County Meath
Discover County Meath
County Meath (Contae na Mí) lies north of Dublin in the East Coast and Midlands region of Ireland. Traditionally part of the province of Leinster, it's low-lying and fertile, and being so close to the city it's become densely populated. So it has bland tracts of modern suburbs, but beyond those are some of the top visitor attractions in the country. This area is low-lying and the bedrock is limestone, so it's well-drained and fertile, with easy transport overland and to the coast. "Meath" means "middle" and it's been central to life in Ireland since prehistoric times. The earliest human traces are from 9500 BC but the first flowering of culture was from 3400 BC, when Brú na Bóinne and other ritual complexes were established. So these were already ancient when the Celts arrived from 500 BC and laid their own structures, rituals and legends upon these foundations.
What to Experience in County Meath
Taste of County Meath...
Not available
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options53.4273-6.24421 Dublin Airport is north of the city with direct buses into the county. Bus routes radiate from Dublin to Ashbourne, Navan and Kells, to Trim, and to Slane. As this is commuter land, they are more frequent on weekday mornings heading into the city, then late afternoon heading back out, but the service is 24 hours to Ashbourne and Kells. For Oldcastle change buses at Kells. A cross-county bus plies between Drogheda, Slane, Navan and Trim. The top tourist sights are poorly served by public transport but have day-excursions from Dublin. So if you don't have a car (and in the city you actively don't want one) then consider joining a trip, which will probably visit the Boyne battlefield, Brú na Bóinne, Hill of Tara and Trim Castle. Bus Éireann is one reliable operator. The county lacks a railway service, though Drogheda has trains from Belfast, Newry and Dundalk heading for Dublin Connolly. Reinstating trains to Navan is long-promised but long-stalled....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You need wheels for anywhere that's not on the transport corridors described above. The distances are not great so a bike would do, but the roads are busy and ratty this close to the city. Although the Drogheda-Slane-Navan-Trim bus passes just north of the Boyne valley sights, there's no public entry from north of the river. You need to be on the south bank, and by bus that will mean travelling into Drogheda then out again on the bus for Donore.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of County Meath
a stream running through a grassy area
a stone wall with a carved face
a rock with a face carved into it
a stream running through a grassy area
a stone wall with a carved face
a rock with a face carved into it
a stream running through a grassy area
a stone wall with a carved face
a rock with a face carved into it
a stream running through a grassy area
a stone wall with a carved face
a rock with a face carved into it
a stream running through a grassy area