Visit an OPW Heritage Site For Free

snubbleste

The OPW have free admission to their heritage sites every first wednesday of the month. Starts today, ends December.
List of places http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/media/Details.pdf

cianof

Didn't all these heritage sites used to be free to view at one point?

lindtee

Thanks for posting. Today is the first Wednesday of the month but the weather is woeful:( Still might take the lads to Barryscourt Castle later as its near and free! Loads of places to go in Dublin but only 4 in Cork Edit- Seems that Barryscourt Castle is always free!

Linoge

I'm running down to Stephens Green now to get in free for the day!

schemingbohemia

lindtee wrote: »

Thanks for posting. Today is the first Wednesday of the month but the weather is woeful:( Still might take the lads to Barryscourt Castle later as its near and free! Loads of places to go in Dublin but only 4 in Cork Edit- Seems that Barryscourt Castle is always free!

Charlesfort is a great spot, make sure to go on the guided tour. Our guide for that was superb she really brought the place and it's history to life for us.

snubbleste

This offer is still going every first wednesday of the month throughout 2013.
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/media/Free%20Wednesdays%202013.pdf

aspasp1

did use this last year and it was fun to see few sites

snubbleste

This offer is still going. Next Wednesday.

snubbleste

On Wednesday
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/media/Free%20Wednesdays.pdf

L1011

cianof wrote: »

Didn't all these heritage sites used to be free to view at one point?

Rarely, some may have been when they didn't have guides/visitor centres. If anything, more have become free over time as well as generally getting cheaper.

jpb14

MYOB wrote: »

Rarely, some may have been when they didn't have guides/visitor centres. If anything, more have become free over time as well as generally getting cheaper.

IF the OPW were actually serious about this,then they would open these locations up to people on a Saturday or a Sunday when kids are off school and most people are finished work for the week.Its rather silly to open them up on a working weekday.But maybe the OPW dont want many visitors and kids to visit and take interest in Irish Heritage?
Shannon Heritage took over the running of Malahide Castle in 2012 and hardly anyone visits the gardens anymore as you now have to pay a tenner to walk around a small section of the gardens.It was all free until Shannon Heritage took over.:(

Hootanany

They must be getting a BIG grant for taking it on:cool:

L1011

jpb14 wrote: »

IF the OPW were actually serious about this,then they would open these locations up to people on a Saturday or a Sunday when kids are off school and most people are finished work for the week.Its rather silly to open them up on a working weekday.But maybe the OPW dont want many visitors and kids to visit and take interest in Irish Heritage?
Shannon Heritage took over the running of Malahide Castle in 2012 and hardly anyone visits the gardens anymore as you now have to pay a tenner to walk around a small section of the gardens.It was all free until Shannon Heritage took over.:(

They are open on weekends. This is a way to get people to visit on quieter days.

Malahide Castle was Fingal CC rather than the OPW beforehand was it not?

jpb14

MYOB wrote: »

They are open on weekends. This is a way to get people to visit on quieter days.

Malahide Castle was Fingal CC rather than the OPW beforehand was it not?

Are they all for free at weekends though?I know the OPW were not in charge of Malahide Castle,never said they were.It was Fingal CC as its in Fingals zone,but prior to SH taking it over in 2012 and opening it back up it was allways free.Fook all people paying in to the gardens now.They just look around in Avoca and have some food in the cafe,thats about it.

L1011

jpb14 wrote: »

Are they all for free at weekends though?

No. As I said, the point of the promotion is to get people to go on quieter days. It likely also has some use for providing cheaper school tours as in recent years I've noticed schools are unwilling to ask for even the level of cash they did back in similarly bad times in the early 1990s due to how many won't have it.

jpb14

MYOB wrote: »

No. As I said, the point of the promotion is to get people to go on quieter days. It likely also has some use for providing cheaper school tours as in recent years I've noticed schools are unwilling to ask for even the level of cash they did back in similarly bad times in the early 1990s due to how many won't have it.

Schools have cash allright,they allways want cash up front at the beginning of terms for this that and the other.My kids school does anyway.
If the OPW did a scheme like "1st Sunday of each month is free" then they would increase visitor numbers to these places by alot.
Doing a Free Saturday or Free Sunday once a month opens it up to entire families that wouldnt be able to go on a working day or schoolday wednesday.
.

