County Meath

An Mhí

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About County Meath

County Meath ( MEEDH; Irish: Contae na Mí or simply an Mhí, lit. 'middle') is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the southwest, Westmeath to the west, Cavan to the northwest, and Monaghan to the north. To the east, Meath also borders the Irish Sea along a narrow strip between the rivers Boyne and Delvin, giving it the second shortest coastline of any county. Meath County Council is the local authority for the county. Meath is the 14th-largest of Ireland's 32 traditional counties by land area, and the 8th-most populous, with a total population of 220,826 according to the 2022 census. The county town and largest settlement in Meath is Navan, located in the centre of the county along the River Boyne. Other towns in the county include Trim, Kells, Laytown, Ashbourne, Dunboyne, Slane and Bettystown. Colloquially known as "The Royal County", the historic Kingdom of Meath was the seat of the High King of Ireland and, for a time, was also the island's fifth province. Ruled for centuries by the Southern Uí Néill dynasty, in the late 1100s the kingdom was invaded by the Anglo-Norman conqueror Hugh de Lacy, who ousted the Uí Néill and established himself as the Lord of Meath. This lordship gradually diminished in size before being formally shired as County Meath in 1297, which was further sub-divided into Meath and Westmeath in 1542. The county took its present boundaries in 1977, when much of Drogheda was transferred to County Louth. Meath has an abundance of historical sites, including the Hill of Tara, Hill of Slane, Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Loughcrew, the Abbey of Kells, Trim Castle and Slane Castle. The county was also the site of the seminal Battle of the Boyne, which was fought near Oldbridge in 1690, ending in the defeat of James II and his flight to France. It is the only county in Leinster to have Gaeltacht regions, at Ráth Chairn and Baile Ghib, and is also one of only two counties outside of the west of Ireland to have an official Gaeltacht (the other being County Waterford).

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Historic Houses & Forts (39) Ruins & Archaeological Sites (32) Castles (25) Megalithic Sites (21) Family Attractions & Zoos (18) Mountains & National Parks (8) Sea Cliffs & Rock Formations (8) Museums & Galleries (6) Round Towers & High Crosses (5) Abbeys & Monasteries (3) Scenic Viewpoints (1)

Top 10 must-sees in Meath

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Peak County Meath

Hill of Tara

The Hill of Tara (Irish: Teamhair or Cnoc na Teamhrach) is a hill and ancient ceremonial and burial site near Skryne in County Meath, Ireland. Tradition identifies the hill as the inauguration place and seat of the High Kings of Ireland; it also appears in Irish mythology. Tara consists of numerous monuments and earthworks—dating from the Neolithic to the Iron Age—including a passage tomb (the "Mound of the Hostages"), burial mounds, round enclosures, a standing stone (believed to be the Lia Fáil or "Stone of Destiny"), and a ceremonial avenue. There is also a church and graveyard on the hill. Tara forms part of a larger ancient landscape and Tara itself is a protected national monument under the care of the Office of Public Works, an agency of the Irish Government.

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Monument County Meath

Lia Fáil

The Fál (Irish: [fˠaːlˠ]) or Lia Fáil (Irish: [ˌl̠ʲiə ˈfˠaːlʲ]; "Stone of Fál") is a stone at the Inauguration Mound (Irish: an Forrad) on the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, which served as the coronation stone for the King of Tara and hence High King of Ireland. It is also known as the Stone of Destiny or Speaking Stone. According to legend, all of the kings of Ireland were crowned on the stone up to Muirchertach mac Ercae, c. 500 AD.

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House County Meath

Dangan Castle

Dangan Castle is a former stately home in County Meath, Ireland, which is now in a state of ruin. It is situated by Dangan Church on the Trim Road. The castle is the former seat of the Wesley (Wellesley) family and is located outside the village of Summerhill. It was the childhood home of Field Marshal The 1st Duke of Wellington.

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General County Meath

Mellifont Abbey

Mellifont Abbey (Irish: An Mhainistir Mhór, literally 'the Big Monastery') was a Cistercian abbey located close to Drogheda in County Louth, Ireland. It was the first abbey of the order to be built in Ireland. In 1152, it hosted the Synod of Kells-Mellifont. After its dissolution in 1539, the abbey became a private manor house. This saw the signing of the Treaty of Mellifont in 1603 and served as William of Orange's headquarters in 1690 during the Battle of the Boyne. Today, the ruined abbey is a national monument of Ireland and accessible to the public. The English language name for the monastery, 'Mellifont', comes from the Latin phrase Melli-fons, meaning 'Font of Honey'.

