This World Tourism Day we take a look at what are the most popular places to visit in Ireland. Fáilte Ireland has just released the top 10 free and fee attractions tourists flocked to in 2017. 

Editor's note: Today, September 27, is World Tourism Day, a celebration established in  1980 to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide. 

For an island that can fit inside the state of Pennsylvania with room to spare, Ireland has an absurdly wonderful and vast array of attractions and experiences to offer. 

Failte Ireland has just released the top 10 most popular destinations for tourists in Ireland in 2017, and some of the results may surprise you. 

The ranking is divided into fee-to-enter and free-to-enter sites, but the most popular among them all - despite being a fee-to-enter attraction - is the Guinness Storehouse at St. James' Gate in Dublin.

The Guinness Storehouse has long topped the list, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down as 2017 saw its figures soar by 64,000, up to 1,711,218 from 2016. 

The most popular free attraction? The National Gallery of Ireland, also in Dublin. It boasts a stunning collection of Irish and European art from the old masters and modernists alike and is a wonderful place to spend the day - 1,065,929 people agreed last year, upping the gallery's total yearly visitors by a whopping 41%. 

Here's the full list. How many of these have you been to? Do you have a favorite? Tell us on Facebook or in the comment section. 

Top 5 fee-charging attractions in Ireland for 2017:

1) Guinness Storehouse - 1,711,281 (+4%)

The Guinness Storehouse. Photo: iStock

The Guinness Storehouse. Photo: iStock

2) Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience – 1,527,000 (+7%)

Tourists at the Cliffs of Moher

Tourists at the Cliffs of Moher

3) Dublin Zoo – 1,264,300 (+10%)

Dublin Zoo's cutest resident

Dublin Zoo's cutest resident

4) National Aquatic Centre – 1,099,756 (+6%)

National Aquatic Center in Dublin

National Aquatic Center in Dublin

5) Book of Kells - 983,410 (+10%)

The Book of Kells exhibition. Photo: James Fennell

The Book of Kells exhibition. Photo: James Fennell

Ireland’s top 5 free to enter attractions for 2017:

1) The National Gallery of Ireland – 1,065,929 (+41%)

National Gallery Ireland

National Gallery Ireland

2) Castletown House Parklands – 666,541

Castletown Estate, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Castletown Estate, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

3) Glendalough Site – 639,826

Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Photo: Chris Hill

Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Photo: Chris Hill

4) National Botanic Gardens – 569,652 (-2%)

The National Botanic Garden

The National Botanic Garden

5) DLR LexIcon (Dun Laoighaire Rathdown) – 525,708 (+12%)

DLR Lexicon Photo: William Murphy/Flickr

DLR Lexicon Photo: William Murphy/Flickr