The most popular paid tourist attraction in Ireland that is run by the Office of Public Works (OPW) is Kilkenny Castle, which has exceeded some amazing competitors.
The renowned local landmark came in first place among contenders including Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol, Clonmacnoise, and the Rock of Cashel.
The OPW reports that the Kilkenny attraction had a dramatic increase in visitors from 900,000 in 2021 to 1,418,171 in 2022.
Kilkenny Castle and Parklands also ranked at #3 in the list of most-visited free access OPW sites in Ireland, surpassed only by St Stephen’s Green and Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Only St Stephen’s Green and Phoenix Park Visitor Centre were more popular free access OPW venues in Ireland than Kilkenny Castle and Parklands, which came in at number three.
Other particular regional destinations, like Cahir Castle, which won the European Film Location Awards the previous year, have witnessed a remarkable increase in visitors.
In Ireland, all OPW sites generated more than 15 million visitors in total in 2018, an increase of 2.3 million from 2021 and an 18% increase.