The Irish National Heritage Park

What The Irish National Heritage Park does

The Irish National Heritage Park is a nonprofit outdoor living history museum located at Ferrycarrig, County Wexford, Ireland, on 35 acres of reclaimed marshland on the banks of the River Slaney. Opened in Summer 1987 and operated by the Wexford Heritage Trust (a registered charity), the park features 16 reconstructed historical sites spanning 9,000 years of Irish history from the Stone Age through the Viking and Anglo-Norman periods. The core product is a self-guided park experience complemented by three costumed guided tours (Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland, Age of Invasion) and the Carrig Project, a live archaeological excavation partnership with the Irish Archaeological Field School at the site of the first Norman fortification in Ireland (built by Robert FitzStephen in 1169).

The business operates a diversified, predominantly direct-to-consumer revenue model. Primary streams are admission tickets (Adult €18, Senior/Student €14, Child €9, Family €40-€48), the Annual Pass subscription, and a County Wexford Local Membership scheme offering 50% discounts. Supplementary revenue comes from fee-based experiences (Birds of Prey falconry at €55/person, Viking daily life), corporate events, civil weddings at the licensed Crannog, themed children's birthday parties, school and language school tours, and an on-site restaurant and café.

The customer base spans families and individual tourists (primary), primary/secondary schools, language schools, third-level students, tour groups, corporate clients, wedding parties, and birthday hosts. Distribution is through the park's own website with online ticketing, on-site box office, and group booking coordination. The park is a partner attraction in Ireland's Ancient East (Government of Ireland) and Wonders of Wexford (Wexford County Council) regional tourism initiatives, and is EcoMerit-certified. Headcount is approximately 8 employees, and the park has operated without venture or private equity ownership.

Name

The Irish National Heritage Park

Legal name

The Irish National Heritage Park

Website

https://irishheritage.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Irish National Heritage Park is a nonprofit outdoor living history museum in Ferrycarrig, County Wexford, Ireland, featuring 16 reconstructed sites spanning 9,000 years of Irish history. Operated by Wexford Heritage Trust, it serves families, tourists, schools, and event clients through ticketed admissions, guided tours, and supplementary experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Tourism and Cultural Attractions

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)

Keywords

• Outdoor heritage museum
• Living history experiences
• Archaeological tourism
• Cultural heritage education
• Historical site tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferrycarrig

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Visitors pay admission fees to enter the park. Pricing varies by category (Adult €18, Senior/Student €14, Child €9, Under 4 free, Family packages €40-48). Tickets are date-specific and non-refundable.
2. Annual Pass Membership: Annual pass providing unlimited access for 12 months, free parking, discounted guest rates, and supporting Wexford Heritage Trust (registered charity).
3. Local Membership Scheme: 50% discount on general admission for permanent residents of County Wexford, providing recurring visits at reduced rates.
4. Falconry Experience: 60-minute Birds of Prey experience at €55 per person, must be booked at least one week in advance, accommodates 2-8 people.
5. Restaurant and Café: On-site restaurant and café with indoor and outdoor seating, offering breakfast and lunch menus, home-baked cakes and treats. Open daily from 10am.
6. Corporate Events: Corporate team building events and social gatherings held at the park, with themed walks, games, and historical experiences for company groups.
7. Wedding Services: Civil ceremonies held at the Crannog (licensed venue), with Humanist and other ceremonies available elsewhere in the park depending on guest numbers.
8. Birthday Parties: Various party packages including Viking-themed celebrations (€20 per child), Feathers & Fun falconry parties, and Wings & Wands fairy door painting.
9. School Tours: Guided educational tours for primary and secondary schools, language schools, and third-level students covering Irish history from the Stone Age to the arrival of Vikings and Anglo-Normans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Irish National Heritage Park operates a 35-acre outdoor living history museum featuring 16 reconstructed historical sites spanning 9,000 years of Irish history, from the Stone Age through Viking and Anglo-Norman periods. The core offering includes three themed guided tours (Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland, and Age of Invasion), the Carrig Project live archaeological excavation, and ancillary paid experiences such as the Birds of Prey falconry program and Viking daily-life experience. The park also serves as an educational venue for school and university groups, an event venue for weddings and corporate functions, and a leisure attraction for families and tourists.

Product overview

The Irish National Heritage Park is an outdoor museum experience featuring 16 reconstructed historical sites spanning 9,000 years of Irish history across 35 acres of native woodland, marshland, and shoreline. The core offering centers on the Park Experience and Guided Tours (Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland, Age of Invasion), supported by School Tours for educational groups. The product portfolio is extended through fee-based Experiences including Birds of Prey (falconry), Daily Life in the 10th Century (Viking costume experience), Corporate Events, Weddings, and Birthday Parties. On-site amenities include a Restaurant and Café. Entry is ticketed via General Admission (€9-€18) or Annual Pass, with a Local Membership scheme for County Wexford residents offering 50% discounts. The Carrig Project provides live archaeological excavation access in partnership with the Irish Archaeological Field School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Falconry Ireland: Birds of Prey experience featuring falconry demonstrations with owls, hawks, and falcons, led by Master Falconer Jim O'Connor.

