‘absolute disgrace’ | 

Visitors complain about nappies, rats and lazy cats at Ireland’s top tourist attractions

The OPW said it had received just over 90 complaints so far this year, which included the busy summer holiday season

Ken Foxe

Sun 5 Nov 2023 at 02:30

Tour guides using amplified speakers were destroying “the spirituality” of Glendalough, according to complaints made to the Office of Public Works (OPW).

A log of visitor complaints so far this year also details gripes about getting rushed out of Newgrange, a rat scurrying across a path, and a visitor to Dublin’s Botanic Gardens who came across a tall pile of dirty nappies in a toilet which they described as an “absolute disgrace”.

Another woman was also unhappy after she was asked to leave a guided tour of Dublin Castle when her 20-month-old son said “mummy” twice and was informed it was distracting for the rest of the group.

The OPW said it had received just over 90 complaints so far this year, which included the busy summer holiday season.

The Botanic Gardens accounted for almost a fifth while at least half a dozen were also made about Brú na Boinne, Kilkenny Castle and the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin.

One tour guide said the OPW needed to do much more to protect Glendalough from rogue operators who disrespected it as a place of worship and as a graveyard.

“I’ve witnessed these guides turn on their amplified speakers while on the monastic ruins,” they said.

“This not only disrupts everyone else around them but it totally disrespects the spirituality of the place.”

At the Rock of Cashel, a visitor wrote about unacceptable behaviour when they were shouted at to “get out” after confusion over ticket vouchers.

Their email said: “I called him to see what this is all about, again [the staff member] shouted at me in a very rude way, telling me he will not allow me on the spot again.”

There was another complaint about Cashel with a person saying they had paid €4.50 for parking only to end up driving around the car park multiple times without finding a space.

Eventually, they parked in an unofficial space in a row of cars out of the way of other vehicles.

“On leaving the car park it had started to rain so I put on my wipers and it was only then that I noticed a soggy parking ticket attached to a wiper,” they wrote saying they wanted a refund of the fine and the original entry fee.

There were multiple complaints about trying to book tickets for the popular attraction Kilmainham Gaol.

Several people wrote about trying to reserve tickets at midnight, when they become available, but said they were instantly sold out shortly afterwards.

A couple of visitors were unhappy with their visit to Newgrange when bad weather meant their bus trip to the passage grave was delayed.

One wrote of being rushed out of the site just minutes after arriving: “We would dearly have loved to spend some time in silence, honouring the ancients who had been there before us.”

The OPW received several complaints about Kilkenny Castle including one about a man taking videos at a playground, dogs running off leash, and difficulties in getting parking.

Among the 18 complaints received about the National Botanic Gardens, one was to alert the OPW about rodents.

“While strolling through the walled vegetable garden, a rather large rat ran across our path. There’s a beautiful cat on ‘duty’, but it didn’t spot the rat,” they said.

A spokeswoman for the OPW said the public could get in touch with them through a number of channels including email, phone, post, or social media.

“We strive to resolve any issues efficiently and effectively,” she said.

“We welcome over 12 million visitors to our heritage sites each year, who enjoy the buildings, landscapes, artefacts and collections which have been entrusted to the OPW.”