Simon Harris, TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) today (16 January 2015) announced another very successful year in terms of visitor numbers to heritage sites managed by the OPW. The top fee paying sites continued to do extremely well with Kilmainham Gaol recording nearly 330,000 visitors, while the Rock of Cashel showed an increase of over 17,000 visitors bringing its visitor numbers to 272,503 in 2014. The introduction of a self guided option for Dublin Castle allowed for a greater throughput of visitors which reached nearly 220,000.
Visitor numbers take into account not just the ticketed visitors but also admissions to various events and in some cases those people availing of the grounds/parklands of a site (where such visitors are recorded). Farmleigh Estate reported visitors to the grounds and the house of over 400,000 while Castletown House and Parklands had approx 285,000 visitors and the National Botanic Gardens had over 540,000 visitors through its gates. Kilkenny Castle welcomed record breaking numbers of 259,000 to the Castle with many more visitors to the grounds.
Welcoming the publication of the 2014 visitor numbers, Minister Harris said, “I would like to congratulate the staff of the OPW, whose hard work and professionalism not only protects and safeguards our most iconic monuments, but also offers a superb visitor experience that is unparalleled. This is evidenced by the 7 OPW sites which are due to receive “CIE Awards of Excellence for 2014”. The sites involved are Glendalough, Clonmacnoise, Bru na Boinne, Dun Aonghasa, Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Goal and Boyle Abbey.
Minister Harris outlined "My Office has also embraced new initiatives and technologies in its management of the heritage estate, from the adoption of social media to making appropriate venues available for civil ceremonies".
2014 saw the OPW introduce an arrangement with the Friends of Manx National Heritage providing for free admission to OPW heritage sites on a reciprocal basis. Such arrangement follows on from the granting of free admission to members of English Heritage, with a number of similar proposals currently under examination. In addition, a number of OPW heritage sites continue to be key players in the highly acclaimed "Wild Atlantic Way".
Minister Harris concluded "The figures released today clearly demonstrate that OPW’s investment in our national heritage and its openness to change is reaping dividends with the welcome increases in visitor numbers. The tourism sector continues to be one of the main drivers behind Ireland's economic recovery and I am extremely pleased that the OPW plays such a significant role in this country's cultural heritage".
ENDS
For further information or if you wish to interview Minister Harris please contact Colette Davis, OPW Press Officer – mobile 087 9475552, landline 01 647 6128/046 942 6128 or email colette.davis@opw.ie
Notes to Editors:
The following are the list of OPW Top Twenty visited sites for 2014 with comparable numbers for 2013. The remaining site visitor numbers will be published shortly.
2014 Top 20 Visited Sites
1 National Botanic Gardens: 541,946
2 Farmleigh Estate: 402,773
3 Kilmainham Gaol: 328,886
4 Castletown House and Parklands: 285,437
5 Rock of Cashel: 272,503
6 Kilkenny Castle: 259,250
7 Dublin Castle: 217,758
8 Phoenix Park Visitor Centre: 135,790
9 Clonmacnoise: 149,472
10 Newgrange: 139,173
11 Dún Aonghasa: 121,001
12 JF Kennedy Arboretum: 92,274
13 Ross Castle: 83,225
14 Glendalough Visitor Centre: 79,810
15 Trim Castle: 76,511
16 Charles Fort: 74,446
17 Battle of the Boyne: 71,137
18 Cahir Castle: 66,737
19 Knowth: 58,566
20 Altamont: 58,023
2013 Top 20 Visited Sites
1 National Botanic Gardens: 550,000
2 Farmleigh Estate: 435,476
3 Kilmainham Gaol: 326,207
4 Rock of Cashel: 255,338
5 Castletown House and Parklands: 244,416
6 Kilkenny Castle: 241,302
7 Clonmacnoise: 139,413
8 Phoenix Park Visitor Centre: 137,755
9 Newgrange: 133,616
10 Dún Aonghasa: 105,539
11 Dublin Castle: 103,287
12 JF Kennedy Arboretum: 95,356
13 Glendalough Visitor Centre: 80,922
14 Ross Castle: 77,156
15 Trim Castle: 74,724
16 Charles Fort: 69,263
17 Cahir Castle: 67,713
18 Battle of the Boyne: 60,796
19 Altamont: 53,541
20 Kilmacurragh Gardens: 51,500