Burial sites older than the pyramids of Giza, real Irish castles, rollercoasters, and a zoo! County Meath most certainly has something for everyone.
County Meath, known as the Royal County, was once one of five provinces in Ireland and home to the High Kings of Tara. Although it has now been demoted somewhat to county status, it still retains its regal quality, with some of the finest links to ancient Ireland to be found anywhere in the country.
From rock concerts to ancient burial chambers, here’s the best of what County Meath has to offer:
Newgrange and the Boyne Valley
Newgrange, County Meath.
No trip to Ireland is complete without a visit to Newgrange and the surrounding Boyne Valley. The majestic burial chamber is older than the pyramids and holds the key to the country’s ancient history.
One of the principal sites among Ireland’s Ancient East, the eastern rival to the Wild Atlantic Way, Newgrange is a 5,200-year-old passage tomb built by Stone Age farmers, making it older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The Newgrange passageway during the winter solstice. 
In an incredible feat of architecture and engineering, the monument is perfectly aligned with the rising sun on the morning of the Winter Solstice, allowing sunlight to flood the passageway and light the chamber at its end. The large circular mound is 93 yards in diameter and 15 yards high, and is ringed by 97 large kerbstones, some of which are engraved with symbols in a style known as megalithic art.
Knowth. 
As one of the original five provinces of Ireland, Meath fared well in ancient Ireland, thanks to the rich and easily-farmed lands of the Boyne Valley and Newgrange, along with its sister mounds at Knowth and Dowth, which are proof of the rich lifestyle of the Co. Meath farmers. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the three mounds are magical to behold, knowing the depth of the history behind them and how long they have survived in a country that has greatly changed since their construction.
Access to Newgrange is only available via a guided tour, but a full tour of the whole Boyne Valley region is greatly recommended.
More information: Newgrange.com
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Trim Castle
Trim Castle. 
On first approaching Trim Castle, you may find it familiar, and if you’re a fan of Braveheart, then you’d be right. Trim Castle is the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland and was constructed over a thirty-year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter, but in recent years it has been best known for its role in filming the Mel Gibson epic.
Located in Trim town, construction of the castle began around 1176 on the site of an earlier, simpler wooden tower. A massive twenty-sided tower, it was protected by a ditch, a curtain wall, and a moat, much of which is still in place.
Located on the banks of the River Boyne, it stood as one of the most powerful castles in Ireland along one of the country’s important rivers and was an imposing symbol of Norman strength at the very edge of the Pale, the area on the east coast once completely under the Anglo-Norman influence. As such, the castle would have been the site where the Normans faced off against the native Irish, and this long history can be explored through guided tours that take you through the castle grounds and up into the tower itself.
More information: Meath.ie.
Irish Military War Museum
Ireland’s involvement in the First and Second World Wars is not normally highlighted too heavily in its history books. During World War One, we were fighting our own battles for independence against the British and rebelling in the 1916 Easter Rising, while the Second World War saw us, as a newly independent Republic, remain neutral throughout the conflict.
That is not to say that Irish people did not fight in the world wars; however, Irish recruitment in the British Army saw thousands take to the trenches, especially during WWI, when the hope of Home Rule led many to sign up for the cause.
The Irish Military War Museum, opened in June 2014, offers great insight into the Irish who fought in the world wars and other military conflicts throughout world history. Taking a distinctly non-political view on Irish involvement, the museum takes into account the highly strained relationship between Britain and Ireland through the centuries as they delve into the complex political background that saw 210,000 Irishmen from both traditions fight in the trenches during World War One, while the rebellion was erupting in Dublin.
It also looks at some 80,000 Irishmen of the next generation, from the otherwise neutral Republic, who fought with the British Armed Forces against Nazism, showcasing the vehicles and weaponry from both conflicts across a 5,000 sq ft exhibit.
More information: IMWM.ie.
Slane Castle
Slane Castle. 
Long famous for their summer concerts, which have seen the likes of The Rolling Stones, Thin Lizzy, U2, David Bowie, Coldplay, Madonna, The Prodigy, and Eminem take to the stage of the 1,500-acre estate in the heart of the Boyne Valley, Slane Castle has offered thousands the chance to view some of the world’s biggest musical stars amidst a stunning parkland backdrop.
Currently owned by Henry, Eighth Marquess Conyngham, the castle has been in his family since 1701, but the history of the land goes much further back. Overlooking the castle is the Hill of Slane, where St. Patrick lit his paschal fire, following which he was summoned by the High King to Tara, marking the start of Ireland’s conversion to Christianity. The castle also lies just a few miles upstream from the site of the Battle of the Boyne, where Protestant William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James II in 1690.
Despite a severe fire in 1991 that caused extensive damage to the building, much of the existing form dates back to 1785 and is principally the work of James Gandon, James Wyatt, and Francis Johnston.
More information: SlaneCastle.ie.
Emerald Park and Zoo
With everything from tigers and bison to scaly reptiles and bald eagles, Emerald Park (formerly Tayto Park) quickly became a firm favorite for family days out, while the theme park attracted the thrill-seeker in us all.
The most exciting thing about the park, however, is that it is also home to one of Ireland’s most epic roller coasters and Europe’s largest wooden roller coaster, the Cú Chulainn Coaster, named after the famous Irish mythology figure. Not for the faint-hearted, we’d leave eating the packets of Tayto until after you’ve braved its dizzying heights of 32.05 meters and 31-meter plunges, all at speeds of up to 62 miles per hour.
Opened in June 2015, the rollercoaster twists and turns for 1,400 meters. That’s the equivalent of 8,255 Tayto crisp packets laid end to end. Featuring 14 turns and plenty of airtime, the coaster races through its course in just over a minute.
Tayto Park officially opened in 2010 and since then has expanded enormously with the arrival of eight new attractions, including “Air Race”, the “Rotator”, the “Sky Tower”, and Ireland’s only 5D cinema. It was renamed as Emerald Park at the beginning of 2023.
More information: EmeraldPark.ie.
*Originally published in 2016. Updated in June 2026.
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