THE QUEUE to get into Kilmainham Gaol yesterday was unusually long for a rainy midweek afternoon, as dozens of tourists were joined by even larger numbers of locals keen to take advantage of an initiative offering free admission to all sites run by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on the first Wednesday of every month.
The scheme was rolled out in an attempt to boost visitor numbers to the State’s national monuments by Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes, who yesterday expressed the hope it would serve to foster greater interest in the heritage of the country.
“We want people to take the opportunity to see these sites, which are part and parcel of what we are,” he said.
While access to a large number of the approximately 750 OPW sites dotted around the State is permanently free of charge, some sites, such as Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle, Kilkenny Castle, Newgrange and the Rock of Cashel charge anywhere between €3 and €6 for an adult.
The free first-Wednesday move was welcomed outside a damp Kilmainham Gaol yesterday.
Eilish Wycherly from Donnycarney was prompted to bring her two children to the prison because the fees had been waived. “I have never been here before, I know it is shameful,” she said. “I probably would have come at some point but you know the way it is, you keep saying you’ll come and but you never get around to it.”
Norm Kravitz from Fort Lauderdale in the US has not been in the country long but was already at the prison gates. He said he was pleased he would not have to pay in, but insisted he would have visited the landmark prison either way.
“I didn’t even know it was free. We didn’t plan our trip around free stuff,” he said.
Margo McCann, travelling with her Canadian aunt, said she started her free day at the Rock of Cashel, “and from there we went to the National Museum to see the bog bodies, and then on to here. I think this is a fantastic initiative, and the queues speak for themselves.”
Her partner, Michael McGrath, agreed. “I was born just 15 miles from the Rock of Cashel, and this morning was the very first time I had visited it. And it was lovely.”
Fred Carr, who lives just around the corner, was prompted by a message on television to stop by. “I saw it on the teletext that it was free,” he said, “so I thought I’d come up for a look. It’s fantastic. I’ll probably do Dublin Castle next.”
Equally pleased was taxi driver Michael Scally, who was parked outside the jail, eyeing the crowd for fares. “You might have a queue on a normal Wednesday, but it would be nothing like this,” he said. Whoever thought up the idea is to be applauded.”
Meanwhile, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is offering free tours of historical locations or buildings for the summer. The Stillorgan Obelisk, Cabinteely House and Marlay House are among the attractions that are being opened at no cost to the public.
SAVINGS . . . USUAL OPW FEES:
Trim CastleAdult: €4; Senior Citizen/Group: €3; Child/Student: €2; Family: €10
Casino in MarinoAdult: €3; Sen/ Group: €2; Child/Student: €1; Family: €8
Kilmainham GaolAdult: €6; Sen/ Group: €4; Child/Student: €2; Family: €14
Dublin CastleAdult: €4.50; Student/Sen: €3.50; Child: €2
Rock of CashelAdult: €6; Sen/ Group: €4; Child/Student: €2; Family: €14
Derrynane HouseAdult: €3; Sen/Group: €2; Child/Student: €1; Family: €8
For full details of OPW sites see heritageireland.ie
