Historic Places in County Meath

Ardbraccan House is a Georgian mansion in County Meath that served for many years as the official residence of the Church of Ireland Bishops of Meath. The house stands within a demesne of parkland and formal gardens on gently rolling ground in the Boyne valley hinterland, representing the refined Palladian taste of the eighteenth-century Irish Ascendancy. The ecclesiastical history of Ardbraccan reaches back to the monastic foundation of Saint Ultan who died in 657. County Meath contains some of the most significant prehistoric and medieval monuments in Ireland, including Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, both within easy reach.

Athcarne Castle is an Elizabethan castle situated about 17 miles from Dublin. Athcarne Castle was originally a four storey tower house. It was renovated around 1830 with the addition of a large three storey extension and a thin turret tower. The castle now has the appearance of a mansion fused to a tower house. Athcarne Castle was originally built for William Bathe in 1590. The Bathe family produced a number of well known legal and political personalities around the 16th and 17th century. The castle was inhabited until mid 20th century, and has since fallen into disrepair. Legends Athcarne Castle is located six miles from the site of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. King James II is said to have stayed overnight at the castle on the eve of the battle.

Bective Abbey is 6 south of Navan in the middle of a farmer's field overlooking the River Boyne in County Meath. The large medieval abbey is a collection of well preserved ruins and is surrounded by an outer wall. The main part of the fortified abbey is built over three floors and includes cloisters and a tower giving it the appearance of a fortress rather than an abbey. The majority of the site consists of buildings from the 15th century with a few monastic details such as the sculpture of a kneeling monk, which can be seen in the south cloister. Facilities The abbey is well signposted but to gain access to the site you must first climb through a small hole in a gate, walk across a field and finally climb over a small wall, so come prepared with the appropriate footwear. There are two information panels for visitors to read about the history of the abbey on the site. Bective Abbey was built in 1147 by King Murchad of Meath, Murchad O'Mael-Sheachlainn, for the Cistercian monks from Mellfort and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was thought to be one of Irelands most important monastic sites. The abbey along with the Abbey of St. Thomas in Dublin was granted to Hugh de Lacy. After his death in 1186 both abbey's wanted his body to be buried at their site, finally it was decided that his body was buried at Bective and his head in Dublin. This decision caused great feuding between the monks and in 1205 the Bishop of Meath along with two judges decided that the body should be moved to Dublin. Following the English invasion in 1228 the abbey was fortified and used as a safe haven for the English and visitors from Europe. The number of monks declined significantly in the 15th century and because of this the cloisters were significantly reduced in size and the south aisles of the church with its arcades were demolished. They did however build two towers making it the most heavily fortified abbey in Ireland. During the reign of King Henry VIII in 1536 the abbey was closed following dissolution and was changed into a Tudor manor house for use by his civil servants. By 1540 the roof had be removed for use in another of the king's properties and was left abandoned. The Arts The film Braveheart, staring and directed by Mel Gibson, used Bective Abbey as a filming location in 1995.

Bellinter House is 15 miles from Drogheda near Narvan. Positioned on the side of the River Boyne the house is set on sweeping lawns with 12 acres of parkland beyond. Bellinter House is a Palladian style house with six bays built over three floors (including basement) made of limestone. Adjoining the main part of the building; by single story arcades, are two storey wings which create a courtyard. A stable block, ice house and other outbuildings can also be found within the grounds. Facilities Bellinter House is now a boutique hotel offering 34 bedrooms. It also has a modern addition in the form of a pool house with glass wall overlooking the countryside. The hotel boasts an award winning restaurant; The Eden, situated in the vaulted cellar serving locally produced seasonal food and the Bellinter Bar which is traditionally furnished. The building was classed by the Irish government to be of significant architectural significance and so the grounds and building are accessible throughout the year free of charge. The hotel is also a wedding venue with civil ceremonies being held in either the vaulted cellar or east wing. Bellinter House was designed for the Preston family; merchants from Dublin, by Richard Castle a leading Architect in 1750. The main building was designed for the family with the side wings being used as the kitchens and servants quarters along with the stables. The estate at that time was around 600 acres used as grazing and woodland. In 1892 the house the house was bequeathed to a Gustavas Briscoe a family friend and in 1907 his son Cecil inherited the estate. The last Briscoe; George, sold the estate in 1955 and after being sold once more was in the hands of the Irish Land Commission. The Commission split the land into farms of 50 acres and left the house abandoned until 1965 when it was sold along with 12 acres of land to a religious order, The Sisters of Sion. To raise the money for the extensive repairs the sisters grew and sold flowers and tomatoes on a commercial basis and once renovated ran the house as a retreat. The sisters finally sold the house to Jay Bourke and John Reynolds in 2003 and the house was converted into a boutique hotel.

