Crumlin Road Gaol Achieves 5-Star Attraction Rating

Crumlin Road Gaol has been awarded a 5-star visitor attraction rating, under the Tourism NI Quality Grading Scheme.

The Tourism NI Quality Grading Scheme was designed to provide visitors with information on the quality of the experience they can expect at Northern Ireland's tourist attractions, whilst assisting operators to maintain and continue to improve the quality of their offering.

To achieve a star rating, Crumlin Road Gaol, Northern Ireland’s only remaining Victorian era prison, was subject to an unannounced mystery assessment from a Quality Advisor who underwent the customer journey. The assessor concluded his experience with very positive feedback stating: "It is an excellent, thought provoking and stimulating attraction that educates and informs visitors about this historic building that played such a role in the history of Belfast."

Commenting on Crumlin Road Gaol's five star grading John McGrillen, Tourism NI Chief Executive said: "Crumlin Road Gaol is an outstanding attraction and the visitor offering and experience is unique in Northern Ireland.

"The tours are educating, thought provoking and well balanced and the introduction of a fully licensed restaurant helped Crumlin Road Gaol achieve five-star status.

"Joining an elite club of only five other five star graded attractions, this accolade provides an additional marketing tool to help drive visitor numbers to the Gaol and to Northern Ireland."

Since opening in 2012 the popular Belfast visitor attraction has welcomed over 600,000 International and national visitors.

Director of Crumlin Road Gaol Phelim Devlin added: "We are overjoyed to have received the five-star rating for Crumlin Road Gaol Visitor Attraction and Conference Centre.

"We are one of five visitor attractions to receive this prestigious award which shows us that we are up there with the best visitor attraction in Northern Ireland.

"This year we have worked hard to improve the visitors experience and with the addition of a new restaurant, Cuffs Bar & Grill, we can now offer visitors the full package.

"We have a great team of staff and tour guides at Crumlin Road Gaol which particularly enhance the visitors experience, we are delighted their efforts have been recognised and rewarded with this this 'outstanding' grading."