Kilmainham Gaol has been named the top landmark to visit in Ireland for the fourth year running in the TripAdvisor travellers’ choice awards.
Dublin's historic prison, where the signatories of the 1916 Rising Proclamation were detained before execution 100 years ago this month, claimed the number one spot ahead of Blarney Castle, which came second, and Trinity College Dublin, which got third place.
The winners of the awards were determined using an algorithm which analysed the quantity and quality of TripAdvisor reviews over a 12-month period.
Also in the top 10 Irish landmarks were: Muckross House and gardens in Killarney; Kilkenny Castle; Dún Dúchathair on Inishmore; Bunratty Castle and Folk Park; Arigna mining experience in Carrick-on-Shannon; Leap Castle in Coolderry, Co Offaly; and the Glendalough monastic settlement.
The ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru was named as the world’s best rated landmark, rising from second place last year. Built in the 15th century, the world heritage site stands at 2,430m above sea-level in the middle of a tropical mountain forest.
It was abandoned when the Incas were conquered by the Spaniards in the 16th century and was not known to an international audience until 1911.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre in Abu Dhabi claimed second place, followed by Angkor Wat in Cambodia, St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the Taj Mahal in India and the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba in Spain.
St Peter’s Basilica also claimed the number one spot as the top European landmark.
Top 10 Irish Landmarks
1. Kilmainham Gaol, Dublin
2. Blarney Castle and gardens
3. Trinity College Dublin
4. Muckross House and gardens, Killarney
5. Kilkenny Castle
6. Dún Dúchathair, Inishmore
7. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
8. Arigna mining experience, Roscommon
9. Leap Castle, Coolderry
10. Glendalough monastic settlement
Top 10 European Landmarks
1. St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
2. Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain
3. Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, St Petersburg, Russia
4. The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
5. Milan cathedral (duomo), Milan, Italy
6. Hagia Sophia museum /church, Istanbul, Turkey
7. Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
8. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
9. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris
10. Acropolis, Athens, Greece
