Castles and Historic Sites in Co. Meath
6 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.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
3.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
4.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
5.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
6.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