Unveiling the Significance of Irish Workhouses as Captivating Tourism Destinations

Abstract

Dark tourism has grown as an area of study since the 1990s with a great deal of research carried out into visitor motivations in recent years. Visitor centres within the dark tourism sector have a balancing act between the education and entertainment elements of tourism and sensitivity to the difficult stories they tell as part of their remit. This study examines the importance of tourism to the survival of Ireland's remaining workhouse buildings and the role the workhouse museums play in the local community. Research found that the visitor demographics and responses correlated with other studies, with a similar spread of male and female respondents to the survey, similar reasons for visiting and many of the same emotional responses.

The workhouses are very large buildings spread over several acres of land and therefore can be difficult and expensive to maintain. Community is very important to the management at Donaghmore and Portumna, and both management teams are open to the use of the buildings for events and education. They are also aware of their place in the local communities, supporting other businesses such as accommodation and restaurants.

This chapter shows that not only are Ireland's workhouses an important part of the history of the country, but they also have a role in modern society as places to preserve and teach that history. Tourism plays an important role in the preservation of the remaining workhouses and in educating the public about a difficult time in Ireland's history.

Citation

Storey, B., O'Leary, S. and O'Connor, N. (2024), "Unveiling the Significance of Irish Workhouses as Captivating Tourism Destinations", Sharma, A., Arora, S. and Shukla, P. (Ed.) Dark Tourism (Building the Future of Tourism), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83797-336-120241001