Dardistown Castle is situated in picturesque parkland south of Drogheda, not far from the M1 in County Meath, and only 30 minutes from Dublin airport. The castle is a large four storey medieval tower house extended with the addition of a Victorian frontage. The tower is square with sides about 44 feet long, and a turret at each corner. The main arched entrance to the tower is now blocked. The main entrance is now on the south side. The ground floor of the tower contains the main room with vaulted smaller rooms in three of the four turrets. The fourth turret contains a spiral staircase, which is unusual in that it ascends anti-clockwise. The tower is 50 feet high. All the upper floors have wooden ceilings. There is a fireplace on the west wall of each main room on every level. The corner turrets are higher than the rest of the tower, and the staircase turret leads to a parapet walk. The turrets also have a small flight of stairs leading to the turret roof. Facilities The top two floors of this tower house are available as an apartment for rent as short term accommodation. The entry to the apartment is through a barrel-vaulted basement games room and up an original spiral stone staircase. The main room of the apartment features a stone fireplace, and chandelier hanging over a beautiful round table. The original stone work has been repointed. Off the main room is the sitting and dining area, with fully-equipped kitchen in one turret. The first bathroom with large bath occupies another turret. A third turret has wooden stairs up to the next level with two bedrooms and the second bathroom. The bedrooms are furnished with charming furniture and fittings. The Castle is open to the public on some Thursdays and Saturdays, but the actual dates it is open varies from month to month. Check with the castle web site before planning your visit. Dardistown Castle was built as a medieval tower house by John Cornwalsh in 1465. The castle was extended in the 16th century by Dame Genet Sarsfield, who added a new entrance and other extensions. The battle of Julianstown in 1641 is said to have been fought on the front lawn of Dardistown Castle; Richard Talbot occupied the castle at that time. The castle later passed to the Osborne family occupied it until recent times. The front hall, drawing room and dining room were built around 1750. The upper floors were built more recently with the back added around 1800 and the front built in 1860. The main Drogheda to Dublin road was moved around 1800, and is now several hundred yards from the Castle, giving the castle a more secluded setting.

Dunsany Castle is situated on an estate that comprises of marsh, wood and farmland with the River Boyne running along the back of the land. It is located in the village of Dunshaughlin, 6 miles from Trim. Dunsany Castle is a grey stone castle built over 4 floors with four crenellated main towers. The castle is surrounded by a protective wall and has three entrances one with a gatehouse lodge and stewards house, another along a long drive has a tower lodge and the third on the Dunsany Bridge from the river which has a black stone lodge. Also within the estate are the Church of St Nicholas, a 3 acre walled garden with fruit trees, vegetable plots and beehives and a gardener's cottage, ice house and farm with stable yards. Facilities The castle can be visited occasionally usually during the summer and at Christmas, but is still the home of the 20th Lord Plunkett and his family and therefore not always accessible. Visitors can see the beautiful ceilings of the dining and billiard rooms which also hold portraits of past family members. On the first floor it is possible to visit the drawing room and library with its beehive ceiling from the early 1800's and from the second stairway part of the Dunsany Collection which is on display in the original 12th century kitchen. The castle was originally thought to have been built in the 1180's with additional work being carried out during the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 1400's the castle was owned by the Plunketts who divided their estates (Dunsany and Trim) between their sons; the youngest Christopher being given Dunsany. The family remained resident for many years without hindrance apart from the invasion of Cromwell when they were forced to leave. Much of the estate was confiscated during the land reform in the early 20th century. The castle with its demesne being left under the ownership of the Plunkett family. The Arts Dunsany Castle and grounds have been used in the remaking of The Magnificent Ambersons and in the film Braveheart starring Mel Gibson

Gormanston Castle is situated near Drogheda about 30 km north of Dublin and close to the border of County Meath and County Dublin. Gormanston Castle is an impressive castellated building with a quadrangular plan with a tower at each corner except the north west corner. The main building is three storeys. The central part of the frontage is flanked by two narrow castellated towers on either side of the entrance. The castle grounds were developed in the 1950s with the building of a boys' secondary school adjacent to the castle. Gormanston Castle was the seat of the Preston family (the Viscount Gormanston) from the 14th century until it was sold to the Franciscan Order of Friars in the late 1940s. The castle now standing was built on the site of an earlier castle around 1786 by the Prestons. The Franciscans established a boarding school for boys on the grounds in 1955, known as Gormanston College. Today, Gormanston College is a co-educational day school and boarding school, run by the Franciscan Province of Ireland. Legends According to tradition, the foxes of County Meath gather around the castle when the head of the Preston family is about to die.

