20 Attractions to Explore Near Newgrange

Brú na Bóinne is one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe drawing thousands of visitors daily. Each of the tombs has their own myths to explore against the beautiful backdrop of the gently meandering River Boyne. The archaeological landscape within Brú na Bóinne is dominated by the three well-known large passage tombs, Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built some 5,000 years ago in the Neolithic or Late Stone Age.

Knowth is a Neolithic passage grave and an ancient monument of the World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne located 8.4 km west of Drogheda in Ireland's valley of the River Boyne. It is the largest passage grave of the Brú na in diameter,covering roughly a hectare. It contains two passages placed along an east-west line and is encircled by 127 kerbstones, of which three are missing, and four badly damaged.

A 5,500-year-old passage tomb uncovered at Dowth Hall in the heart of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage site in Co Meath is “the most significant megalithic find in Ireland in the last 50 years”, archaeologists believe. It is less developed as a tourist attraction than its neighbours, partly because the chamber is much lower, and partly because the decoration is less visible.

The farm is a family run mixed farm with Tillage, Sheep, Poultry, Donkeys, Goats, Pigs and Rabbits set in the open countryside of the Boyne Valley near the village of Donore. With fantastic facilities and opportunities nearby, it serves as heart-warming accommodation for a group of friends or family wanting to explore Counties Louth, Meath, Dublin and Wicklow.

The Ledwidge Cottage Museum commemorates the Irish poet, political activist, nationalist and war hero Francis Ledwidge (1887-1917). The cottage is the family home where Ledwidge was the eight of nine children who grew up in poverty. It is a perfect example of a 19th Century farm labourer's cottage and was purchased and restored by the Francis Ledwidge Museum Committee in 1981.

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.

Littlewood is a forest covering 28 hectares. Today it comprises a varied mix of conifer and broadleaved tree species. The trees were planted by the Slane estate sometime before 1840. Most of the trees planted were broadleaved, primarily oak which was such a valuable building timber – large stumps of oak are common throughout the forest.

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.

Slane Abbey is the ruins on the Hill of Slane, Ireland where Saint Patrick infamously lit his bonfire during the pagan festival of Ostara, directly opposite the Hill of Tara. The current ruins include 1512 CE reconstructions of the monastic Abbey.

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.

The Mary McAleese Boyne Valley Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge 3km west of Drogheda spanning the Boyne and the county boundaries of Meath and Louth. The bridge is tolled and forms part of the M1 motorway which links Dublin and Belfast. This bridge is known for its beautiful architecture and has been built taking the environment into consideration. Earlier known as River Boyne bridge, this bridge was given its present name in 2012 and is named after Irish president Mary McAleese.

Slane Castle, set in the middle of a 1,500 acre estate in the heart of the Boyne Valley, County Meath, and is the perfect venue to host your family, friends, wedding, gala dinner, conference or corporate function. It holds the Slane Festival within its grounds, with the Irish Independent claiming in 2004 that "Slane today is the kind of internationally recognised venue that can claim even Madonna's attention". Its sloping lawns form a natural amphitheatre.

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.

Newgrange is a Stone Age monument in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, Ireland. It was built about 3,200 BC (5,200 years ago) during the Neolithic period, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. The site consists of a large circular mound with an inner stone passageway and chambers. Human bones and possible grave goods or votive offerings were found in these chambers. The mound has a retaining wall at the front, made mostly of white quartz cobblestones.

This is an Elizabethan castle now in ruins, located near Duleek in County Meath. It was constructed by William Bathe in 1590 and was then rebuilt in 1830. The castle was abandoned in the 1950s and is now in a sorry state of repair. It is claimed that King James II once owned the castle and that he stayed there in 1690 when en route to the Battle of the Boyne. Some say that his ghost returns to the castle on occasions and appears dumbfounded.

St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church is located on West Street, Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Designed by J. O'Neill and W.H. Byrne and built in the French Gothic style of local limestone ashlar in 1884. The church is famous for its tall west gable, rose window and for containing the national shrine of St. Oliver Plunkett. It is one of the most notable buildings on West Street in the town centre of Drogheda. The building from 1793 was partly incorporated into the present building.

Millmount is a large fortified complex situated on a great mound on the South bank of the River Boyne located in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. Today the complex houses the Millmount Museum which houses a wide variety of artifacts of local and national importance. The complex is Drogheda's most dominant feature, clearly visible from all parts of the town. The Martello tower is affectionately known as "The Cup and Saucer" by locals.

The Tholsel was a name traditionally used for a local municipal and administrative building used to collect tolls and taxes and to administer trade and other documents in Irish towns and cities. Towards the end of the 18th century the term tholsel was typically swapped for Market House with many of the administrative functions of the original tholsel transferring to another dedicated local council or government building such as a court or sessions house.

Magdalene Tower is a landmark located at the highest point of the northern part of Drogheda, County Louth, in Ireland. The tower itself is of 14th-century construction. It springs from a fine Gothic Arch, above which there are two further storeys connected by a spiral staircase.

Highlanes Gallery is a public art gallery and visual arts exhibition centre in Drogheda, Ireland.It promotes and exhibits modern and contemporary art in the north-east region through a dynamic and diverse programme of exhibitions and access initiatives. The Collection dates from the middle of the eighteenth century and is housed at the former Franciscan Friary Church in St. Laurence Street in Drogheda.