Tourism is in many ways an outlier industry: its boundaries are difficult to define, it disproportionately relies on the economic cycle, while visitors are not always welcome in high-density tourist areas. Nevertheless, it has a unique capacity to bring about rapid economic transformation in marginalised areas. Get the right kind of tourists to the right places and the industry is a game-changer. Ireland has largely been fortunate in attracting discerning tourists with a light footfall. Keeping them coming and dispersing them more evenly across the country is now the challenge. To this end, innovative new visitor attractions have been opening across Ireland like buds in May. These offer a great experience for overseas tourists but can be enjoyed equally by domestic visitors.
Ahascragh Distillery, Co Galway
On arrival, Ahascragh seems like a typical 21st-century rural village with the usual array of decaying buildings that once housed thriving businesses. Further exploration posits hope, however. At one end of the village, Ahascragh Distillery has arisen phoenix-like from the skeletal remains of an old corn mill. Powered entirely from renewable sources, Ireland’s first zero energy distillery has, in its first phase, created 34 jobs with many more promised to a deeply rural area. On the guided tour, visitors are introduced to the long history of the building and learn about the subtle craft of whiskey distillation. Topping off the tour is a tasting of the award-winning Glen Colla Whiskey and XN Gin in the carefully restored Old Mill Shop Café. ahascraghdistillery.com
The Royal Canal Greenway, Kildare to Longford
The Royal Canal is by many country miles Ireland’s longest greenway. A fully off-road towpath, it will, when complete, link the river Liffey with the Shannon. Much of the route is, however, already open for footfall and self-propelled wheels. Immediately popular because it allows leisure cyclists and walkers the opportunity for automobile-free exploration of a serene waterside, the completed section links Maynooth with Cloondara, Co Longford. Voted Europe’s best greenway last year, the 130km route already links Kildare, Meath, Westmeath and Longford, with work still ongoing along the Dublin section and in parts of Kildare. So, why not get out to pedal, jog, or ramble along this easy towpath? You will discover much 18th-century industrial heritage and natural beauty along the quiet waterside, as canal barges slip past and fishermen cast their bait. greenwaysireland.org/royal-canal-greenway
Westport Adventure Park, Co Mayo
Westport Estate has long been a must-visit attraction for those holidaying in Mayo. Conscious of the need to maintain this pre-eminent position, the local Hughes family has recently added another compelling attraction: a buzzy, adventure playground that spans the treetops and cliff edges of a 300-year-old quarry. Reaching heights of 30 metres, the adventure park offers a wonderful canvas for aerial adventures including a network of tunnels, bridges, tree houses, bounce zones, spiral nets and more. Skilfully designed to challenge agility and skill, it provides an exhilarating experience for adventurers of all levels and ages. Children will love it, while adults will soon reclaim the laughter and fun of their uninhibited childhood experiences. And for those who conquer the Quarry Drop, the buzz afterwards makes the initial terror hugely worthwhile. westportadventure.ie.
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Peacemakers Museum, Derry
If your impression of Derry is still informed by grainy images of rioters and soldiers in conflict against a background of urban decay, think again. These days, Derry has washed its grimy old Victorian face, rejuvenated its derelict sites and now has its best foot forward to welcome visitors and investors alike. Tourists are pouring in to enjoy a multitude of attractions including the famous City Walls, the award-winning Tower Museum, St Columb’s Cathedral, the Guildhall Hall and the famous wall murals.