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Peak County Meath

Slieve Na Calliagh

Slieve na Calliagh (Irish: Sliabh na Caillí or Sliabh na Cailleach, meaning 'the Cailleach's mountain') are a range of hills and ancient burial site near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. The summit is 276 metres (906 ft), 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 a protected National Monument and is one of the main passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland, along with Brú na Bóinne, Carrowkeel and Carrowmore.

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Abbey County Meath

Silverstream Priory

Silverstream Priory is a Roman Catholic monastery in Stamullen, County Meath, Ireland, founded in 2012. The monastery is an autonomous diocesan priory of the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration. Mark Daniel Kirby (b. 1952) is the founder and was the first superior of the priory until his resignation in 2020. As of March 2023, Fr. Basil Mary McCabe was its prior.

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Megalith County Meath

Newgrange

Newgrange (Irish: Sí an Bhrú) is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, placed on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, eight kilometres (five miles) west of the town of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3100 BC, making it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Newgrange is the main monument in the Brú na Bóinne complex, a World Heritage Site that also includes the passage tombs of Knowth and Dowth, as well as other henges, burial mounds and standing stones. Newgrange consists of a large circular mound with an inner stone passageway and cruciform chamber. Burnt and unburnt human bones and possible grave goods or votive offerings were found in this chamber. The monument has a striking façade made mostly of white quartz cobblestones and ringed by engraved kerbstones. Many of the larger stones of Newgrange are covered in megalithic art. The mound is also ringed by a stone circle. Some of the material that makes up the monument came from as far as the Mournes and Wicklow Mountains. There is no agreement on its purpose, but it is believed to have had religious significance. It is aligned so that the rising sun on the winter solstice shines through a "roofbox" above the entrance and floods the inner chamber. Several other passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with solstices and equinoxes, and Cairn G at Carrowkeel has a similar "roofbox". Newgrange shares similarities with some other Neolithic monuments in Western Europe; especially Gavrinis in Brittany, which has a similar preserved facing and large carved stones, Maeshowe in Orkney, with its large corbelled chamber, and Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales. Its initial period of use lasted around 1,000 years. Newgrange then gradually became a ruin, although the area continued to be a site of ritual activity. It featured in Irish mythology and folklore, in which it is said to be a dwelling of the deities, particularly The Dagda and his son Aengus. Antiquarians first began its study in the seventeenth century, and archaeological excavations began in the twentieth century. Archaeologist Michael O'Kelly led the most extensive of these from 1962 to 1975 and also reconstructed the front of the monument, a controversial reconstruction. This included an inward-curving dark stone wall to ease visitor access. Newgrange is a popular tourist site and, according to archaeologist Colin Renfrew, is "unhesitatingly regarded by the prehistorian as the great national monument of Ireland" and as one of the most important megalithic structures in Europe.

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Castle County Meath

Skreen Castle

Skryne Castle (Irish: Caislean na Scríne or Caisleán Scrín Cholm Cille) was a castle at Skryne, County Meath, Ireland; only ruins remain. The motte and bailey castle was built by Adam de Feypo in the 12th century.

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Megalith County Meath

Knowth

Knowth (; Irish: Cnóbha) is a prehistoric tomb overlooking the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. It comprises a large passage tomb surrounded by 17 smaller tombs, built during the Neolithic era around 3200 BC. It contains the largest assemblage of megalithic art in Europe. Knowth is part of the Brú na Bóinne complex, a World Heritage Site that also includes the similar passage tombs of Newgrange and Dowth. After its initial period of use, Knowth gradually became a ruin, although the area continued to be a site of ritual activity in the Bronze Age. During the early Middle Ages, a royal residence was built on top of the great mound, which became the seat of the Kings of Knowth or Northern Brega. Archaeologist George Eogan led an extensive investigation of the site from the 1960s to 1980s, and parts of the monument were reconstructed.

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Church County Meath

Saint Columcille's House

St. Columb's House (or St. Columcille's House) is an oratory and National Monument in Kells, County Meath, Ireland.

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Videos from Meath

Hill of Tara: The Soul of Ireland - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite

Rick Steves' Europe

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Stone of Destiny - Lia Fáil #HillOfTara #Meath #Ireland #Europe #travel

Mitja Kastrevc

Lia Fáil →

Dangan Castle, Meath, Ireland

Visions of the Past

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Amazing Mellifont Abbey! #ireland #ireland_daily #abbey abbey

NomadicFoxVideo

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Slieve Na Calliagh , Co Meath , Ireland .

