Shocked children on a school trip saw a couple having sex in the ground of an Irish castle, it was revealed yesterday.
It was one of more than 160 complaints made last year to the Office of Public Works.
Others included gripes about transphobic posters and a worker serving tea who had a “good rub of his nose” before handling over the cups.
READ MORE: Irish island made famous by Star Wars is under attack by drones
Phoenix Park, Bru na Boinne, Castletown House, and the Battle of the Boyne site attracting the highest numbers of gripes from visitors.
A sample of complaints from three National Historic Properties reveals how one teacher wrote after her class visited Kilkenny Castle.
The tutor said: “I was very unhappy to hear back that my children were exposed to a couple having sex nearby one of the orienteering marking points.”
Another mum wrote about her shock at being told to use the disabled toilet if she wanted to breastfeed at Dublin Castle, according to records released under FOI. Another complaint referred to transphobic posters that had popped up at Dublin Castle saying Gender Identity? We’re not buying it.
Phoenix Park and Castletown House in Co Kildare attracted the highest number of complaints of OPW sites last year with 81 and 18.
A OPW spokeswoman said the number of observations received each year was “very modest” in the context of the millions of annual visitors.
She added: “The OPW also receives a large quantity of complimentary comments and thank yous regarding the excellent service provided by our frontline staff.”
READ MORE: Surprising story behind a common sight in Dublin's Phoenix Park that most people don’t know about
READ MORE: The heartbreaking reason humans can never touch wild baby animals
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter .
