The Heritage Card is a convenient way to visit many of Ireland’s state‑managed heritage sites without paying individual admission fees each time.
Over 50 sites are included, from Dublin Castle and Kilmainham Gaol in the capital, to the Rock of Cashel and the Hill of Tara across the country (full list below).
Is it worth the investment? Similar to the Dublin Pass it comes down to how many of the sites you intend to visit. The family pass costs €90 for 2 adults and up to 5 children, while a single adult card costs €40. Considering that admission to places like the Rock of Cashel or Dublin Castle is €8 + per adult, the card starts to pay for itself after about five visits in a year.
In this article we cover everything you need to know about the Heritage Card – pricing, where to buy it, what’s covered, what isn’t, and tips for getting the most out of the pass.
The OPW Heritage Card: An Overview
The Office of Public Works (Heritage Ireland) manages many state‑owned national monuments and historic properties in Ireland.
The Heritage Card gives holders free admission to all fee‑paying OPW heritage sites for one year from the date of first use.
Buy it online here. This is the official booking site linked from the OPW. Prices listed there match the official rates.
Cards will be posted free of charge and will be dispatched within 10 working days of purchase … The card is only valid for the signatory and is non‑transferable. … The card’s validity begins on the first site where it is used. Heritage Card Terms and Conditions
Because delivery can take up to ten working days, order well in advance of your trip. A common alternative is to purchase the card in person at the first fee‑paying OPW site you visit – the card becomes valid immediately.
Note: English Heritage members are already entitled to free entry to all OPW sites.
Heritage Card Pricing
- Adult: €40.00
- Senior (60+): €30.00
- Student / Child (12‑18): €10.00 (valid student ID required)
- Family: €90.00 (2 adults & up to 5 children aged 12‑18)
- Children under 12: free entry – no card needed
Prices correct as of 23 December 2024, from the official website.
Is the Heritage Card Worth It?
It pays for itself at about five average sites, and the reason the answer feels slippery is that OPW admission is not one price. Most fee-paying sites are €5. The best-known ones are €8. Brú na Bóinne is €16.
An adult card is €40, so:
| If you visit | You would otherwise pay | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Brú na Bóinne, Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin Castle, Rock of Cashel | €40 | exactly break-even on four sites |
| Five €8 sites (Kilkenny Castle, Clonmacnoise, Emo Court, Farmleigh, Custom House) | €40 | exactly break-even on five |
| Eight €5 sites | €40 | exactly break-even on eight |
| Twelve sites at mixed prices, a typical two-week tour | €70 to €80 | saves €30 to €40 |
The honest rule of thumb: four visits if you are going to the expensive sites, eight if you are pottering around abbeys and castles. A single weekend in Dublin does not get there. Two weeks touring the country comfortably does.
Three things that change the answer:
- Children under 12 are free everywhere, so a family is not paying four admissions. The €90 family card has to beat two adult admissions plus any 12–18s, which is a higher bar than it first looks.
- A good number of OPW sites are free to everyone, card or no card. See the note above the site list below, because it is the single biggest reason people overestimate what the card is worth.
- Seniors aged 60 and over pay €30 for the card but also pay a reduced rate, usually €6 rather than €8, at the sites themselves. The break-even lands at roughly the same number of visits, not fewer.
What the fee-paying sites actually cost
Adult admission at the fee-paying OPW sites, which is what the card is actually saving you. Taken from our own place pages. Seasonal and guided-tour rates vary, so check the individual site before travelling.
| Adult admission | Sites |
|---|---|
| €16 | Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre |
| €10 | Adare Castle, Castletown House |
| €8 | Dublin Castle, Kilmainham Gaol, Clonmacnoise, Kilkenny Castle, Rock of Cashel, Emo Court, Farmleigh, Custom House |
| €5 | Glendalough, Hill of Tara, Cahir Castle, Ross Castle, Charles Fort, Donegal Castle, Aughnanure Castle, Dún Aonghasa, Jerpoint Abbey, Tintern Abbey, Boyle Abbey, Sligo Abbey, Mellifont Abbey, Carrowmore, Céide Fields, Dunmore Cave, Lough Gur, Parke’s Castle, Ormond Castle, Rathfarnham Castle, Reginald’s Tower, Swiss Cottage, Derrynane House, Ardfert Cathedral, Annes Grove Gardens, Blasket Centre, Rathcroghan |
| €4 | Trim Castle |
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Check availability & prices →Where to Buy the Card
You can obtain a card in two ways:
- Online – via the official OPW shop (see link above). The card is mailed free of charge and arrives within ten working days.
- In‑person – at any fee‑paying OPW site. This is handy if you arrive in Ireland without a card or prefer to start using it straight away. Major pickup locations include:
- Dublin Castle
- Kilmainham Gaol
- National Botanic Gardens (Glasnevin)
- Farmleigh House and Gardens
- The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology (if you visit the site’s ticket office)
- Tourist information offices in Dublin, Shannon Airport and major towns
When buying in person, cash is often accepted, though many larger sites also take cards.
What the Card Does Not Cover
The Heritage Card provides free entry to the listed OPW sites, but it does not include:
- Parking fees (most car parks are run by local authorities or private operators)
- Ferry or boat charges for island destinations such as Scattery Island or Garinish Island
- Guided‑tour fees that are run by third‑party providers (some sites offer optional paid tours)
- Food, drink or souvenir purchases
- Admission to attractions that are not fee‑paying OPW sites (e.g., many museums run by local councils)
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Card
- Plan ahead: Download the free “Heritage Sites of Ireland” brochure that comes with the card or view the interactive map on the OPW website. It helps you cluster sites that are close together (e.g., Kilkenny Castle, Jerpoint Abbey and Dunmore Cave are all within a short drive).
