Top Things to do in County Meath
Top 10 Ancient Ruins in County Meath, Province of Leinster
Discover the best top things to do in County Meath, Ireland including Fourknocks Passage Tomb, Four Knocks, Loughcrew Cairns, Bru na Boinne, Hill of Slane, Donaghmore Round Tower, Knowth Megalithic Passage Tomb, Hill of Tara, Priory of St. John The Baptist, Dowth Passage Tomb.
Restaurants in County Meath
1. Fourknocks Passage Tomb
2. Four Knocks
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By 319jayh - Perth, Australia
We had planned to go to the large, well known, megalithic burial tombs at Bru Na Boinne. But, as well, my partner found out about Four Knocks on the web, so we thought we'd check it out. Glad we did. This is not easy to find on the winding back roads of Ireland, but persist. Then, when you get there you get instructions to a local farmers house to pay a 20 Euro deposit to get a key to go inside. Stick with it and do it. This is a little baby compared to Newgrange and Knowth, but it is almost a 1,000 years older. The carvings are all there to be touched. You can climb around and on a structure that is older than the Pyramids. This is a quirky and fun piece of history that you can't help but be moved by. Strongly recommended.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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!
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. Knowth Megalithic Passage Tomb
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By WeDreamOfTravel - Texas, United States
This is one location visitors can see when they go to Bru na Boinne. If your time allows you to see only one of the sites, then choose to go to Newgrange instead of this one. If, however, your schedule has enough time for you to see both, by all means do. The two offer different experiences. If you purchased OPW (Office of Public Works) cards, you want to check to see if this location is one that is free for cardholders. We bought the cards on our first day in Ireland and used them daily, sometimes multiple times a day. If you're a history fan, you may want to consider buying these cards too. A bus takes visitors to the site of these ancient burial tombs that are old like the pyramids of Egypt. The sides of the mounds are constructed of large boulders with hand-carved images made by creative hands thousands of years ago. Fascinating to see and wonder at how and why they were made. At the end of the tour, visitors can climb up to the top of the largest tomb and admire the gorgeous views of the surrounding countryside. Tour guides keep visitors captivated by details about the tombs, their construction, the geniuses who made them, and their rediscovery in modern times.
8. 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.)
9. Priory of St. John The Baptist
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By ChitchatCanada
Wandering thru these ruins was very enjoyable and this was the point at which we finished our Trim River walk as they are located just past the Old Bridge. Something to keep in mind if you are going to see these ruins while doing the Trim River walk is that the main walking path along the River Boyne is on the north side of the river and these ruins are located nearby the Old Bridge, but are on the south side of the river -- so you need to cross the river via the Old Bridge and there is no sidewalk on this bridge so you have to cross alongside the car traffic.
10. Dowth Passage Tomb
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By Bozeman-Dublin - Trim, Ireland
I enjoyed my first visit to Dowth in a long, long time today. I absolutely loved it last time and it was a privilege to be able to go back. I love the peace of the place, its tranquility its matched by its sense of history. The mound is nowhere near as excavated as its neighbours at Knowth and Newgrange, nor is it restored. But the fact that it has been left to nature is what gives it its charm. The gorse bushes have overrun it and full mature trees have spouted from the mound, but it's just as magnificent in its own authentic way as its mire illustrious bd more visited neighbours. The views from the top are just magnificent. There is a tiny lay-by to park on by the road and a few faded display boards, that's it. But its fantastic.
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