Irish County Peaks

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Our Life of Adoration -- Silverstream Priory

Silverstream Priory

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All places in Meath

Showing 24 of 166 places

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PeakMeath

Hill of Tara

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MonumentMeath

Lia Fáil

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HouseMeath

Dangan Castle

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GeneralMeath

Mellifont Abbey

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PeakMeath

Slieve Na Calliagh

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AbbeyMeath

Silverstream Priory

MegalithMeath

Newgrange

CastleMeath

Skreen Castle

MegalithMeath

Knowth

ChurchMeath

Saint Columcille's House

St. Columb's House (or St. Columcille's House) is an oratory and National Monument in Kells, County Meath, Ireland.

MegalithMeath

Dowth

Dowth (Irish: Dubhadh) is the site of Neolithic passage tombs near the River Boyne in County Meath, Ireland. It is one of the three main tombs of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, along with Newgrange and Knowth. Its features align it with the other passage tombs, which date from around 3200 BC. Unlike its neighbours, Dowth has mostly been left as a ruin, although its smaller inner chambers are largely intact. The Royal Irish Academy carried out a botched excavation in 1847, leaving a large crater in the mound that has never been repaired.

CastleMeath

Durhamstown Castle

Durhamstown Castle is a 600-year-old towerhouse in the townland of Durhamstown of the civil parish of Ardbraccan which is in the barony (Ireland) of Lower Navan, in County Meath, Ireland. It has been inhabited continuously since 1420. It is named after a Mr. Dorream (or Mr. Dorram), whose family lived there in 1511, and has been converted into a guest house and restaurant. Although the precise origins of the building are unknown, the existing castle is believed to date from the early 15th century. The building is of four storeys and the ground floor has four vaulted chambers with inserted windows. A square tower with a pointed door which opens to a spiral staircase can be found at its east wall. There are three tall chimneys clustering at the north end of the nave. There is believed to have originally been another storey which was knocked down as a result of a fire. A 19th-century single-storey wing has been added to the north of the old house. In the 16th century the building was owned by The 1st Earl of Essex, Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland. In the 17th century Sir Roger Jones-Lord Ranallagh lived there, whose son Arthur, as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was involved in a scandal whereby the entire Irish Exchequer was diverted to pay for the mistresses of Charles II. During the 18th century its occupants were Thompsons and during the 19th the Roberts family. It is currently owned by Dave and Sue Prickett, who bought it in 1996 and run it as a guest house and restaurant.

CastleMeath

Slane Castle

Slane Castle (Irish: Cáisleán Bhaile Shláine) is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath, Ireland. The castle has been the family seat of the Conyngham family since it was built in the late 18th century, on land first purchased in 1703 by Brig.-Gen. Henry Conyngham. It holds the Slane events within the surrounding gardens with the Irish Independent claiming in 2004 that "Slane today is the kind of internationally recognised venue that can claim even Madonna's attention". The grounds form a natural amphitheatre.

GeneralMeath

Trim Castle Keep

Trim Castle (Irish: Caisleán Bhaile Átha Troim) is a castle on the south bank of the River Boyne in Trim, County Meath, Ireland, with an area of 30,000 m2. 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, through the state agency The Office of Public Works (OPW). The castle is on the List of National Monuments in County Meath.

GeneralMeath

Loughcrew Megalithic Tombs

Loughcrew or Lough Crew (Irish: Loch Craobh, meaning 'lake of the tree') is an area of historical importance near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. It is home to a group of ancient tombs from the 4th millennium BC, some decorated with rare megalithic art, which sit on top of a range of hills. The hills and tombs are together known as Slieve na Calliagh (Sliabh na Caillí) and are the highest point in Meath. 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.

AbbeyMeath

Bective Abbey

Bective Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Bheigthí) is a Cistercian abbey on the River Boyne in Bective, County Meath, Ireland. The abbey was founded in 1147, and the remaining (well-preserved) structure and ruins primarily date to the 15th century. The site, including a nearby car park, were purchased by the state in 2012, and are managed by the Office of Public Works. The abbey, including its early 13th-century church, 15th-century cloister, and 16th-century tower, is a protected structure and recorded on the register of National monuments of Ireland.

RuinsMeath

Ballyboggan Priory

Ballyboggan Abbey, also known as Ballyboggan Priory, is a ruined monastic complex situated near the River Boyne in County Meath. The site is located 7.5 km south of Kinnegad; the R401 road to Edenderry passes nearby. Remaining structures include the abbey church's chancel, nave and a small portion of the south transept.

