The Heritage Card
Posted in: Discounts & Passes
If you are touring Ireland for more than a couple of days, this card will certainly save you money, possibly quite a lot of money!
It is easy to buy, a true bargain and not half enough used by visitors to Ireland.
What is a Heritage Card?
Heritage Cards are issued by the Office of Public Works (OPW), a government body which looks after national monuments, historic houses, parks and gardens that are in State care.
A Heritage Card gives free entrance to all the places in their care for a period of one year. This includes more that 75 heritage sites all over the country, some of which are among the most popular places to visit in Ireland.
Some of these attractions are free to enter even without the card but it really is not difficult to save money with a Heritage Card, no matter what region of Ireland you are visiting.
How Much does it Cost
| Card | Cost |
|---|---|
| Adult | €21 |
| Senior (over 60) | €16 |
| Child | €8 |
| Family | €55 |
Remarkably little is the short answer – details on the right.
A ‘family’ is defined as “2 adults and a reasonable number of children under 18″. So certainly your 4 children would be ok – bringing a party of 10 school friends wouldn’t!
Children under the age of 6 have free entry anyway, so do not need a card.
Should you Buy a Heritage Card?
If you intend doing any sight seeing, buy this card.
Look at the list of headline locations it includes, places that most people touring Ireland will visit – the Rock of Cashel, Muckross House, Kilkenny Castle, Glendalough, Bru na Boinne, Clonmacnoise. That is more than €40 of entrance charges right there – or about €120 for a family of two adults and two children.
It’s a complete no-brainer.
Where to Buy a Heritage Card
You can buy cards at the first of the included Heritage Sites that you visit. They are valid for one year from the date of purchase. There is no need to buy before you travel.
This really is one of the best deals going in Ireland. If you visit 3 or more sights that charge in the door, the card pays for itself. And, let’s face it, most of us will go to at least three of these well known sights on all but the shortest visits to Ireland.
You can buy online though there’s no need; simply ask for a card at the first site you go to, then and there you will be issued a Heritage Card. If available, they will also give you a booklet of all the sites that are included, or, if you perfer, a folding map of the country with each Site shown on the map. The money collected goes to fund the Heritage Sites and the card itself look great in your scrapbook!
The website is very handy, too. http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/