If you're coming to Westport, stay at Ruth's. I stayed for two weeks, and did not regret a single day, which is in large part due to Ruth and her home. If you need convincing, let me tell you why:
First, Ruth is a warm, accommodating, and incredibly gracious host. Here are just some of the things she did:
-provided a well-stocked kitchen (including cooking equipment, supplies for a daily breakfast, fresh squeezed orange juice, herbs and fruit from her garden);
-stood at hand with great recommendations for things to do and see in and around Westport;
-helped to sort out transportation for day trips;
-set me up with one of her bikes to take whenever;
-regularly cleaned common spaces and inadvertantly left-over dishes as if it were no great expense;
-helped me, an American with no knowledge of Ireland's health care system, organize a doctor's visit;
-drove me to the train station.
I also know I am certainly forgetting some of the things Ruth did to make my stay as pleasant an experience as possible. Suffice it to say, Ruth's sense of hospitality was and is superlative; by far one of the best hosts I've had in my AirBnB travels.
Second, the room was cozy, comfortable, and had a great array of books to leaf through. I felt like I had my own space and felt totally at ease with the presence of slew of other respectful guests staying in neighboring rooms.
Third, the location of the house is fantastic: it straddles the main city of Westport, the Quay, and the city's main attraction, Westport House and gardens. Though the location is not immediately in the "downtown" area of Westport, I found that its remove was actually really great; it provided a sense of being in the town without it feeling too claustrophobic, small as it is.
These reasons are just snapshots of why my stay was so pleasant. Go to Ruth's -- you couldn't regret it.