East Coast Guide
Trim Castle
latest update February 2008
Coast south to Dublin
The main road from Belfast to Dublin crosses the border by a scenic route through the hills but take the B76 from Newry for the mountainous Cooley Peninsular, or the tiny ferry from Warrenpoint to Omeath by foot or cycle. There is much good walking on the hills. Below Carlingford Lough is a striking inlet with high hills on either side. Carlingford itself is a small town that almost died but revived in the 1990's. However there are still a number of broken down buildings here. As well as historic remains: see 12th century King John's Castle, 16th century tower house Taafe's Castle, The Mint and the Thosel Gate.
Dundalk has many unkind things said about it, don't believe them. It is a handsome town. St Patrick's Cathedral is modelled on King's College Chapel Cambridge. Find out about the area at Louth County Museum on Jocelyn Steet.
Pretty Castlebellingham is 13 km south. From here the coast route leaves the main road towards Dunany Point and Clougher Head before it head back inland. Drogheda information below . The R151 head out along the river to the sea again and to the glorious 2 mile stretch of sand between Bettystown and Laytown where Europe's only official horse race meeting on a beach is held. Balbriggan was choked by traffic until the M1 motorway bypassed it. It is an unremarkable town but it has a good beach. Skerries is a lovely little resort. Walk along the cliffs south to the pretty fishing village of Loughshinny. From Rush onwards the coast is broken up by inlets. Past Swords it is really part of the Greater Dublin City area.
Drogheda
Drogheda is a historic town and a growing modern one.The atmosphere of its medeaval history still lingers in the centre on the north bank of the River Boyne. Historic buildings dot the area and you should take half a day to walk round and see them. A few examples - St Laurence's Gate is an impressive survival of the cities walls. St Peter's Church houses the head of St Oliver Plunkett (1629 - 81), Millmount Museum and Tower, offers one view of the town's history. The new Highlanes Gallery is housed in a rebuilt 19th century monastery. Tourist information at the Museum and the Bus Eireann Station , corner of John Street and Donore Road. There are frequent services and a cheaper Independent service Capitol Coaches 042 934 0025. The Train Station is just south of the river with trains to Dublin and Belfast.
There's no shortage of evening entertainment here. C Ni Cairbre , North Strand, has Trad music sessions. Weavers on West Street has live bands and DJs. No4, Stockwell Street, is a bar that turns into a club at 11pm. As the name suggests Fusion, 12 George's Street, is a bar with disco that plays a bit of everything. Peter Matthews, Lawerence Street, has indie and dance music.
Boyne Valley area
Monasterboice is 9km north of town with two ancient churches, a round tower and several fine High crosses. Country lanes can be taken west to Mellifont Abbey, Ireland's first Cistercian Monastery, the ruins are quite impressive but dont do justice to the church's original magnificence.
West of Drogheda is Bru na Boinne, the collections of sights that includes Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. The sights can be visited from Bru na Boinne Visitor Centre, entry €2.50.
Newgrange looks like a neolithic flying saucer has landed. An 80m wide grass covered mound with passage grave. No desciption can do it justice. Knowth has a collection of mounds around its principle one. It also has the largest collection of passage grave art in Western Europe, but this is not on view to visitors. Dowth is a mysterious circular mound that is considered dangerous and closed to visitors.
A few km west is the tiny but perfect planned village of Slane. Slane Castle became famous as a rock concert venue, but the house burnt down in 1991. Navan is a name prominent in Irish history but the modern fast growing town gives no hint of it. 10 km south are the shadows on the landscape that are the remains of Tara. For a few centuries the royal capital of Ireland. It can be hard to envisage its life from the named sparce remains. There is the Rath of the Synods, The Royal Enclosure, the Mound of the Hostages, Cormac's House and Royal Seat, The Enclosure of King Laoghaire, the Banquetting Hall and Grianne's Fort. Take in Tara Visitor Centre in the old protestant church to help make sense of it all., entry €1.90.
Trim is a last and by no means least stop on the Boyne valley route. This quiet town has the remains of the largest Anglo-Norman Castle in Ireland which made an appearance in Braveheart in 1995.On the opposite bank of the river is Talbot's Castle, a beautiful fortified manor house.Behind it is the only part of St Mary's Abbey to survive Cromwell's pounding, the Yellow Steeple. There are also the remains of 13th century St. Patricks Cathedral and the Crutched Friary, a medieaval hospital.
North of Trim is the only Gaeltacht in Leinster, at Rathcairn. It was created in the 1930's by transplanting a community from Connemara, not entirely by their own freewill. Beyond it is Kells on the River Blackwater that joins the Boyne at Navan. This is the town that gave its name to the famous book. The town is an ordinary country place.Interest is centred round the Church of St Columba where their are the remains of an old monastery. a 15th century belfry stands by the church and a 30m high 10th century round tower. There are also four 9th century high crosses, some badly damaged. The new Kells Heritage Centre on Headfort Place, has a copy of the beautiful Book of Kells on display.
In the far north west of the county south of Oldcastle is an atmospheric site with 5000 year old remains on Slieve na Calliagh. 277m high, Meath's highest point. There are 30 known graves here. Two Mound graves are in good condition and can be accessed by borrowing the key from the keeper's house at the bottom of the hill.
