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County Meath
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The Boyne Valley |
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Newgrange |
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Hill of Tara |
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County Meath is one of the most fertile areas in the country, lying on a limestone plain watered by the rivers Boyne and Blackwater and their tributaries. A small part of the county is on the coast, with sandy beaches at Laytown and Bettystown. |
It’s a great destination for anyone interested in fishing and is also a center for horse breeding and racing, with plenty of equestrian facilities for visitors. Despite being close to Dublin , it is a rural and quiet county, with lovely countryside for walking.
Everywhere you go there’s evidence of the area’s importance historically, with a variety of monuments, castles, wooded demesnes, and historic gardens. It’s known as the Royal County because it was here on the Hill of Tara that the High Kings lived in the second century AD.
In the Loughcrew Hills near Oldcastle there are megalithic tombs. The earliest inhabitants built great stone burial places 5,000 years ago at Brú na Bóinne (the palace or mansion of the Boyne), now considered one of the world’s most important archaeological landscapes. In the fifth century, St. Patrick lit the Paschal Fire on the summit of the Hill of Slane. In 1690, the Battle of the Boyne took place near Oldbridge, when William’s forces defeated the Jacobites, an event that changed Irish history.
Among the many sites worth visiting is the magnificent Anglo-Norman castle at Trim and the ruins of the monastery at Kells, where the monks created the illuminated manuscript called The Book of Kells (which you can see at Trinity College , Dublin ).
The county capital and largest town is Navan, and other main towns include Ashbourne, Athboy, Dunshaughlin, Kells, Slane and Trim.
| The Boyne Valley |
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The Boyne Valley , located on the east coast of Ireland in County Meath , contains the largest and most decorated megalithic sites in all of Ireland and has been described as "the largest and most important expression of prehistoric megalithic art in Europe ".
The large Megalithic sites were built over 5000 years ago between 3800 and 3200 BC, built before both Stonehenge in England and the great pyramids in Egypt . Within a three square mile radius in the Boyne Valley are grouped more than 30 prehistoric monuments including the great passage tombs and their satellite structures, standing stones, barrows and other enclosures. The great sites of the Boyne Valley include Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, Loughcrew, Fourknocks and the Hill of Tara.
Neolithic communities built these sites over earlier sacred spots and it is suspected that they were used for a combination of different purposes, including use as burial tombs, sacred temples and astronomical observatories. |
| Newgrange |
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The most famous of all Irish prehistoric monuments, Newgrange was built on a one-acre site around 3200 BC and draws more than 200,000 visitors each year. It is one of only three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ireland . It is known as a passage tomb, which is defined as a grave set in a mound of earth or stone with a passage leading to a central chamber. Passage tombs are usually found in groups and Newgrange is no exception, as it is surrounded by 40 other sites.
The site was first discovered in 1699 when the local landlord, Charles Campbell set his workers to remove stones covering a mound on his land. It has been speculated that it would have taken 40 years to build and 80 men four solid days to drag each 4-ton stone six miles to the site. There are a total of 1600 stones at Newgrange.
Newgrange consists of a large mound measuring 280 feet in diameter and stands at a height of 44 feet.
There is a great circle surrounding the mound made up of 12 large standing stones, though at one time, there were as many as 38 stones completing the circle. |
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There are 97 smaller kerbstones surrounding the mound with an average length of 6 feet and an average height of 4 feet. Many of these stones are elaborately decorated with ancient petroglyph drawings of spirals, lozenges, zigzags and other symbols. Many of these symbols are thought to represent star systems and moon cycles.
The most amazing and well-known feature of Newgrange is the presence of a roof or light box over the entrance to the chamber. The roof box was specifically designed to capture the light from the sun and illuminate the chamber on the winter solstice (December 21). When the sun rises over Newgrange on this day, its rays enter the roof box and penetrate 20 meters into the ground to illuminate the entire chamber for 17 minutes, from 8:58 am to 9:15 am .
During the following three days, some sunlight enters the chamber but not as much as on the 21st. The roof box is engraved with a series of eight lozenges that may represent the eight pagan festivals that were held each year. This box was designed so precisely with the rising of the winter solstice sun, that it has shown without doubt that these people had an extensive knowledge of astronomy.
The chamber inside the mound measures 21.5 feet by 17 feet and has three separate recesses (chambers) off of the main chamber.
