Discover Alone
“Older than your mum's recipes.”
Knowth is the big cheese of the Boyne Valley, and it knows it. Built around 3200 BC, this Neolithic passage tomb isn't just one heap; it’s a complex of seventeen smaller tombs surrounding the main mound. It contains the largest assemblage of megalithic art in Europe, with over two hundred carved stones hiding secrets in the shadows. That is a lot of ancient graffiti for one hill. Later on, the Kings of Northern Brega built a royal residence on top, basically renting the view from the ghosts. It is part of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, so check your bookings before you go wandering. You will see the reconstructed passage and the sheer scale of the stonework. It looks like a grassy hill until the carvings start winking at you. Don't let the quiet fool you; this place has been throwing a party for five thousand years. Just watch your step, the past is treacherous.
Photo: Sitomon, Public domain
Then Tom went looking for the oddest places around it.
Stop 2 · Hop back in the car, 5 minutes
Monastic Ruins
“Patrick's cold BBQ pit awaits.”
Monastic Ruins at Slanecastle are officially invisible, which is a great excuse for not finding them when you go looking. St. Patrick lit a fire here, so technically this whole hill is just one big barbecue pit that got cold. Go before the tourists find out, because they’ll want to charge admission for the smoke.
Situated at the summit of the Hill of Slane. St. Patrick lit the Easter fire on the Hill of Slane in defiance of the High King, and thus announced the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The hill is now crowded with ecclesiastical structures. A church was…
From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record ME019-060002Photo: Tjp finn, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Stop 3 · 10 minutes down the road
Mellifont Abbey
“Lost kings and medieval vibes.”
Mellifont Abbey claims a fake royal visit happened here in 1842, involving a very confused king who got lost in the Cistercian ruins. The monks probably didn't even notice him because they were busy doing important medieval stuff. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local about the ghost.
The following description is derived from both the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986) and the 'Archaeological Survey of County Louth' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1991). A National Monument, excavated in…
From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record LH023-007002Photo: jai, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Stop 4 · A 5-minute spin away
Man-made underground passage
“The wind picks fights here.”
Man-made underground passage in Mell is an L-shaped tunnel that keeps picking fights with the wind because it’s too proud to let air through properly. It’s got a collapsed beehive at one end, which is just rude. Bring a notebook and write the bit I made up.
An L- shaped Man-made underground passage with a collapsed beehive chamber at one end was uncovered here in 2000 prior road construction of the M1 motorway (Excavation Licence 00E0631). The walls were of drystone construction. The total length of the Man-made…
From the National Monuments Service (Archaeological Survey of Ireland) record LH024-043001Photo: Kieran Campbell, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Stop 5 · Hop back in the car, 20 minutes
Sharp's Bridge
“Stone muscles, no soft touch.”
Sharp's Bridge in Dollardstown is flexing its rock-faced voussoirs like a bodybuilder in the park. The masonry is so varied and textured it looks like it was carved by a very angry artist. It sits proudly on that old railway line, looking better than most modern bridges. Keep to the side path; the stone is fancy but not soft.
Single-arch bridge over railway track, built c.1850. Snecked ashlar limestone walls, with rock-faced voussoirs and internal arch and tooled limestone copings.
From the Buildings of Ireland (National Inventory of Architectural Heritage) record 14402502Photo: AubMar, CC BY-SA 4.0
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The whole day on one map
See everything else around Knowth →
Over a million places across Ireland and Britain, all free. Explorer Tom has a story for nearly every one.