Make Memories in Ireland
Ireland attracted more than 11 million visitors in 2019. That’s over twice the national population.
Fáilte Ireland’s annual survey of visitor attractions for 2018 saw Dublin’s Guinness Storehouse come out on top with over 1.7 million visitors. The following lists show the main attractions.
IRELAND’S TOP 10 VISITOR ATTRACTIONS FOR 2018:
- Guinness Storehouse (Dublin) – 1,736,156 (visitors)
- Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience (West Clare) – 1,580,000
- Dublin Zoo (Phoenix Park, Dublin)– 1,230,145
- Trinity College Dublin (Book of Kells) – 1,057,642
- Emerald Park (Ashbourne, Co Meath) – 700,000
- St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin – 627,199
- Kylemore Abbey & Garden (West Galway) – 561,657
- Muckrose House (Killarney, Kerry) – 550,649
- Powerscourt House Gardens and Waterfall (Wicklow) – 472,523
- Blarney Castle & Gardens (Blarney, Cork) – 460,000
Explore the Scenic Landscapes
Experience the Rich History
IRELAND’S TOP 10 “FREE TO ENTER” ATTRACTIONS FOR 2018:
- Kilkenny Castle Parklands – 799,032 (visitors)
- The National Gallery of Ireland (Dublin) – 775,491
- Glendalough Site (Wicklow) – 732,824
- National Botanic Gardens (Dublin) – 655,609
- Castletown House Parklands (Celbridge, Co Kildare) – 642,278
- Irish Museum of Modern Art (Dublin) – 505,891
- Doneraile Park (North Cork) – 490,000
- National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (Dublin) 466,038
- Farmleigh House Estate (Phoenix Park, Dublin) – 389,932
- Battle of the Boyne/Oldbridge Est (Drogheda, Co Louth) – 355,608
Ireland Past and Present
Over the past 450 million years Ireland has been pushed from near the equator to its present location. The forces sustained together with those of the last Ice Age have left many interesting landscapes.
Ireland has been inhabited for about 7,000 years and in that time it has been invaded and settled by the Celts, Vikings, Normans, English, and Scots, and each has left their mark on its history, culture, and people.
Behind its outward Western culture, Ireland also has its own native culture, expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music, Irish dance, and Irish language.