Monktown Castle is a ruined tower house near Walterstown in County Meath, in the gentle agricultural lowlands south of the Boyne valley characteristic of the eastern Pale. The castle represents the fortified gentry residence tradition of the Pale hinterland, built as much for social status as active military defence in this relatively secure zone of Anglo-Norman settlement. County Meath contains some of the most significant prehistoric and medieval monuments in Ireland: the Neolithic passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth, the Hill of Tara, and the great Norman castle at Trim combine with numerous abbeys and cathedrals to create an extraordinarily layered heritage landscape.

Slane Castle is set on an estate of 1,500 acres overlooking the River Boyne in the village of Slane 29 miles north of Dublin. The grey stone crenellated castle is built over four floors with square towers to each corner. It is laid out in the centre the estate comprising of woodland designed by landscape architect Capability Brown. Facilities The castle is open to the public for guided tours from the 28th June until 27th August, Sunday to Thursday between 12 noon and 5pm. Slane castle is also a conference and wedding venue which hosts both civil ceremonies and wedding receptions on an exclusive basis; this ensures that the entire castle is at the disposal of the wedding party. Celebrations can be held in the Gothic Ballroom created for King George IV for up to 110 guests or the larger Burton Hall, a circular room with arched windows and spectacular ceilings which can accommodate up to 240 people. The castle can also sleep up to twenty four guests and has a separate bridal suite. The first occupants of Slane Castle were an Anglo Norman family called the Flemings but after the Williamite wars in 1611 the castle was purchased by the Conyngham's a noble Scottish family. The castle was restructured in 1785 and dramatic gothic gates were added. In 1821 the castle was the location for a famous romance between Elizabeth, 1st Marchioness Coynghan and King George IV and it was said that is the reason why there is such a straight road between Dublin and the castle. In 1991 the castle was subject to extensive damage caused by a fire which broke out on the eastern side and totally gutted the whole area. The family then spent the next ten years on the castle's restoration. The Arts The castle has been one of the venues for the 'Festival in Great Irish Houses'. The open air concerts below the castle have featured famous artists including U2, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Queen and Madonna.

Trim Castle is situated in the centre of Trim town on the shores of the River Boyne. The remains of the castle are not only those of Ireland's largest castle but the largest Norman castle in Europe. The castle consists of a central 3 story cruciform shaped keep with twenty corners, the remains of a curtain wall which has rectangular towers on the north and west sides and round towers to the south and east, the remains of a three towered defending keep entrance with stables and causeway, a three aisled Great Hall with undercroft, a defensive tower and a building thought to have been used as a mint. Facilities Access to the castles' keep is by guided tour only; the rest of the site can be visited alone. The castle is open to the public between Easter and the 30th September 10am to 6pm, during October 9.30am to 17.30 and during the winter at weekends only between 9.30am and 5pm. Some of the outlying parts of the castle can be visited all year round including a small restored canal which is accessible over a pedestrian river bridge. Overlooking the castle and St Patrick's Church is the Trim Castle Hotel. The contemporary hotel offers 68 luxurious rooms and all the other facilities that a modern hotel should offer including the Barista Cafe, Jules Restaurant and the Bailey Bar. The hotel is also a popular venue for wedding receptions with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the castle and a third floor decked terrace for extra special photographs. The hotel's wedding coordinator can help with all the fine details and with a one wedding a day policy and a maximum guest capacity of 350 people the hotel staff are guaranteed to be attentive. The castle was built on a very important site with access to the Irish Sea 25 miles away by boat up the river Boyne. It was used as the administration centre for the Normans and was given to Hugh de Lacy in 1172. Hugh and his son Walter were responsible for building the castle's ring work defences and external ditch which continued until 1204. During the second half of the 13th century the castle was owned by Geoffrey de Geneville who was responsible for building two wooden towers, the Great Hall, drawbridge and the north tower. In the early 14th century the castle passed through marriage into the Mortimer family, it was left abandoned in 1425 after the death of the last family member. At the beginning of the 15th century King Richard II granted occupancy to two of his wards, one of them being the future King Henry V. During the 16th and 17th centuries the castle lost its importance; other than as a military site for Cromwell's soldiers, and was allowed to fall into disrepair when the army left in 1649. At the end of the Cromwellian wars the site was granted to the Wellington family and after them though several other families until it was given by the court to the Dunsany Plunketts. The family allowed the lands to be rented out; even letting the local town council dump waste there, but after many years Lord Dunsany eventually sold the castle and lands to the state. The Office of Public Works then became responsible for the castle and started a major restoration project including the installing a protective roof and partly restoring the moat. The Arts The castle was used for filming of the film 'Braveheart' directed and staring Mel Gibson in 1995.