Products and services

• Guided Tours Three themed guided tours delivered in medieval costume covering Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland, and the Age of Invasion, led by costumed guides with facts, figures, dates, and stories spanning Irish pre-history and history. Targeted at general visitors, families, and tourists.
• School Tours Educational guided tours for primary schools, secondary schools, language schools, and third-level students covering Irish history from the Stone Age through the arrival of Vikings and Anglo-Normans, aligned with curriculum requirements.
• Birds of Prey Experience A 60-minute falconry experience with Master Falconer Jim O'Connor introducing birds of prey including owls, hawks, and falcons, handling and learning about the birds. Priced at €55 per person (minimum 2, maximum 8 participants).
• Daily Life in the 10th Century Experience A guided Viking experience where visitors dress in Viking tunics and learn about Viking traditions, customs, and daily life over a one-hour session set in the Royal House of the Crannog, including coin striking and a march to the Viking Boatyard.
• Corporate Events Corporate event venue offering team building activities, themed walks, games, and challenges focused on history or ecology, suitable for team building or social gatherings with international colleagues or customers.
• Weddings Wedding ceremonies held at unique historical settings including the Crannog (licensed for civil ceremonies) or elsewhere in the park for Humanist and other ceremonies, depending on guest numbers.
• Birthday Parties Themed birthday party packages including the 10th Century Celebration (€20 per child), Party like a Viking, Feathers & Fun with falconry, Wings & Wands fairy theme, and Create-Your-Own party options (€15 per child).
• General Admission Tickets Day tickets granting access to the park's 16 reconstructed sites. Adult €18.00, Senior/Student €14.00, Child €9.00, Under 4 free, Family 2+1ch €40.00, Family 2+2/3ch €48.00. Tickets are date-specific and non-refundable.
• Annual Pass Unlimited daily access year-round with benefits including access to 16 reconstructed sites, over 3 km of walks and trails, dog-friendly access, free parking, on-site café and gift shop, and discounted rates for bringing guests. Valid for 12 months from purchase.
• Local Membership Scheme A 50% discount scheme for permanent residents of County Wexford requiring proof of address and Eircode, with tickets booked in advance via the website.
• Restaurant and Café On-site restaurant and café in the Visitor Centre with indoor and outdoor seating, offering breakfast and lunch menus, home-baked cakes and sweet treats, with views over the Crannog. Open daily from 10am.
• The Carrig Project A live archaeological excavation site in partnership with the Irish Archaeological Field School featuring the remains of the first Norman fortification in Ireland built by Robert FitzStephen in 1169, with ongoing excavations and rebuilt stone walls including part of the Great Hall wall using original castle stone.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated 'excellent' by 793 travelers on TripAdvisor

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Irish Archaeological Field School (IAFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigging the Lost Town of Carrig is a partnership project involving the Irish Archaeological Field School and the Irish National Heritage Park. The IAFS began excavating the Carrig site in 2018, discovering foundations of stone structures including the Great Hall and Chapel walls. They have unearthed finds such as pottery, knives, arrow heads, nails, stirrups and medieval knights' horse equipment.
• Wexford County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWexford County Council provides support for the Carrig Project partnership with the Irish Archaeological Field School. The council also promotes the park through the Wonders of Wexford initiative.
• Visit Wexford / Ireland's Ancient EastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe park is featured as a partner attraction in the Ireland's Ancient East regional tourism initiative and the Wonders of Wexford promotional program, which offers joint marketing and 10% discount at partner locations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Craggaunowen Project: An outdoor archaeological heritage park in County Clare featuring reconstructed prehistoric and early medieval dwellings (crannog, ringfort, etc.); smaller-scale and directly comparable as a reconstructed prehistory experience in Ireland.
• Highland Folk Museum: Outdoor living history museum in the Scottish Highlands with reconstructed dwellings from different periods; analogous scale and education-driven operating model to the Irish National Heritage Park.
• Bunratty Castle & Folk Park: County Clare-based outdoor heritage park with reconstructed historical buildings, a folk village, and costumed interpreters, directly comparable to the Irish National Heritage Park's model of experiential, multi-period heritage attractions.
• Beamish Museum: Large open-air living museum in northeast England featuring reconstructed historic buildings, costumed interpreters, and tramway, with a comparable direct-to-consumer model including admissions, memberships, and experiential add-ons.

Broad incumbents

• Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre (Newgrange): The state-run visitor centre for the Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth passage tombs, also operated by the Office of Public Works; competes for the same 'Ireland's Ancient East' tourist spend and is a benchmark for Irish heritage site operations.
• Skansen: The world's first open-air museum on Stockholm's Djurgården island, featuring historical buildings across a large site; serves as a global benchmark for the living history museum model the Irish National Heritage Park operates.
• National Museum of Ireland: State-operated network of museums covering Irish archaeology, history, and natural history; competes for school tours and tourist visits and operates as a benchmark for heritage education programming in Ireland.
• Colonial Williamsburg: Large-scale living history attraction in Virginia featuring reconstructed period buildings, costumed interpreters, and educational programming; comparable in product format (multi-period living history) and reliance on ticketing and experiences.
• EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum: Dublin-based, award-winning visitor attraction that similarly monetizes Irish heritage through ticketed experiences, group bookings, and event venues; comparable in revenue model and audience targeting (tourists, schools, corporate groups).

Emerging players

• Irish Archaeology Field School: Direct partner of the Irish National Heritage Park on the Carrig Project; comparable as an experiential archaeological heritage offering in Ireland, though primarily an educational/research operation rather than a tourist attraction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heritageparkwex
• YouTubeyoutube.com/heritagepark
• Instagraminstagram.com/irishnationalheritagepark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-irish-national-heritage-park

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Irish National Heritage Park