The number of continental tourists visiting Meath is continuing to grow, and in some cases has quadrupled, according to the chief executive of Meath Tourism, Ms Bríd O'Connell. She estimates that the industry was worth about €40 million to the county this year.
Ms O'Connell attributes the continuing boom to Meath's proximity to Dublin, particularly Dublin Airport, as well as the range of attractions in the county. "All our B&Bs and self-catering facilities that run a good shop have experienced unprecedented growth ."
One of the newest attractions is Trim Castle, which opened to the public two years ago after extensive renovations and is averaging 35,000 visitors a year.
Established Dúchas sites such as the Hill of Tara are attracting close to 150,000 visitors a year, although only half pass through the interpretative centre at Tara; the remainder are self-guided or with organised groups.
Traditionally the megalithic monuments at Newgrange and Knowth have been the biggest attractions, with hundreds of thousands of people visiting them on day trips every year.
Only a tiny percentage went on to visit other parts of Meath, and the potential business was not being realised, Ms O'Connell said.
However, she has used the popularity of the monuments to increase the time visitors spend in the county and therefore the amount of money going into the local economy.
Meath Tourism has been operating for seven years and receives 75 per cent of its funding from the county council, with the balance from annual subscriptions and corporate sponsorship. The coming year will see it focus on developing and marketing new tourist attractions, including water sports based along the county's relatively short coastline between Gormanston and Mornington.