The chamber is in the shape of a cross, the end of the passage makes up the foot of the cross and the three recesses make up the head and two arms of the cross. Within these recesses, are three massive stone basins where burnt remains of the dead were found. It is thought that these remains were brought here so that when the sun shone into the chamber on the winter solstice, the spirits of the dead were transported to the heavens on the beam of light. |
| Hill of Tara |
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The Hill of Tara was one of the most important religious sites in early Ireland and was the ancient capital of Ireland where the high king lived. It is said that 142 kings reigned here from the 3rd century until 1022. The hill rises to a height of 500 feet and offers majestic views across the plains of Meath, including a view of the white quartz front of Newgrange. Tara comes from the Gaelic word 'Temair' and is translated as a "place of great prospect". In early mythology, Temair was the sacred place of dwelling for the Gods and was the entrance to the other world. The Hill of Tara contains many different monuments that date from different time periods showing that this site was of great importance long before it became the seat of the high kings.
The oldest and most prominent monument on the hill is the Mound of Hostages. Dumha Na nGiall, as it is known in Gaelic, is a megalithic passage tomb dating back to 2500 BC. The mound derives its name from the custom of the high kings who held hostages here from their different kingdoms and from places they conquered.
One of the legendary kings of Tara was named Niall of the Nine Hostages in honour of the fact that he held hostages from all of the provinces of Ireland as well as from Britain .
The tomb stands inside a large circular hill fort structure called the Royal Enclosure, or Rath Na Riogh in Gaelic. This hill fort is consistent with structures built in the Iron Age and was therefore built after the Mound of Hostages was constructed. The passage at the mound of hostages is short and is aligned to the sun on the ancient Celtic festivals of Samhain (November) and Imbolc (February).
Also within the Royal Enclosure stand two linked ring forts known as the Royal Seat or Forradh. Sitting atop of the Royal Seat is the most famous of Tara 's monuments, the Lia Fail or Stone of Destiny. According to Irish mythology, the godlike people of the Tuatha de Danann brought this sacred stone here. |
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The stone of destiny was used to coronate the high kings and it was said to roar three times when touched by the rightful king of Tara . This stone originally stood on top of the Mound of Hostages but was moved to its current site to mark the grave of 400 Irish rebels who died after the Battle of Tara during the United Irishman Revolution in 1798.
Aligned with the mound of Hostages is the Banqueting Hall, a rectangular enclosure 755 by 889 feet. It dates back from the Neolithic period and it is thought to have been the ceremonial entrance to the Hill of Tara where all of the major roads of ancient Ireland converged.
To the south of the Royal Enclosure are the remains of the Enclosure of King Laoire (Rath Laoire), which is another hill fort. The King of Laoire was said to be buried here fully armed and in an upright position in order to see his enemies coming. To the north of the Royal Enclosure are three round earthworks, two of them are known as Sloping Trenches and one the other as Grainne's Fort.
The Rath of Synods is a ring fort located between the Mound of Hostages and the Banqueting Hall. This site was used between the second and fourth centuries AD for habitation, ritual and burial. When this site was excavated, Roman pottery, glass, seals and other material were recovered, showing evidence that the people living at Tara at this time had contact with the Roman Empire.
St. Patrick first went to Tara in 433 to try to convert the pagans to Christianity. A statue of St. Patrick was erected in 2000 to commemorate his historic visit to King Laoire at Tara before he began his mission to bring Christianity to Ireland .
Also located on the Hill of Tara is a churchyard and may be the best place to start your tour of the monuments. In the churchyard there are two standing stones, which are believed to be ancient remnants of a time when there were many stone monuments on Tara.
The taller of the two stones is thought to feature a figure of the Celtic fertility god Cernunnos.
In early Irish history, it was noted that on this section of the hill there once stood a monument called "The Cross of Adamnan" commemorating a seventh century saint who established a church synod at Tara to enact laws that gave greater rights to women. The Standing Stones of Tara also recall the legend where candidates for the High Kingship of Tara had to drive their chariots toward two sacred stones standing closely together. The stones remained closed for most and only opened a path for the rightful king. |
| Trim Town & Castle |
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Trim is a small town located in County Meath , on the banks of the river Boyne about 45km (28 miles) northwest of Dublin . The name comes from the Irish 'Baile Atha Troim', which translates as 'the town of the ford of the alder trees' and its origin dates back to the 5th century A.D.
Among its more recent claims to fame, is the filming of a major part of the movie 'Braveheart' here in 1996. At that time, the castle had extensive additions that were part of the movie sets. Now the castle has been successfully restored and opened to the public. The reconstruction made minimal changes to the Castle but returned it to its original grandeur.
Because of its historic buildings and monuments, Trim was designated as a Heritage Town by Bord Failte. The town used to be the centre of the Norman power at its peak. Today, the bustling town of Trim has much to offer the visitor. There are three golf courses in the area for the enthusiasts as well as a horse riding centre, a pitch and put and many walking trails.
The Meath Heritage and Genealogy Centre, located on Mill Street will be able to assist those of you that are seeking information on family heritage. The center is open from Monday to Friday. |
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