Tourists flock to Kilkenny Castle as it tops visitor list

By COLIN BARTLEY

KILKENNY Castle has topped the most visited site owned by the state list for 2018.

Almost 1,000,000 people visited state-run sites around County Kilkenny last year.

Almost 800,000 were drawn to the charms of Kilkenny Castle and grounds during 2018, according to figures released by the Office of Public Works (OPW) today.

The 799,032 visitors made the stunning building and grounds in Kilkenny city, the most visited OPW site in the country.

The OPW is the state agency with responsibility for the day-to-day running of all national monuments and national historic properties in state care.

Kilkenny Castle had 70,000 more visitors than Glendalough, the second most visited site in the country.

Of the other OPW sites in Kilkenny just under 6,000 people visited Knockroe Passage Tomb in South Kilkenny, Dunmore Caves saw 37,000 visitors, Jerpoint Abbey in Thomastown had almost 25,000, Kells Priory had 5,600, and St Mary’s in Gowran had 2,400 visitors.