The Office of Public Works has released the list of its most visited attractions for 2018.
Minister of State, Kevin 'Boxer' Moran revealed the statistics as part of a parliamentary question.
Earlier this week it was confirmed that tourist numbers from Britain, the US and Canada have dropped in the last year but this list shows that home grown attractions are still a big draw.
Topping the list is Kilkenny Castle for the second year in a row with 799,032 visitors.
It is followed closely by Glendalough with more than 732,824 people making the trip to the Co. Wicklow site.
Third most popular was The Botanic Gardens in Dublin with 656,609 people taking in its sights.
The gardens were also the most popular of all OPW sites in Dublin ahead of Kilmainham Gaol which had 430,960, while 431,340 went to Dublin Castle and 389,932 were recorded at Farmleigh Estate by the Phoenix Park.
- The top OPW location in each county:
- Carlow – Altamont – 67,423 visitors
- Clare – Ennis Friary – 13,637
- Cork – Doneraile Park – 490,000
- Donegal – Grianan of Alieach – 90,435
- Dublin – The Botanic Gardens - 656,609
- Galway – Dún Aonghasa – 136,042
- Kerry – Derrynane House and Parklands – 169,047
- Kildare – Castletown House and Parklands – 642,278
- Kilkenny – Kilkenny Castle – 799,032
- Laois – Emo Court House and Parklands – 315,204
- Leitrim – Parke’s Castle – 21,392
- Limerick – Desmond Hall – 15,845
- Longford – Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre – 7,750
- Louth – Mellifont Abbey – 29,989
- Mayo – Céide Fields – 31,854
- Meath – Battle of the Boyne site/Oldbridge Estate - 355,608
- Offaly – Clonmacnoise – 154,330
- Roscommon – Boyle abey – 6,799
- Sligo – Carrowmore – 46,766
- Tipperary – Rock of Cashel – 374,092
- Waterford – Reginald’s Tower – 44,232
- Wexford – JF Kennedy Arboretum – 118,006
