Meath - 35 Attractions You Must Visit

The Loughcrew complex is a megalithic cemetery containing around 30 passage tombs and is situated around the summit of three hills near the town of Oldcastle, Co. Meath. There are four main types of tombs, each being named after a particular and defining feature. It is one of the four main passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland and is a protected National Monument. The area is also home to the Loughcrew Estate, from which it is named.

Newgrange is a 5,200 year old passage tomb located in the Boyne Valley in Ireland's Ancient East. It is surrounded by 97 large stones called kerbstones some of which are engraved with megalithic art; the most striking is the entrance stone. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic period, around 3200 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

The Sheep Gate is the only surviving gate of five that once provided access to Trim. The town wall and its gates were built in the 13th or 14th century. Sheep Gate may have been so named as a toll was charged here for sheep being brought in to be sold at market. The gate was the southeastern entrance to the town, and is located just north of the River Boyne. Sheep Gate survives as a stone archway.

Skryne Castle is a 3-storey, 12th-century structure, located in lush countryside and just a short distance from the legendary Hill of Tara. The castle is currently available to rent on a self-catering basis. The building is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a nun who disappears silently when spotted, and a tall man and his hunting hound were rumoured to walk the grounds too, although they have not been seen in recent times.

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.

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.

Slieve na Calliagh are a range of hills and ancient burial site near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. The summit is 276 metres, the highest point in the county. On the hilltops are about twenty passage tombs, some decorated with rare megalithic art, which were built in the 4th millennium BC. Also called the Loughcrew tombs, it is one of the main passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland, along with Brú na Bóinne, Carrowkeel and Carrowmore.

St Columba’s Church is one of County Meath’s most important religious sites, as it marks the location of the original monastery of Kells and Ireland’s principal Columban community during medieval times. The church marks the location of the town’s original monastery, established in the early middle ages after the High King of Ireland gave Columba the fort of Kells to set up a religious community.

St. Mary's Abbey in Trim, County Meath, Ireland is a former house of Augustinian canons dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. The abbey was situated on the north bank of the River Boyne, opposite Trim Castle, on land given to St. Patrick who is often credited with founding the abbey. The abbey was a prominent pilgrimage site, famous for the healing power of its statue of the Virgin Mary, until its dissolution under Henry VIII during the Reformation.

A majestic wooden roller coaster located at Tayto Park in Ashbourne, County Meath, Ireland. Manufactured by The Gravity Group, the wooden coaster features an overbanked turn and opened on 6 June 2015. With the figure of Ireland’s greatest mythological warrior emblazoned across the front of the rollercoaster, Cú Chulainn leads his passengers through an epic and thrilling experience like no other.

Trim Castle is the largest, best-preserved & most impressive Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. It was built In 1172, shortly after the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in Ireland. King Henry II granted his baron Hugh de Lacy the Kingdom of Meath, along with custody of Dublin. Over a period of 30 years, it was built by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter as the caput of the Lordship of Meath. The Irish Government currently own and are in charge of the care of the castle.

Trim Castle is a popular spot, few visitors realise that there is a wonderful River Walk adjacent to the castle that is one of the nicest strolls in Ireland. The route is popular with locals. This tranquil river walk commences at Trim Castle and finishes at the ruins of the 13th century town of Newtown, providing a glimpse of life in Trim in the Middle Ages.

Trim Cathedral, is an Anglican building in the town of Trim in County Meath. Although austere in appearance on the outside, the building is a gem on the inside. Previously the cathedral of the Diocese of Meath, it is now one of two cathedrals in the United Dioceses of Meath and Kildare which is part of the ecclesiastical province of Dublin.

A Corinthian column, 75 feet high, was erected in honour of the Duke of Wellington at the corner of the Fair Green in Trim. The inscription reads “This column was erected in the year 1817 in honour of the illustrious Duke of Wellington by the grateful contributions of the people of Meath.” The monument was erected on this site because Wellington resided nearby while M.P. for Trim.