ÔOne of the noblest views in the worldÉÕ In rain-splattered, flower-powered Westport youÕll hear William Makepeace ThackerayÕs fulsome words intoned more often than the Rosary.
The much-f�ted town, nestling at the edge of majestic Clew Bay and overlooked by conical Croagh PatrickÑthat most holy of holy mountainsÑis as tiny as it is tidy, as cute as it is cosmopolitan. Westport is the Koh-i-Noor in ConnaughtÕs crown, a magnet not only for tourists but also writers, artists and musicians from all corners of the globe.
Tarry a while and youÕll soon be ensorcelled by the friendly banter, cheerily painted houses, music-filled pubs and traditional shop-fronts. ItÕs Ireland, as it ought to be. And it is here, a mere sling shot from the wild Atlantic, that BotoxÑthe needle-propelled elixir of youth, the Finn McCool of facial treatmentsÑis manufactured.
One way or another, Westport will get under your skin.