Kilkenny Castle slips from top spot in list of national visitor attractions

Kilkenny Castle and Parklands has been unseated from its number one spot as Ireland’s most-visited heritage site, according to stats released by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The number of visitors to Kilkenny Castle dropped by 5% between the years 2023 and 2024, reflecting the ongoing challenges of the county’s tourism industry.

In 2023, Kilkenny Castle was visited by 452,383 guests. In 2024, that number dropped to 429,546. The castle now ranks second for most-ticketed OPW heritage sites in Ireland, with first place going to Dublin Castle.

Chairperson of Kilkenny Tourism Gareth Alcorn, believes there are two aspects that have affected the industry in Kilkenny. “One of the big things hitting us at the moment is rising wages,” he says.

“A lot of tourism businesses rely on teenagers and college students and minimum wage staff. The minimum wage going up by a euro each year has put pressure on us,” he continues. 

A rise in insurance costs have also put the industry under strain.

“It’s a pre-Covid issue that still hasn’t been resolved,” he says.

“Kilkenny Castle Park hasn’t had a claim in eight or nine years, and yet our insurance has still gone up. It’s probably gone up 200-300% since we started. In terms of our expenses, it’s a huge percentage. Wages are the biggest expense, but after that, it’s insurance.”

Mr Alcorn also noted the reduction in accommodation available to tourists in Kilkenny at the moment. “There’s a lot of anti-hotel sentiment at the moment with regard to the prices, but the hotels have seen a rise in costs, too,” he says.

“Without them, we wouldn’t have tourism in Kilkenny. The new hotels that are planned will bring more people into the county.”

Mr Alcorn is hopeful that the number of visitors to Kilkenny Castle and Parklands will increase again in 2025.

Martina Comerford, Tourism Officer for Kilkenny County Council, believes it may be Dublin Airport’s passenger cap that has led to a decrease in visitor numbers.

“The castle has a huge proportion of international visitors,” she said.

“Because of Kilkenny’s location, the operators of Discover Ireland Tours that work out of Dublin Airport will always include Kilkenny Castle and Parklands in their itinerary. The drop in numbers coming to Kilkenny Castle may be linked to international visitors not coming to Ireland.”