Monasterboice High Crosses - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

Mainistir Bhuithe are the remains of an early Christian monastic settlement in County Louth in Ireland, north of Drogheda. The ruins are a National monument of Ireland and also give their name to the local village. The site includes the remains of two churches built in the 14th century or later and an earlier round tower, but it is most famous for its high crosses.

A fascinating Museum offers a fascinating insight into Irish participants’ involvement in both World War One and World War Two, as well as other military conflicts in world history. It offers a fascinating insight into Irish participants’ involvement in both World War One and World War Two, as well as other military conflicts in world history. It also houses one of the finest collections of WW2 Allied and Axis vehicles and deactivated weapons ever assembled in Ireland.

Athclare Castle is typical of defensive residential architecture of the period. This sixteenth-century tower house was built by the Barnewell family and later extended in the seventeenth century, the plain extension is distinguished by the stocky tower to the east. Athclare has been extended and adapted in the centuries since its construction and is classified as a site of National social historical importance by the Irish National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

This is the first Cistercian monastery in Ireland. St Malachy of Armagh created it in 1142 with the help of a small number of monks sent by St Bernard from Clairvaux. It has several extraordinary architectural features, the foremost of which is the two-storey octagonal lavabo. Today, the ruined abbey is a National monument of Ireland and accessible to the public.

Townley Hall is a magnificent Georgian mansion built just over 200 years ago on a hilltop setting. Today it is surrounded by 60 acres of rolling parkland overlooking the Boyne Valley, very close to the site of the famous battle. The house is now owned by the School of Philosophy and Economic Science, a registered charity based in Ballsbridge Dublin, who use it as a residential study centre.

The Visitor Centre is housed in the restored 18th century Oldbridge House on the banks of the River Boyne. It gives an in-depth insight into the battle between King William III and his father-in-law King James II in 1690. Explore the colourful tale of the Battle of the Boyne through detailed displays and historical reenactments.