peat bogs and rugged mountain scenery. Our journey will take us by Currane Peninsula, Kildavnet Castle, Atlantic Drive, Keem Bay and Dugort. With beauty all around, there are plenty of short stops for photo opportunities along the way. We also include a light lunch today at a local eatery before returning to the hotel for dinner and evening bridge.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Lunch

Includes Dinner

Included Highlights

Achill Island

Today we have a morning bridge seminar and afternoon bridge session, or free time to enjoy your surrounding area and the facilities of the hotel. Dinner will be followed by evening bridge.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Included Highlights

Bridge

Today we head to the heart of Connemara and to Kylemore Abbey. Built by Mitchell Henry in 1867 as an ancestral castle, later becoming home to a Benedictine community of nuns who were fleeing war-torn Belgium, in 1920 the building was transformed into the iconic Kylemore Abbey. You’ll experience the Abbey at its finest, exploring restored period rooms and the fascinating visitor experience which tells of Kylemore’s tragic and romantic history. Discover the 6-acre Victorian walled garden, established in the mid-1800s with formal flower, vegetable, and herb gardens. Follow the woodland and lakeshore walks and find the stunning neo-Gothic Church.

This afternoon we head to Killary Fjord. Here, we take a return cruise to the mouth of the fjord as we admire the stunning Connemara scenery passing by. With panoramic views all around, you may even spot a dolphin or two! We return by coach back to Westport for dinner and evening bridge.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Included Highlights

Kylemore Abbey

We enjoy a final breakfast at hotel before our coach takes us to Knock airport for our flight back to the UK.

Includes Breakfast


Accommodation

You will stay for five nights at the 4-star Westport Woods Hotel & Spa.

Westport Woods Hotel & Spa

Nestled in a 300-year old wood, the Westport Woods Hotel & Spa is situated just on the outskirts of the vibrant town of Westport. The beautiful appointed rooms offer all the amenities you would expect from a 4-star hotel, including free Wi-Fi. The fantastic Beech Club Spa is the perfect place for a relaxing swim or treatment. The hotel's restaurant offers an exciting menu for all tastes with stunning lake views and the Bench Bar Cafe for lighter bites and evening drinks. A dream location for water sport enthusiasts, the sheer number of Blue Flag beaches around Clew Bay impresses and there is so much spectacular scenery to enjoy.

Hotel Facilities

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General
  • 4 Star
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
  • Indoor Swimming Pool
  • Lift
  • Sauna or Steam Room
Room
  • TV
  • Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
  • Hairdryer
  • Safe Box
  • Non-Smoking Rooms Available
  • Shower and Bath
  • Telephone
  • Free Wifi
  • Iron or Trouser Press
Accessibility
  • Disabled Rooms Available
  • Ground Floor Rooms on Request
Service
  • Room Service Available
  • Laundry Service
  • Gym
Hotel
  • Swimming Pool
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
  • Lift
  • WiFi Available