€1.5 million investment in state-of-the-art visitor centre to showcase Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Ireland’s oldest megalithic tombs

• Over €1.5 million invested by Fáilte Ireland, the Office of Public Works and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
• New immersive visitor experience to enhance understanding of Ireland’s oldest megalithic tombs
• Project expected to boost tourism and economic activity across Sligo and the wider region

A newly upgraded visitor centre at Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery has been officially opened today, 1 April 2026, by Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Kevin Moran, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Christopher O'Sullivan. The refurbished visitor centre represents a significant strategic investment in Ireland’s heritage tourism infrastructure.

The Office of Public Works in partnership with Fáilte Ireland and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage together have invested over €1.5 million in the new visitor centre as part of the Tourism Capital Investment Programme, which will position Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery and Sligo as a must visit destination along the Wild Atlantic Way route.

Located in County Sligo along the Wild Atlantic Way, Carrowmore is one of the most significant prehistoric landscapes in Europe. It is the largest and oldest collection of Neolithic tombs in Ireland, with over 30 surviving monuments dating back almost 6,000 years. The site forms part of the ‘Passage Tomb Landscape of Sligo’, which has been placed on Ireland’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage status.

The upgraded centre provides improved interpretation of the site’s unique archaeological significance, alongside new visitor amenities including enhanced accessibility, upgraded toilet facilities, an all-weather shelter, and improved internal and external layouts designed to optimise visitor flow and comfort.

Welcoming the project, Minister Moran said: “This investment represents a significant enhancement to one of Ireland’s most important archaeological sites. The improved visitor centre will allow us to present the story of Carrowmore in a more engaging and accessible way, while ensuring the long-term protection of this remarkable landscape.”

Minister O’Sullivan added: “Carrowmore is a site of outstanding cultural and historical importance. This investment ensures that its story can be shared with a wider audience, while supporting the conservation of our archaeological heritage for future generations.

Commenting on the projects potential to boost the tourism economy, Minster for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said: “This investment directly supports the Government’s tourism policy objective to drive more balanced regional growth by strengthening high-quality visitor experiences outside the main urban centres. The project demonstrates how strategic capital investment can unlock the potential of regional assets, sustain local employment, and contribute to long-term, sustainable growth in communities beyond the traditional tourism hotspots.

Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland said: “Strategic investment in sites like Carrowmore is central to Fáilte Ireland’s work to drive sustainable, regionally balanced growth in tourism. The upgraded visitor centre will greatly enhance the visitor experience and strengthen Sligo’s position as a standout cultural destination, encouraging people to spend more time in the county and explore its wider network of exceptional megalithic sites.”

Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery opens seasonally from March to November, with guided tours available daily. See www.heritageireland.ie for more information.

Photography from the launch will be available from Ray Ryan Photography (rayryanpics@gmail.com). For more information, please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

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NOTES

Fáilte Ireland

Fáilte Ireland’s role is to support the long-term sustainable growth in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental contribution of tourism to Ireland. Tourism is of critical importance to the national economy and to regional development and employment. Pre-coronavirus, the sector generated revenue of €7.5billion annually and supported 260,000 jobs nationwide while contributing €1.7billion to the Exchequer.

Fáilte Ireland also provides consumer and buyer insights, mentoring, business supports and training programmes and buyer platforms to help tourism businesses innovate and grow.

In addition, Fáilte Ireland supports Business Tourism, managing the bidding for and securing of larger conferences, meetings and events to be hosted in Ireland.

Failte Ireland are also responsible for domestic holiday marketing across four regional experience brands: Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s Ancient East, Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands and Dublin.

Office of Public Works

The OPW provides accommodation for Government Services and manages much of the State’s property portfolio.

It cares for 780 heritage sites, including national monuments, historic parks, gardens and buildings. It is the Government’s principal engineering agency, providing an engineering service to the Flood Risk Management and Estate Portfolio Management functions of the OPW as well as to other Government Departments.

The Carrowmore Visitor Centre is the oldest and largest cemetery of megalithic tombs in Ireland, boasting as one of the most sacred places in Neolithic Europe. The collection tells a story of where you can marvel in the skill of people who built the monuments, which together with other monuments comprise “The Passage Tomb Landscape of Sligo” The remains of over 35 passage tombs are found here, constructed almost 6000 years ago.

The World Heritage bid is led by Sligo County Council in partnership with the National Monuments Service (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage) and the Office of Public Works, and a Memorandum of Understanding to progress the World Heritage bid has been signed by the parties. Sligo County Council are the Lead for the World Heritage bid.

National Monuments Services in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs are one of approximately 1000 National Monuments in State Care across Ireland, in the ownership or guardianship of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Department’s National Monuments Service works very closely with OPW to ensure the protection and care of these monuments for future generations. Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs are one of the highest profile archaeological monuments along the Wild Atlantic Way. With nearly 100 monuments in State Care along Ireland’s Atlantic coast, they form an important contribution to unlocking the economic benefits of Ireland’s flagship heritage tourism offering to visitors