Introduction to Meath
County Meath (Contae na Mí in Irish) is a county in the Republic of Ireland, often informally called The Royal County. The de facto county town is Navan, where the county hall and government is located, although Trim has a historical significance, including the location of the circuit court, Norman castle and Anglo-Norman parliament. Meath is also home to Kells, with its round tower and monastic past, and Slane, known both for its castle, and annual rock concert.
Meath (the "middle") was once a province of Ireland in its own right - see Kings of Mide - but now forms part of Leinster. Historically this province of Meath included all of the current county as well as all of Westmeath and parts of Cavan, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth and Offaly. The High King of Ireland sat at Tara in Meath. The archaeological complex of Brú na Bóinne, including the 5,000-year-old burial site Newgrange, in the northeast of the county, is a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.
The seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Meath, is located in Mullingar, County Westmeath - outside the county but within the diocese of Meath.
A Brief History of Meath
Much of the rich prehistoric and mediaeval history of County Meath is conserved.
The megalithic tombs and burial grounds in the Boyne Valley, among which the famous passage tomb of Newgrange, are impressive remains from the early inhabitants of Ireland. Near Oldbridge you may want to visit the grounds that witnessed the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
Other highlights in County Meath are the Hill of Tara, the royal and spiritual centre of ancient Ireland, and the Hill of Slane, the historic religious site where Saint Patrick's Eastern Fire competed with a pagan bonfire. While you are near Kells you just have to stop to see the round tower and the odd shaped High Cross.
Areas of Interest in Meath
Kells High Crosses
The Monastery at Kells was founded in 804 by monks from St Colmcille's, Iona. As well as the Book of Kells, finished here around the 9th century, the monastery is famous for it's Round Tower and High Crosses
Fourknocks
These passage graves are decorated with abstract art and bear the first depiction of a human face found in prehistoric art in Ireland. Three earthen mounds were excavated by the National Museum in 1950-1952. One covered a passage grave to crucification plan, with decoted uprights and lintels resembling the Newgrance designs. The contents of this tomb were intact and so the results were of immense importance and value to students of the megalithic period in Ireland and the world.
The contents found were of great importance with fragmentary human remains representing dozens of bodies of all ages and sexes. These were accompanied by grave offerings (stone beads and miniature hammer pendants, bone pins etc.) in the three side chambers.
Glebelands And Glebewood Gardens
This attraction consists of two houses and two gardens with almost 200 years dividing them. Glebelands is a rural Georgian house designed in 1813 and Glebewood dating from 1990. The older and more mature garden is set in undulating land, emphasised by skillfully crafted low stone walls and bounded by high indigenous mature trees, augmented 20 years ago by blue cedars, pines, conifers, acres and larch.
Glebewood, designed and constructed on 0.5ha of flat featureless land six years ago, had to be radically sculpted and moulded to reflect the rolling characteristics of Glebelands. The aim of the designers was to create an overall atmosphere of interest and relaxation in an environment of ever changing.
Loughcrew Cairns
The Loughcrew Cairns, also known as the Hills of the Witch, are a group of Neolithic passage tombs dating to 3000 BC. The tombs are located on three different hills and Cairn T, one of the largest tombs in the complex, is situated on Cairnbane East. Inside this tomb lies a cruciform chamber, a corbelled roof and some of the most beautiful examples of Neolithic art in Ireland. During the Vernal and Autumnal Equinox, people gather at dawn in Cairn T to watch sunlight enter the chamber and illuminate the inside of the tomb. On Cairnbane West is Cairn L, another impressive tomb, and visitors can obtain the key to this tomb from the guides.
Bective Abbey
Bective Abbey boasting views overlooking the Boyne is the second Cistercian Abbey to be established in Ireland. Although most of the present impressive ruins date to the 15th century, the abbey was originally founded in 1147. The abbey was one of the most important monastic sites in the country, as the Abbot of Bective sat in the Parliament of the Pale. Hugh De Lacy, was buried there in 1195, but was eventually moved to Dublin. The abbey was closed in 1536 on the general suppression of the monasteries by Henry VIII, and was modified into a manor house and handed over to civil servants as reward for their loyal work. Bective Abbey was used in the filming of the movie Braveheart, chosen because of its castle like qualities. The ruins are readily accessible to the public.
Donaghmore Round Tower
This is the site of a very early Christian settlement, reputed to have been founded by Saint Patrick, who placed his disciple, Cassan, in charge.
The settlement included the church and a fine round tower which was probably built sometime in the 10th century and is still in good condition. The doorway, about four metres above ground level, has inclined jambs and a decorated semi-circular head. Sculptured in high relief on the key stone of the arch is a figure of the crucified saviour, and on each side of the architrave, a human head.
Traditional Music and Craic in Meath