Things to do in Co. Meath
13 places
1.Loughcrew Cairns
a 5,200-year-old passage tomb aligned with the equinox sunrise
A 5,000-year-old Neolithic cemetery crowning the highest hills in Meath, where the equinox sunrise still lights up ancient carved stones inside Cairn T.
- Highlights
- Cairn T — the centrepiece passage tomb with a cruciform chamber
- Equinox sunrise illuminating the carved backstone
- The Hag's Chair kerbstone
2.Bective Abbey
a 878-year-old Cistercian ruin used in Braveheart
Founded in 1147 on the banks of the River Boyne, this free-to-explore Cistercian abbey boasts one of Ireland's finest medieval cloisters — and a starring role in Braveheart.
- Highlights
- Ireland's second Cistercian abbey, founded 1147
- Exquisitely preserved 15th-century cloister with decorated gothic arches
- Filming location for Braveheart, Captain Lightfoot & The Last Duel
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
3.Brú na Bóinne
a 5,200-year-old tomb older than the pyramids
Walk inside a 5,200-year-old passage tomb at Newgrange — older than the pyramids — and stand amid the largest collection of megalithic art in Western Europe at this UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the River Boyne.
- Highlights
- Walk inside a 5,200-year-old passage tomb older than the Great Pyramids
- Winter solstice light simulation inside the Newgrange chamber
- Largest collection of megalithic art in Western Europe at Knowth (300+ decorated stones)
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
4.Irish Military War Museum
a hands-on war museum where you can drive a tank
One of Europe's most extensive hands-on wartime collections — touch, feel and handle original artefacts, vehicles and uniforms spanning conflicts from the Napoleonic era to the Gulf War.
- Highlights
- 15,000+ sq ft of exhibits across two floors
- Drive a real FV432 APC armoured personnel carrier
- Walk through a recreated WW1 trench
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
5.Loughcrew Megalithic Centre
a 5,200-year-old passage tomb older than Newgrange
A family-run visitor centre and campsite at the foot of Loughcrew's 5,200-year-old passage tombs, gateway to Sliabh na Cailli — the Mountain of the Witch — in the Boyne Valley, one hour from Dublin.
- Highlights
- 5,200-year-old passage tombs — older than Newgrange
- Cairn T and the Hag's Chair on Sliabh na Cailli
- Equinox sunrise lights the carved back stone
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
6.Newgrange
Shaft of winter solstice sunlight enters chamber
A 5,000-year-old Neolithic passage tomb older than the pyramids, where a shaft of winter solstice sunlight still illuminates the inner chamber — all accessed from the superb Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre in the Boyne Valley.
- Highlights
- 5,000-year-old passage tomb — older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid of Giza
- Winter solstice sunlight illuminates the inner chamber through a roof box
- Largest collection of megalithic art in Western Europe (at Knowth)
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
7.Trim Castle
20-sided cruciform keep with 3-metre-thick walls
Ireland's largest and best-preserved Anglo-Norman castle — a monumental 20-sided keep with 3-metre-thick walls, surrounded by a curtain wall and moat on the banks of the River Boyne. Also famous as a filming location for *Braveheart*.
- Highlights
- Largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland
- Unique 20-sided cruciform keep with walls 3 m thick
- Braveheart filming location
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
8.Emerald Park
Walk among free-roaming ring-tailed lemurs
Ireland's only theme park and zoo — 50 acres of rollercoasters, water rides, and exotic animals in the heart of the Boyne Valley, just 30 minutes from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Ireland's only theme park and zoo combined
- Na Fianna Force — suspended coaster with two inversions
- Cú Chulainn — Ireland's first wooden rollercoaster
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
9.Moynalty Steam Threshing Museum
vintage steam engines and an 800m riverside park walk
Home of Ireland's long-running steam threshing festival, this volunteer-run site in north Meath pairs a museum of vintage farm machinery with an 800-metre riverside parkland walk.
- Highlights
- Vintage steam threshing, binding and horse-drawn ploughing demonstrations
- Museum of steam threshing machinery and rural memorabilia
- 800m illuminated walkway along the Borora River
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
10.Slane Castle
Where U2 recorded The Unforgettable Fire
A 300-year-old neo-Gothic castle on the banks of the River Boyne — part stately family home of the Conynghams, part legendary rock-concert amphitheatre, part working whiskey distillery, all set on a 1,500-acre Capability Brown-landscaped estate.
- Highlights
- King George IV Ballroom — one of Ireland's finest Gothic Revival interiors
- Legendary concert history: U2, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Springsteen, Bowie, and many more
- Capability Brown-landscaped parkland overlooking the River Boyne
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
11.Loughcrew Estate, Coffee Shop and Gardens
a 17th-century estate beneath Neolithic passage tombs
A 200-acre historic estate where 17th-century pleasure gardens, St. Oliver Plunkett's family church, a medieval motte, and a fairy trail sit in the shadow of Ireland's largest complex of ancient passage graves — just one hour from Dublin.
- Highlights
- Great yew walk dating to 1670
- St. Oliver Plunkett's 17th-century family church
- Interactive Fairy Trail open all year
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
12.Navan Adventure Centre
€15 family fun with footgolf, go-karts & a sand barn
An outdoor multi-activity adventure park on the grounds of Navan Racecourse, where kids and adults can footgolf, pedal-boat, go-kart and bounce their way through a day of fresh-air fun in the Boyne Valley.
- Highlights
- Family Fun package from €15 per child covers 7+ activities
- Ireland's footgolf pioneers with an 18-hole course
- Indoor Sand Barn with 40 tonnes of sea sand
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
13.The Zone
Meath's only giant inflatable obstacle course
The Zone is Navan's big indoor action centre: an indoor go-kart track with a bridge flyover, Meath's only giant inflatable obstacle course, bowling, VR and an outdoor laser-combat arena, all in one industrial-estate venue.
- Highlights
- 24,000 sq ft indoor karting track with bridge flyover
- Giant inflatable obstacle course — the only one in Meath
- Navan's first bowling alley
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access