CastleMeath

Dunsany Castle

Dunsany Castle (Irish: Caisleán Dhún Samhnaí) is a modernised Anglo-Norman castle in County Meath, Ireland, notable as one of Ireland's oldest homes in continuous occupation, possibly the longest occupied by a single lineage, having been held by the Cusack family and their descendants by marriage, the Plunketts, from the 12th century to the present day. Figures associated with the castle include one of the originators of the fantasy genre, Lord Dunsany and the founder of the agricultural cooperative movement in Ireland, Horace Plunkett. Construction of the castle was started c. 1180 by Hugh de Lacy, who also commissioned the original Killeen Castle, nearby, and the famous Trim Castle. The castle is surrounded by its demesne, the inner part of the formerly extensive Dunsany Estate. The demesne holds a historic church dedicated to Saint Nicholas, a walled garden, a stone farm complex, and an ice house, among other features, and is home to a wide range of trees and fauna. It is today the subject of a large-scale rewilding project.

Theme ParkMeath

Emerald Park

Emerald Park (Irish: Páirc Smaragaide), previously known from its 2010 opening to 2022 as Tayto Park, is a 22 ha (55-acre) amusement park and zoo located in the townland of Kilbrew, County Meath, Ireland, about 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Dublin. Upon opening, the park was themed around the Irish potato crisp brand Tayto (whose factory is adjacent to the park), and was originally conceptualised by Tayto’s then owner, farmer-turned-entrepreneur Raymond Coyle (d. 2022). The park includes the only permanent rollercoasters in the Republic of Ireland, a Frisbee ride, adventure playgrounds and an exotic zoo.

Archaeological SiteMeath

Tlachta

The Hill of Ward, or Tlachtga (Irish: Tlachtgha or Tlachta), is a hill and ancient monument in County Meath, Ireland. It is between Athboy (to the west) and Ráth Chairn (to the east). The hill is topped by a large enclosure of four concentric earthen rings. Tlachtga is mentioned in Irish mythology, and later folklore holds that it was a site where druids held sacrificial bonfires at Samhain. Archaeology has shown that Tlachtga dates to the Bronze Age, and was a site of ritual gatherings associated with feasting and intense burning until the late Iron Age. Later, high kings of Ireland held assemblies there. Since the late 1990s, Celtic neopagans have held yearly Samhain gatherings on the hill. The site is a protected National Monument.

Archaeological SiteMeath

Babe's Bridge

Babe's Bridge is the remains of a 13th Century bridge over the River Boyne near Navan, County Meath, in Ireland. The southeast span is extant along with remains of some of the abutments in the river. The remaining arch is owned by the heritage trust An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland as part of the Boyne Navigation property.

PeakFaughan Hill

PeakMeath

Faughan Hill

In these lists of mountains in Ireland, those within Northern Ireland, or on the Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border, are marked with an asterisk, while the rest are within the Republic of Ireland. Where mountains are ranked by height, the definition of the topographical prominence used to classify the mountain (e.g. the change in elevation required between neighbouring mountains), is noted. In British definitions, a height of 600 metres (1,969 ft) is required for a mountain, whereas in Ireland, a lower threshold of 500 metres (1,640 ft) is sometimes advocated. The lowest minimum prominence threshold of any definition of an Irish mountain is 15 metres (49 ft) (e.g. the Vandeleur-Lynam), however most definitions, including the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) criteria, do not consider prominences below 30 metres (98 ft) as being mountains (e.g. must at least be an Arderin or a Hewitt). Many British definitions consider a peak with a prominence below 150 metres (492 ft), as being a top, and not a mountain (e.g. must be a Marilyn). A widely used definition of an Irish mountain requires a minimum prominence of 100 metres (328 ft) (e.g. a HuMP), and is the basis for the 100 Highest Irish Mountains. While Irish mountains are ranked according to Irish classifications, they are also ranked on classifications that cover Great Britain and Ireland (e.g. Simms and P600s).

CastleMeath

Athlumney Castle

Athlumney Castle (Irish: Caisleán Áth Luimnigh) is a tower house and fortified house and a National Monument in Navan, Ireland. The site remains accessible to the public; to enter, visitors need to place a deposit at the nearby B&B and receive a key.

CastleMeath

Donore Castle

Donore Castle is a tower house (caiseal) and National Monument in County Meath, Ireland.

More counties in Leinster

Carlow (49) Dublin (369) Kildare (101) Kilkenny (251) Laois (75) Longford (14) Louth (72) Offaly (72) Westmeath (80) Wexford (195) Wicklow (262)