Record year as 66,000 visit famine ship in 2016

THE DUNBRODY famine ship tourist attraction recorded its strongest year ever with 66,000 visitors, and counting, in 2016.

CEO Sean Connick said 7,000 more people visited the Dunbrody ship this year compared to 2015.

‘It has been a great year and a record year as visitor numbers to the famine ship exceeded 66,000. These are people who paid to go on the ship. We had more people on the ship than in the year of the JFK50 event in 2013,’ Mr Connick said.

He said 2016 was a fantastic year for tourism in Ireland, with a 17 per cent growth in visitor numbers recorded when compared to 2015.

Mr Connick said the New Ross attraction benefited from the Ireland’s Ancient East initiative and from dedicating resources to promoting the famine ship, Kennedy Homestead and the arboretum.

‘ We’ve been chasing down the work and have been out promoting the projects here. The whole area is working better together right across the Hook Peninsula which I call the Riviera of the country.’

He said Fáilte Ireland’s ancient east initiative has brought a whole new dynamic to the region.

‘It’s very exciting and from next year on we will really start seeing the benefit to the area. Group marketing and increased relations between the various attractions across the