What are the most popular places to visit in Ireland? Failte Ireland has just released the top 10 free and fee attractions tourists flocked to in 2017.
For an island that can fit inside the state of Pennsylvania with room to spare, Ireland has an absurdly wonderful and vast array of attractions and experiences to offer.
Failte Ireland has just released the top 10 most popular destinations for tourists in Ireland in 2017, and some of the results may surprise you.
The ranking is divided into fee-to-enter and free-to-enter sites, but the most popular among them all - despite being a fee-to-enter attraction - is the Guinness Storehouse at St. James' Gate in Dublin.
The Guinness Storehouse has long topped the list, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down as 2017 saw its figures soar by 64,000, up to 1,711,218 from 2016.
The most popular free attraction? The National Gallery of Ireland, also in Dublin. It boasts a stunning collection of Irish and European art from the old masters and modernists alike and is a wonderful place to spend the day - 1,065,929 people agreed last year, upping the gallery's total yearly visitors by a whopping 41%.
Here's the full list. How many of these have you been to? Do you have a favorite? Tell us on Facebook or in the comment section.
Top 5 fee-charging attractions in Ireland for 2017:
1) Guinness Storehouse - 1,711,281 (+4%)
2) Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience– 1,527,000 (+7%)
3) Dublin Zoo– 1,264,300 (+10%)
4) National Aquatic Centre – 1,099,756 (+6%)
5) Book of Kells - 983,410 (+10%)
Ireland’s top 5 free to enter attractions for 2017:
1) The National Gallery of Ireland– 1,065,929 (+41%)
2) Castletown House Parklands– 666,541
3) Glendalough Site – 639,826
4) National Botanic Gardens– 569,652 (-2%)
5) DLR LexIcon (Dun Laoighaire Rathdown) – 525,708 (+12%)
