Top Things to do in County Meath
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The 10 Best Historic Sites in County Meath, Province of Leinster
Discover the best top things to do in County Meath, Ireland including Trim Castle, Loughcrew Cairns, Bru na Boinne, Hill of Slane, Loughcrew Estate, Donaghmore Round Tower, Bective Abbey, Newgrange, Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul, Hill of Tara.
Restaurants in County Meath
1. Trim Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,699 reviews
Completed around 1220, the Irish Parliament met there several times in the 15th century. It was also used as a mint for the country's currency. In modern times, "Braveheart" was filmed in Trim Castle.
Reviewed By ChitchatCanada
Included in your entrance fee to the castle is a 45 min guided tour - which we found very interesting, informative, and enjoyable and learned why this ruin is really considered more of a Keep as opposed to a castle.....and at the end of the tour you are taken to the top where there are spectacular 360° views of the surrounding area.
2. Loughcrew Cairns
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 302 reviews
Loughcrew Cairns are one of Meaths best kept secerts.The monumnets date back to 3.500BC and loughcrew tombs offer guided tours throughout these historic hills.
Reviewed By daviddJ3376XE
Loughcrew is a series of tombs spread across several hills near Oldcastle in Meath. The tombs date from the Neolithic period and are probably in or around 5300 years old. The largest of these tombs is Cairn T, on the hill of Carnbane East. There is a car park and a little walk over the fields to the top of the hill brings you to cairns. The views are wonderful, as this is the highest point in County Meath and on a clear day you can see Slieve Gullion and other mountains to the north. Most of the tombs only remain as stone circles, but Cairn T has an intact central chamber, which is fenced off. However, even though technically you can get a key, the passageway is barred by a steel support after about 2 metres, so there is no real point in getting the key. The rock carvings can be partly viewed through the iron doorway anyway. A nearby tomb is completely open and also has some impressive rock carvings. The site boasts some amazing views, but it is not wheelchair friendly, and, as one is walking over grass and sheep fields, some form of waterproof footwear is advisable.
3. Bru na Boinne
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,354 reviews
Space is limited each day to 650 people, but it is well-worth the visit. The site is 5,000 years old, which makes it older than the pyramids. Historians was once believed Newgrange was a passage tomb, but now is believed to be an ancient temple.
Reviewed By Vthc4 - Singapore, Singapore
We visited Newgrange and Knowth on the last week of October. The visitor center was still under renovation and no entrance fee was charged. Visiting Newgrange and Knowth will require 3 hours so factor that into your plans. Due to the length of time required, I would recommend going on the first tour of the day. Each tour takes up to 48 visitors (24 pax per bus). I chose to stay a night at Drogheda so I can do a quick 15mins drive to Bru na Boinne to do the first tour. Tickets are stamped with the tour time and were issued on a first come first served basis. You must go to the visitor center car park to obtain the tickets and to start the tour. Do not got directly to either sites. The Newgrange site allows you to walk into the passage tomb and also around it. The Knowth site does not allow you to walk into passage tomb and the reason given was that the passage was damaged and therefore unsafe. However, you can go into a small room near the entrance to view a short video of the site. You can also climb the stairs to the top of Knowth for a panoramic view of the surroundings. There are also several smaller mounds at Knowth. Hard to say which is a better site to visit but both were great!
4. Hill of Slane
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 177 reviews
Reviewed By lexmiller - Burlington, United States
Came here with our marvelous day tour with Day Tours Unplugged - only 8 guests, 4 incredible stops including Newgrange, Monasterboice, Hill of Slane and Hill of Tara. Hill of Slane is an incredible spot, you can see so far in all directions, a stunning 360 degree view. If you don't go on a tour, be sure to educate yourself on the history of the spot through the centuries, a quick Wiki review will get you started!
5. Loughcrew Estate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 134 reviews
Loughcrew House is a beautiful Historic venue for any celebration located just outside Oldcastle town in Co. Meath only an hour from Dublin. We cater for events such as Retreats and weddings. family groups. There are plenty of walks, tennis court and lakes to fish nearby. Bicyles are welcome.
6. Donaghmore Round Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By 81clarea - Belfast, United Kingdom
During a recent trip to Co Meath we discovered this charming little graveyard with the remains of a church and an exquisite round tower. A peaceful place and well worth a short visit.
7. Bective Abbey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 134 reviews
Reviewed By valkeoghj - Navan, Ireland
Great place to visit, very old, very atmospheric. As it is away from main roads it is seldom packed so great opportunity to wander around and consider the life of the original inhabitants. In very good condition and a super place to take photos. For anyone interested in history or architecture it is a must see.
8. Newgrange
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 946 reviews
Reviewed By 1sulagnab - Clifton, United States
hat a magical place a UNESCO world heritage site and Neolithic age site so much rich history.. shows humans were so smart in that era to build such an amazing architecture. The place is absolutely beautiful looks like a postcard picture s child hood dream came true as a kid growing up in India used to see this lush green unspoiled landscape on postcard and it was breathtaking when I saw in reality our tour guide was so knowledgeable and friendly she recreates the history this is the place to visit in Ireland and yes I wish the weather could have been a little better it was such magical
9. Cathedral of St Peter and St Paul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By ChitchatCanada
We stopped here while we were doing the Trim River walk and were very surprised at the height of these ruins and how intact some walls of this cathedral are........so much so that it was easier to visualize what it may have looked like in its prime. Very enjoyable and worthwhile site.
10. Hill of Tara
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Reviewed By dancernoah - Warwick, United States
The Hills Of Tara was not what we expected in the best of ways! Behind an old church and cemetery were the ancient ring hills of Tara. The history behind the place was fascinating and we even got to see a fairy tree! Definitely worth the trip! (Little advice: use Google Maps to get there, not your cars built in SatNav. The SatNav took us about 5 miles down the road and said we were there.)
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