When it comes to visiting Ireland, people want to get to the pint.
People in Ireland and visitors from abroad simply can’t get enough of the Guinness Storehouse, which is once again at the top of the list of visitor attractions in Ireland.
Fáilte Ireland today released their annual list of Ireland’s top visitor attractions and the Guinness Storehouse came out on top having had over 1.2 million visitors come through its doors in 2014, an increase of 100,000 vistors on the year previous.
The Storehouse topped the list of ‘fee-charging attractions’ in 2014, ahead of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Dublin Zoo and Dublin’s National Aquatic Centre.
Tayto Park, meanwhile, also figured prominently on the list, having welcomed nearly 500,000 vistors in 2014.
The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin was the number one free attraction in Ireland with just under 600,000 visitors in 2014 ahead of the National Botanic Gardens, Doneraile Wildlife Park in Cork, the National Museum of Ireland and the Science Gallery at Trinity College.
Commenting on the figures, Shaun Quinn CEO Fáilte Ireland said: “Tourism is on track to enjoy what could be a record year in terms of activity and visitors in 2015. With that in mind, we would expect the attendance numbers for most attractions to rise even further.
“We, in Fáilte Ireland, have invested quite heavily in our tourism infrastructure in recent years to ensure that Ireland remained an appealing destination despite the downturn.
“Now that tourism is on the rise again, Ireland and its strong collection of attractions are perfectly poised to welcome and cater for ever greater numbers.”
Top 10 Fee-Charging Attractions 2014
Guinness Storehouse, Dublin – 1,269,371 (visitors)
Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, Clare – 1,080,501
Dublin Zoo, Dublin – 1,076,876
National Aquatic Centre, Dublin – 931,074
Book of Kells, Dublin – 650,476
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin – 457,277
Tayto Park, Meath – 450,000
Fota Wildlife Park, Cork – 438,000
Blarney Castle, Cork – 390,000
Rock of Cashel, Tipperary – 372,503
Top 10 Free Attractions 2014
The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin – 593,183
National Botanic Gardens, Dublin – 541,946
Doneraile Wildlife Park, Cork – 460,000
National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology, Kildare St, Dublin – 447,137
Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin, Dublin – 406,982
Farmleigh, Dublin – 402,773
Newbridge Silverware Museum of Style Icons, Kildare – 350,000
Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin – 306,662
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin – 304,000
National Museum of Ireland – Natural History, Merrion St, Dublin – 300,272
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