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22nd Aug 2018

The most popular holiday destinations for Irish people in Ireland have been revealed

Alan Loughnane

Easter weekend

Cork bai…

Some were worried that Cork might get ideas about secession from Ireland following the UK’s decision to vote leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum, but so far these fears have been unfounded.

It’s a good thing too, as it seems that West Cork and Kerry are the most popular spots for Irish people who decide to stay and holiday at home in 2017, according to new data released by Fáilte Ireland.

The southwest of the country was the most popular destination for Irish people who decided to forego a trip abroad and stick to those holiday hotspots right on our doorstep.

The data shows the southwest was the popular destination for domestic visitors and second only to Dublin when it comes to international tourists.

The data charts visitor numbers and revenue by region and county in 2017, a record-breaking year for Irish tourism.

It split the country into regions and showed the southwest had 2.1 million domestic trips generating €419 million.

In Fáilte Ireland’s data, Dublin was a region of its own and had 1.5 million domestic trips, generating €307 million, while the west of the country had 1.6 million trips, generating €353 million.

Below is a breakdown of domestic visitors and spend by county:

  1. Dublin: 1,497,000 (€307m)
  2. Cork: 1,113,000 (€337m)
  3. Galway: 1,024,000 (€247m)
  4. Kerry: 964,000 (€205m)
  5. Wexford: 654,000 (€146m)
  6. Mayo: 503,000 (€108m)
  7. Tipperary (N&S): 496,000 (€92m)
  8. Donegal: 376,000 (€96m)
  9. Clare: 362,000 (€86m)
  10. Wicklow: 319,000 (€49m)
  11. Waterford: 327,000 (€58m)
  12. Kilkenny: 298,000 (€69m)
  13. Kildare: 286,000 (€36m)
  14. Limerick: 284,000 (€46m)
  15. Sligo: 247,000 (€51m)
  16. Carlow: 228,000 (€36m)
  17. Laois: 228,000 (€30m)*
  18. Offaly: 228,000 (€30m)*
  19. Meath: 223,000 (€44m)
  20. Cavan: 206,000 (€32m)*
  21. Leitrim: 206,000 (€32m)*
  22. Louth: 179,000 (€30m)*
  23. Monaghan: 179,000 (€30m)*
  24. Westmeath: 159,000 (€18m)
  25. Roscommon: 130,000 (€18m)*
  26. Longford: 130,000 (€18m)*

Overseas visitors and spend by county:

  1. Dublin: 5,936,000 (€1981m)
  2. Galway: 1,673,000 (€589m)
  3. Cork: 1,600,000 (€631m)
  4. Kerry: 1,277,000 (€337m)
  5. Clare: 749,000 (€158m)
  6. Limerick: 647,000 (€261m)
  7. Mayo: 324,000 (€78m)
  8. Kilkenny: 315,000 (€55m)
  9. Wicklow: 275,000 (€73m)
  10. Donegal: 255,000 (€82m)
  11. Waterford: 255,000 (€69m)
  12. Wexford: 232,000 (€61m)
  13. Kildare: 211,000 (€91m)
  14. Tipperary (N&S): 192,000 (€88m)
  15. Sligo: 173,000 (€45m)
  16. Louth: 172,000 (€55m)
  17. Meath: 162,000 (€44m)
  18. Cavan: 107,000 (€48m)
  19. Westmeath: 103,000 (€46m)
  20. Carlow: 79,000 (€45m)
  21. Monaghan: 60,000 (€25m)
  22. Roscommon: 54,000 (€27m)
  23. Offaly: 52,000 (€16m)
  24. Laois: 43,000 (€14m)
  25. Leitrim: 41,000 (€18m)
  26. Longford: 24,000 (€10m)

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