JabbaTheHut

jpb14 wrote: »

Schools have cash allright,they allways want cash up front at the beginning of terms for this that and the other.My kids school does anyway.
If the OPW did a scheme like "1st Sunday of each month is free" then they would increase visitor numbers to these places by alot.
Doing a Free Saturday or Free Sunday once a month opens it up to entire families that wouldnt be able to go on a working day or schoolday wednesday.
.

While at this time of the year, things can be relativly quiet, by the height of summer, giving a free Saturday or Sunday would be mental. As it is, during the busy summer months, the weekends can be incredibly busy, and addind a free entrance would just make it almost impossible to enjoy with the crowds.

jpb14

JabbaTheHut wrote: »

While at this time of the year, things can be relativly quiet, by the height of summer, giving a free Saturday or Sunday would be mental. As it is, during the busy summer months, the weekends can be incredibly busy, and addind a free entrance would just make it almost impossible to enjoy with the crowds.

I know what you are saying there,and I can understand that places will get crowded.
But with 1 free Sunday per month for the likes of "spring months" you would be opening up "Irelands Heritage" to everyone and also to singles,couples and families who may like to go to these places and see the heritage but who might not be able to afford to bring their family to such places when they factor in the total cost to gain entry.

Lissavane

jpb14 wrote: »

I know what you are saying there,and I can understand that places will get crowded.
But with 1 free Sunday per month for the likes of "spring months" you would be opening up "Irelands Heritage" to everyone and also to singles,couples and families who may like to go to these places and see the heritage but who might not be able to afford to bring their family to such places when they factor in the total cost to gain entry.

Who would you like to see pay for this subsidy?

jpb14

Lissavane wrote: »

Who would you like to see pay for this subsidy?

The same body that has no problem in picking up the tab and paying the subsidy on a "free wednesday"
The State.
1 free Saturday or Sunday per month during the spring months would bring in many more visitors,singles,couples,families and tourists than there would be on a "free wednesday" per month
Afterall it is supposed to be about Free Irish Heritage and not a case of "show me the money 1st".

bogman

jpb14 wrote: »

Schools have cash allright,they allways want cash up front at the beginning of terms for this that and the other.My kids school does anyway.

Consider yourself lucky, I know one large school who's budget for the year has been slashed to around half of the pension that Brian and Bertie each receive, their transition year and LCA grant taken away completely and the heating regularly switched off, one student I know of arrived in school with a hot water bottle to keep her warm.

jpb14

bogman wrote: »

Consider yourself lucky, I know one large school who's budget for the year has been slashed to around half of the pension that Brian and Bertie each receive, their transition year and LCA grant taken away completely and the heating regularly switched off, one student I know of arrived in school with a hot water bottle to keep her warm.

I understand about lack of funds,and hense why Im saying about a free Sunday each month for the spring months.Because ALOT of families dont have much money left over either,the Irish League OF Credit Union reports and surveys show this to be the case.
Heritage should be for free at least 1 weekend day each month for the spring months or the summer months.1 Saturday or a Sunday out of each month,so that all people and families whether they be rich or poor can enjoy it and people who cant actually afford to pay to visit these places and therefore dont ever get to see them.
This allows everyone from a child to an old man or woman to see and understand Irish Heritage and not the select few that can and will pay higher admission costs because its the weekend.
The State and the OPW purposely pick a Wednesday as they know that alot less people will visit these "heritage places", due to work and school,so the bill they pick up for footing it will be alot less too.
So its not about "free heritage" to them at all.As Jessie J says in her song "Its all about the money".
If the State and the OPW are really that serious about "free heritage" then open up all these "heritage sites" for free on 1 sunday of each month for the spring months or the summer months to give all the people of Ireland and the tourists too their "free heritage".

During heritage week they usually have alot of freebies with loads of extra activities on in some locations

snubbleste

Bump
It's today!
http://www.heritageireland.ie/media/Changes%20to%20Free%20Wednesdays%202016.pdf

sundodger5

snubbleste wrote: »

Bump
It's today!
http://www.heritageireland.ie/media/Changes%20to%20Free%20Wednesdays%202016.pdf

No freebies June,July and August....so not today...

snubbleste

Oops missed that bit.
Just pay them so.