Johnstown Castle Award of Excellence 2025

Irish Heritage Trust properties, Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens in Wexford, and Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum in Roscommon have each received an award at the 34th Annual CIE Tours Awards of Excellence. The awards, which are based on feedback from CIE Tours International customers throughout the year, were presented at a ceremony hosted at Trinity College Dublin.

The annual awards scheme acknowledges tourist attractions which achieve a customer satisfaction rating of 92%+ for an exceptional quality experience and welcome to visitors. The winners are chosen from an independent evaluation of feedback surveys completed by over 450 CIE Tours International customers.

Accepting the CIE Tours International Award of Excellence for the third year in a row, Eoin Ennis, Business Development and Promotions Manager at Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens visitor attraction on a site owned by Teagasc, said: “We are thrilled to be recognised once again with a CIE Excellence Award for Johnstown Castle. This honour reflects the passion, dedication, and care of the entire team at the Irish Heritage Trust and Johnstown Castle, who strive every day to create exceptional visitor experiences. To receive this award based on visitor feedback makes it especially meaningful, and we are truly grateful to everyone who has taken the time to share their experience with us.”

“We are delighted to receive our fourth CIE Excellence award for Johnstown Castle and especially proud to accept this award on behalf of the team at the Irish Heritage Trust at Johnstown Castle. It’s a real testament to the hard work of all our team. “

Johnstown Castle has become a leading visitor attraction in Ireland’s Ancient East, having opened to the public in 2019 following a major conservation and development project. In 2025, over 200,000 people visited Johnstown Castle, with 26%+ of visitors coming from overseas. In addition to tourists from across Ireland, visitors included local members, supporters of the vibrant events calendar, and day visitors exploring the stunning castle, picturesque gardens, and the rich rural heritage of the Irish Agricultural Museum.

With its rich 800-year history, Johnstown Castle continues to reveal its fascinating stories under the stewardship of the Irish Heritage Trust, an independent non-profit organisation. Since opening in 2019, ongoing conservation projects and visitor experience enhancements have continued – all made possible through visitor and membership support, grants and philanthropy.

CIE Tours, which celebrates 94 years in business, is the largest operator of guided tours to Ireland in the North American market. Launched in 1990, the Awards recognise Ireland’s hospitality ambassadors – the people and businesses throughout the country who put Irish tourism on the global stage through the warmth of welcome and quality of service provided to our international visitors.

Sustainability is a key business objective for both CIE Tours and the Irish Heritage Trust. The former recently launched a Sustainability Action Fund to support and acknowledge the contribution their communities make to the success of the business and were awarded the Sustainable Tourism Network’s Foundation Award.

Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum and Gardens is open 7 days per week year-round. Tickets can be purchased in advance and Irish Heritage Trust membership provides access to its sites in Cork, Roscommon and Wexford.