Office of Public Works welcomes strong visitor numbers at its heritage sites in 2023
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From: Office of Public Works
- Published on: 28 March 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
- 15.3 million visitors to Ireland’s Historic Castles, Gardens and Monuments
- continued upward trend of visitors utilising recreational areas- St Stephen’s Green, Phoenix Park and Doneraile Park among the most visited
- National Botanic Gardens, Dublin Castle and Phoenix Park Visitor Centre among the highest visitor volumes
- regional sites such as Céide Fields, Clonmacnoise and Cahir Castle see an increase in visitors
The Office of Public Works (OPW) today 28 March announced that 2023 was another successful year for visitor numbers at its heritage sites. The number of recorded visitors last year exceeded 15.3 million, up from 15 million in 2022.
The Office of Public Works is responsible for caring, maintaining and operating 780 important heritage sites. The Office of Public Works conserves and protects the nation’s built heritage in its care whilst providing public access, interpretation and encouraging the public to visit and engage with the Ireland’s heritage. The Office of Public Works strives to manage heritage sites in a manner that balances its remit to protect heritage assets with increased, more interactive, empowering and inclusive access for visitors.
The 2023 data highlights a continued trend in number of visitors to Historic Castles, Gardens and Monuments across the country. The numbers show the top heritage locations in each of two categories: Paid Visitor attractions and Free Access Sites. Iconic Irish heritage sites such as Kilmainham Gaol, The Rock of Cashel and Glendalough continue to play a pivotal role for both domestic and international tourism. The major parks, such as the Phoenix Park, St. Stephen’s Green and parklands around Doneraile Court have remained top of the list, continuing the trend of visitors utilising these recreational spaces.
In Dublin, Farmleigh Estate saw a 13% increase in visitors, while a number of regional sites have also seen an increase in their visitor volumes. Dún Aonghasa on Inis Mór- which was the winner of the European film location award last year, recorded an increase of 20%. The Céide Fields, Co Mayo, which received a €2.6 million state investment in 2022 for its new immersive visitor centre experience recorded a 38% increase on the previous year. Ionad an Bhlascaoid – The Blasket Centre, Co Kerry saw a 58% increase in visitors in 2023 , while Clonmacnoise Co Offaly saw a 29% increase.
The data indicates a continued upward trend and visitor interest in Ireland's cultural legacy and underscores the importance of preserving such invaluable assets for future generations.
Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW Patrick O’Donovan said:
"The 780 sites under the care of the Office of Public Works contribute to the local sense of place, the local economy and are great places for domestic and international tourists to enjoy. The 2023 visitor data clearly indicates that there is a strong interest in heritage tourism and that an increasing number of visitors regard Ireland’s heritage sites as great places to visit.”
The Minister added:
"We have fortunate to have such a rich and diverse collection of landmarks across the country. The continued investment by the State in our heritage portfolio- from ancient monuments to medieval castles- is so important for the safeguarding and preservation of our built heritage. It is wonderful to see the continued upward trend in visitor numbers to both the paid attractions and the recreational spaces which the public can access for free, all year round."
A list of the top ten ticketed admission sites for 2023 is set out below.
A full list of visitor numbers is available below.
- Please note that footfall counters are subject to malfunction/power outages (which cannot be identified without constant on-site monitoring) and therefore cannot be taken as wholly accurate.