And the good news is that the city is getting another attraction, with the Peacemakers Museum, which is scheduled to open later this summer. Located in the Bogside, it explores the period from August 1972 to May 2007 as an explanation of how the bitter conflict evolved into the peace process on the initiative of several local peacemakers. Using oral history, archive footage and interactive features, it will explain the Good Friday Agreement and the key role played by locals including John Hume, Martin McGuinness and Mitchel McLaughlin. Their support was crucial in creating the conditions that ended the long conflict and brought peace in our time. peacemakersmuseumderry.com
WAVE Ocean Discovery, Dingle, Co Kerry
The landscape around Dingle is “God’s own country” for the outdoor enthusiast, but what do you do on a wet day, now that Fungie is no more? Actually, there is quite a lot to do and the latest local attraction is the indoor WAVE Ocean Discovery. Housed in a former fish plant, WAVE enables visitors to discover the world off the Dingle coast as an immersive experience that portrays it through the eyes of the local men and women who made their living from the ocean. You will discover the perils facing those working at sea and explore many shipwrecks lying beneath the waves near the treacherous Kerry coastline. You will also enter a mythological land to uncover the myths and legends of the sea, and finally, be amazed as you get up close to majestic humpback whales and see them as never before. wave-dingle.com
Roscrea Castle and Damer House, Co Tipperary
As one of Ireland’s oldest towns, Roscrea has much to offer the history buff. With the reopening, after renovations, of the Castle built by King John, the town is now an even better place to interrogate three eras of Irish history. Your tour begins by exploring Damer House, a Palladian Mansion built in 1722 and saved from demolition by the actions of the Old Roscrea Society in 1973. Then go across the courtyard to explore the restored Castle. Here kids will love the many defensive features including the drawbridge and portcullis. Afterwards, it is a five-minute walk to the monastic site founded by St Cronan with its great ornate doorway and round tower. The tour ends in the restored Black Mill which houses the 12th-century St Cronan’s Cross along with other artefacts from the monastery. heritageireland.ie/places-to-visit/roscrea-castle
Velo Rail Experience, Co Mayo
Opened in 2023, the Velo Rail Experience represents a self-help initiative by Kiltimagh Tourism Association that ingeniously uses an abandoned railway to draw visitors. Ideal for families and other groups, the Velo Bike Experience utilises 13km of refurbished track for a fun-filled exploration of the Mayo countryside. Each group travels under its own steam by pedalling a Velo bike along the railway track as part of a convoy. Participation requires just two adults with moderate fitness to propel the rail bikes. There are four-seater bikes for adult groups and five-seaters for families, while the two-seaters are designed to carry an additional wheelchair. All bookings must be made at least two hours before departure. velorail.ie
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Tír na nÓg, Emerald Park, Co Meath
Freshly rebranded from Tayto Park to Emerald Park, the entertainment complex near Ashbourne, has just added two adrenalin-inducing rollercoaster rides. The ‘Na Fianna Force’ and ‘The Quest’ rides are part of a newly themed section at Emerald titled ‘Tír na nÓg’: the Quest is a boomerang rollercoaster that moves forward and then backward at high speed. Primarily aimed at the family market, it has its young riders embarking on a quest to the mystical Irish land of Tír na nÓg. The big daddy is, however, Na Fianna Force, that goes Full Monty with three inverted (upside down) rides – a breath-robbing 30m drop and speeds of 90km per hour. Perfect for adrenaline junkies, this ride creates massive g-forces as it twists and turns at seemingly impossible speeds and is likely to have thrill seekers visiting the park just for this experience. emeraldpark.ie
J&J McConnell’s Distillery, Belfast
According to Mark Twain, “Synergy is the bonus achieved when things work together harmoniously.” Having housed such disparate guests as Éamon de Valera, Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley, Crumlin Road Gaol has since morphed into one of Belfast’s foremost visitor attractions. The old Victorian building has now undergone another unlikely reincarnation, with the recent opening of McConnell’s Distillery & Visitor Experience in the former A-wing of the prison. Building on the synergy already created by the considerable visitor numbers throughout, the coming of McConnell’s is expected to increase numbers visiting the former gaol by 100,000 and arrest decline in an economically marginalised urban area. On the guided tour you will learn about the history of the prison, the story of McConnell’s Distillery and sample some of the finest, award-winning Irish whiskey. intl.mcconnellsirishwhisky.com.
Littleton Peatway, Co Tipperary
First, we had greenways, then it was blueways and now we have a peatway: a walking and cycling route along a disused rail track that bisects a bog. For a memorable outing, park at the lakeside Loch Doire Bhile Recreational Area, located about 4km southeast of Littleton. Walk or cycle the easy peatway passing two more lakes and on for about 7.5km amid the stillness of the peatlands. Eventually, you will reach remote Derrynaflan Island, which contains the remains of a medieval church and is the reputed burial ground of a legendary medieval stonemason known as the Gobán Saor. Here in 1980, the priceless Derrynaflan Hoard consisting of an ornamental chalice, patten and strainer, which now rests in the National Museum, was discovered using a metal detector. Having taken time to absorb the solitude of the place, retrace your steps to Loch Doire Bhile, where you can extend your outing by circuiting the picturesque lake.
