10 new and improved visitor attractions in Ireland – from a Waterford wonder to a velo rail in Mayo

In this year’s Reader Travel Awards, our Judges’ Award for Best Newcomer celebrates ‘one new tourism and hospitality business, person or initiative that has caught the imagination and injected new energy in to Irish holidays’.

You can read the full results of our Reader Travel Awards here, from Ireland’s best hotel to its top beaches, pet-friendly cafe, airport and more.

Here’s the ‘Best Newcomer’ winner, together with nine nominations our judges felt worthy of special mention this year.

1. Mount Congreve, Co Waterford

We know it’s is hardly ‘new’ but, last year, Mount Congreve gardens reopened after a €7m investment, which saw the launch of a state-of-the-art visitor centre, three new garden trails, and a playground for the kids. Mount Congreve House was also opened to the public for the first time, as well as a new restaurant, The Stables Café by The Pantry at Cliff, where you can get a rather dashing Sunday carvery, made with local meat and homegrown vegetables.

Our judges singled out the work as a stunning reimagination of the visitor attraction, one that breathed new life into the gardens, had sustainability at its heart, and was an attraction that would help regional tourism grow. But the work is far from finished — this year, the restoration of the gardens will continue, including extensive work on the Georgian glass house and walled gardens.

And there’s something even more exciting on the horizon. Last year, a beautiful 18th-century gate lodge on the estate was restored, creating a sumptuous place to stay. And the public reacted with gusto — occupancy has been at 99pc. This spring, two more gate lodges will open, along with five forest cabins, designed to blend seamlessly into the estate grounds. Two apartments are also being restored within Mount Congreve House, so there’s plenty more to come. mountcongreve.com

2. International Rugby Experience, Limerick

It’s not very often that an experience like this one enters the scene. The International Rugby Experience is a fantastic addition to Limerick City but also to Ireland as a whole, blending enough sporting elements to keep rugby fans happy but also loads to entertain those who are clueless about the game. The multi-million euro initiative, developed by JP McManus and family, is set in a custom-designed, red-brick building on O’Connell Street in the heart of the city, with immersive installations and an interactive skills floor, where you can measure your talent against that of the pros. internationalrugbyexperience.com

3. Noinín, Kilkenny

It looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but Nóinín is one of the most exciting new restaurant openings in recent years. Run by two sisters, Maeve and Sinéad Moclair, Nóinín has the feel of a casual café but a small menu of hearty, creative dishes that bring the Kilkenny restaurant scene up a few notches. When judge Katy McGuinness reviewed it, she loved “its low-key, friendly service, no-notions ambience and exceptional value”. noininkilkenny.ie

4. The Regency, Belfast

It’s great when a creative new accommodation concept opens its doors, but even better when it continues to evolve. The Regency officially opened in Belfast in 2022, bringing an innovative new accommodation option in the city. Initially, two Georgian townhouses were converted into super-swish serviced apartments, with an events space opening last October. By this summer, another two townhouses on the crescent will open, with a F&B offering, a wellness suite and rooms that are more suited to short stays. This staggered approach means it is in tune with what its guests actually want, which, in this case, is a curated experience in a beautifully restored space. Read Pól Ó Conghaile’s review of The Regency. theregencybelfast.com

5. Céide Fields, Co Mayo

The Stone Age site at Céide Fields may date back 6,000 years, but the visitor centre feels new, following a €2.6m revamp. Now, you’ll find a state-of-the-art audio-visual exhibition inside the snazzy pyramid, which tells the archaeological story of the fields, the landscape and the surrounding area. ceidefields.com​

6. Matsukawa, Dublin

Last year, Dublin got its first omakase sushi restaurant, and it was a smash hit almost immediately. There are just eight seats in the tiny Dublin 7 spot, all arranged around the chef’s counter, so you can see Takuma Tamaoki prepare sushi with exquisite precision, and grate fresh wasabi onto plates. Our own Katy McGuinness marked it 28/30 in her Marsukawa review, and reservations have been like gold dust ever since. Our tip? Follow them on Instagram, where last-minute cancellations are posted and those with the quickest finger can snap up a coveted seat. instagram.com/matsukawa.ie

7. National Surf Centre, Co Sligo

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Wild Atlantic Way and the first full year of trading for the National Surf Centre in Strandhill. Before it opened in June 2023, surfers were changing between car doors on the sea front, shivering under towels they hoped wouldn’t blow away. Now, they can head into the €3m surf centre for a hot shower, or rent boards from one of the resident surf hire companies inside. The indoor space is also used for surf class demonstrations and lessons before people head out into the elements. nationalsurfcentre.ie

8. Cork on a Fork

This imaginative, five-day food festival began with a taster of a pilot project in 2022 but went full steam ahead last year, when it felt like all of the city’s top restaurants and food experiences came on board for a collaborative event that truly celebrated the Cork food scene. There were street events, tastings, food tours and farmers’ markets, with loads of restaurants taking part. It’s yet another way the city earns its stripes as a foodie destination… the pedestrianisation of Princes Street was a pandemic-era innovation, too. corkcity.ie/en/cork-on-a-fork-fest

9. Mayo Velo Rail

You’ve heard of the greenway, but now there’s another railway-themed activity in town. The Mayo Velo Rail opened in Kiltimagh last year, with visitors heading through the countryside on velobikes that are sheltered and fixed to the old train lines, with chair-style seats instead of saddles. It’s a bit of a novelty, a lot of craic, and it brings people to a part of Mayo that wasn’t exactly on the tourist map beforehand. velorail.ie

10. Beyond the Trees Avondale

When it opened in the summer of 2022, Beyond the Trees offered something truly different, with the longest treetop walk in Ireland and a 38-metre tower (complete with a 90-metre-long spiral slide in the middle). Last year, the newly refurbished Avondale House opened to the public, with guests taking guided tours of the historic property as part of At Home with the Parnells, with stories of its previous inhabitants. And thius winter, it launched Treetop Night Lights, with its Tree Top walk illuminated by more than 67,000 twinkling lights. beyondthetreesavondale.com

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