- Visit early: Popular sites can have timed entry queues, especially in summer. Arriving at opening reduces waiting time.
- Check opening times: While most sites are open year‑round, a few have seasonal closures (e.g., some garden attractions close for winter maintenance). Verify on the individual site’s page before you go.
- Use the card for repeat visits: The card is valid for unlimited entries, so you can return to a favourite garden or castle without extra cost.
- Gift it: The card can be sent directly to a friend or family member when ordered online – just provide the recipient’s address and let them know to expect it.
- Contact for queries: For any questions not covered in the FAQs, email heritageweb@opw.ie – responses are typically within five working days.
Sites Covered
Every OPW site the card admits you to. Read this list with one thing in mind: a good number of these are free to walk into anyway, card or no card, including St Stephen’s Green, the Iveagh Gardens, Phoenix Park, the Garden of Remembrance, Kells Priory, Nenagh Castle, Maynooth Castle, Dungarvan Castle, Ballyhack Castle, the Main Guard, St Audoen’s, Ennis Friary and the Pearse Museum. They are on the list because the card covers them, not because it saves you anything there.
The card only ever saves you money at the fee-paying sites priced in the table above. That distinction is the whole of the “is it worth it” question, and it is the one thing the official listing does not tell you.
List current as of 18 February 2025.
| County | Site |
|---|---|
| Carlow | Altamont Gardens |
| Clare | Ennis Friary |
| Clare | Scattery Island and Visitor Center |
| Cork | Annes Grove Gardens |
| Cork | Charles Fort Military Fortress |
| Cork | Doneraile Court and Estate |
| Cork | Fota Arboretum & Gardens |
| Cork | Ilnacullin - Garinish Island |
| Donegal | Doe Castle |
| Donegal | Donegal Castle |
| Donegal | Glebe Gallery and Garden - Derek Hill House |
| Donegal | Newmills Corn and Flaxmills |
| Dublin | Áras an Uachtaráin |
| Dublin | Arbour Hill Military Cemetery |
| Dublin | Casino Marino |
| Dublin | Custom House Visitor Centre |
| Dublin | Dublin Castle |
| Dublin | Farmleigh House and Gardens |
| Dublin | Garden of Remembrance |
| Dublin | Government Buildings |
| Dublin | Grangegorman Military Cemetery |
| Dublin | Irish National War Memorial Gardens |
| Dublin | Iveagh Gardens |
| Dublin | Kilmainham Gaol Museum |
| Dublin | National Botanic Garden of Ireland Glasnevin |
| Dublin | Pearse Museum - St Enda’s Park |
| Dublin | Phoenix Park and Biodiversity Centre |
| Dublin | Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle |
| Dublin | Rathfarnham Castle |
| Dublin | Royal Hospital Kilmainham |
| Dublin | St Audoen’s Church and Visitor Centre |
| Dublin | St Stephen’s Green |
| Galway | Athenry Castle |
| Galway | Aughnanure Castle |
| Galway | Dún Aonghasa - Ancient Stone Fort |
| Galway | Hall of the Red Earl Archaeological Site |
| Galway | Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh Conamara - Pearse’s Cottage and Visitor Centre |
| Galway | Portumna Castle and Gardens |
| Kerry | Ardfert Cathedral |
| Kerry | Daniel O’Connell House - Derrynane House |
| Kerry | Ionad an Bhlascaoid - The Blasket Centre |
| Kerry | Listowel Castle |
| Kerry | Ross Castle |
| Kerry | Sceilg Mhichil UNESCO World Heritage Property |
| Kildare | Castletown House and Parklands |
| Kildare | Maynooth Castle |
| Kilkenny | Dunmore Cave |
| Kilkenny | Jerpoint Abbey |
| Kilkenny | Kells Priory |
| Kilkenny | Kilkenny Castle |
| Kilkenny | St Mary’s Church, Gowran |
| Laois | Emo Court and Estate |
| Laois | Heywood Gardens |
| Leitrim | Parke’s Castle |
| Limerick | Adare Castle |
| Limerick | Desmond Castle, Newcastle West |
| Limerick | Lough Gur Visitor Centre and Lakeshore Park |
| Longford | Corlea Iron Age Roadway and Visitor Centre |
| Louth | Carlingford Castle |
| Louth | Old Mellifont Abbey |
| Mayo | Céide Fields Neolithic Site and Visitor Centre |
| Meath | Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre Oldbridge Estate |
| Meath | Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre |
| Meath | Hill of Tara |
| Meath | Loughcrew Megalithic Cemetery |
| Meath | Trim Castle |
| Offaly | Clonmacnoise Monastic Site |
| Roscommon | Boyle Abbey |
| Roscommon | Rathcroghan Visitor Centre |
| Sligo | Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery |
| Sligo | Sligo Abbey |
| Tipperary | Cahir Castle |
| Tipperary | Famine Warhouse 1848 |
| Tipperary | Nenagh Castle |
| Tipperary | Ormond Castle |
| Tipperary | Roscrea Castle, Gardens & Damer House/Black Mills |
| Tipperary | The Main Guard |
| Tipperary | The Rock of Cashel |
| Tipperary | The Swiss Cottage |
| Waterford | Dungarvan Castle |
| Waterford | Reginald’s Tower/ Greyfriars Church |
| Westmeath | Fore Abbey |
| Wexford | Ballyhack Castle |
| Wexford | Ferns Castle |
| Wexford | The John F Kennedy Arboretum |
| Wexford | Tintern Abbey |
| Wicklow | Dwyer McAllister Cottage |
| Wicklow | Glendalough Monastic Site and Visitor Centre |
| Wicklow | National Botanic Garden of Ireland - Kilmacurragh |
Included sites of 18 February 2025, from the Heritage Ireland website.
