arts & culture in the BOYNE VALLEY

2DAYS | 11STOPS Located just 30 minutes north of Dublin, the Boyne Valley sits at the very heart of ’s Ancient East. With five millennia ofcultural & archaeological wonders to explore, you will find a wide range of engaging museums, galleries & historical sites, along with the very best in live performance & dining experiences. PAGE 1 OF 3 CO. LOUTH 3 Day 1 1. Brú na Bóinne N 2. it explores the seasonal nature of Stone Age Visitor Centre society, the significance of the solar cycle, 1 D F 1 CO. MEATH 2 Day 2 and the tomb-building process. Visitors 1. Slane Castle, Slane Distillery E can drive directly to Dowth but there is no & village craft shops 2 A Irish Sea 2. Drogheda galleries, public access to the passage chambers. Navan B museums & heritage sites Lunch can be enjoyed in the visitor centre. 3. Monasterboice

After lunch, a 20 minute journey south will bring CO. MEATH Other Points of Interest you to the fascinating Battle of the Boyne A. Skylight Gallery Visitor Centre where you can discover more B. Solstice Arts Centre C. The Venue Theatre about one of the most significant events in CO. DUBLIN D. Droichead Arts Centre Irish and English history. The Battle of the C E. TLT Theatre F. Barbican Boyne was fought between the Protestant King William III and the Catholic King James II in 1690. The kings were rival claimants to the landscapes. Brú na Bóinne is dominated by English, Scottish and Irish thrones. King William

DAY 1 the three well-known and celebrated passage had deposed King James two years earlier and The Boyne Valley has five millennia tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth. the ferocious battle is brought to life in the of cultural and archaeological Built some 5,000 years ago, they are older than visitor centre with a laser battle site model, wonders to explore through a wide both Stonehenge and Egypt’s pyramids! Both an audio visual film, real and replica range of engaging cultural activities Newgrange and Knowth are accessible from the weaponry and interactive guided tours. and interactive experiences. visitor centre at Brú na Bóinne (to access the chamber at Newgrange pre-booking is essential). The visitor centre is located in the restored What better place to start your exploration 18th century Oldbridge House where you of the Boyne Valley than in the UNESCO Thenew, state of the art, immersive visitor can enjoy the beautiful Victorian gardens, World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne - one experience transports visitors back 5,000 tea rooms and a series of fascinating of the world’s most important prehistoric years to the construction of the monuments, battle-site walks along the river.

PAGE 2 OF 4 walking tour can be taken from the Tourist For the evening’s entertainment there are 300 years of Conynham family history through Office on West Street or take a stroll around some great venues in the area that play host an interactive and immersive tour. The tour the town at your own leisure enjoying some to some of Ireland’s best musical, comedy concludes with a taste of the distillery’s of the town’s many fantastic medieval and acting talent - check out Solstice signature triple casked blend, ‘Slane Irish monuments. Arts Centre in Navan, The Venue Theatre Whiskey’ - a must for all those over 18! Visitors in Ratoath, Droichead Arts Centre, TLT under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. St Laurence’s Gate is one of only a handful Theatre or the Barbican - all in Drogheda, for of town-wall gates which remains today and some top quality thrills, spills and giggles. The life and work of Slane-born poet, it is widely regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Europe. Be sure to stop at Francis Ledwidge can also be explored in the fascinating but slightly spooky early- the museum dedicated to him in the village. DAY 2 16th century carved cadaver stone at St Visit the , just 25 minutes Skylight Gallery . At seven feet Start your day with a visit to one of the Boyne Peter’s Church of Ireland away in Julianstown for beautiful traditional tall, the stone depicts two carved skeletons Valley’s undisputed gems, the 250-year-old landscape and portrait paintings or for representing Edward Golding and Elizabeth Slane Castle just outside Slane village which larger-scale visual art exhibitions by local Fleming, whose family were once the Barons has been home to the Conyngham family since and international artists check out Solstice of Slane. There are less than ten of these grim 1703. The guided tour takes in thesumptuous Arts Centre, Navan, just 15 minutes south. cadaver stones remaining in Ireland today. 18th century interiors and stories from both Next, head 15 minutes east to the walled-town Designed in the French gothic style, the the family and the castle’s colourful past. of Drogheda where you’ll find a number of impressive St Peter’s Catholic Church is only A tour of Slane Distillery, housed within the great galleries and museums telling the five minutes away and houses the beautifully old stable building of the castle pays homage to fascinating story of this medieval town. A ornate and slightly macabre shrine to

PAGE 3 OF 4 Saint Oliver Plunkett in which you can view Museum houses various exhibitions on For those with a passion for interiors and the 17th century saint’s preserved head! Irish archaeology, folklife, local history, gardens, just a ten-minute drive north will bring geology, industry and military history. you to stunning, 17th century stately house, After lunch in one ofDrogheda’s many fine Beaulieu House and Gardens. Connected to cafes, restaurants and pizzerias head to The museum also contains one of the four both the Plunkett and Tichbourne families, the Highlanes Gallery which is located in surviving examples of an ancient type of the house is dripping with beautiful antiques, the former beautiful Franciscan Church fishing vessel, called acoracle , that was once fine furnishings and paintings by many and holds exhibitions both from Drogheda’s a common sight along the . You famous early 20th-century Irish artists. The Municipal Art Collection along with can also pick up some fantastic local craft beautiful walled gardens provide fantastic renowned Irish and international artists. direct from a number of artisan craft makers views over the Boyne Valley. Access is by pre- who are also located within the building. booked tours (groups only) or during National Make sure to see the impressive mace Heritage Week held in August every year. and sword on display here, which were To see what is considered one of the finest given to the Corporation of Drogheda by High Crosses in Ireland, take a 10 minute There are a number of otherwonderful King William III of Orange, shortly after the drive north to the early Christian settlement of gardens and stately homes that can be Battle of the Boyne, to replace the previous Monasterboice in Co. Louth. Standing at 5.5m visited throughout the Boyne Valley, for more mace, which James II had melted down high, the cross features biblical carvings of information visit www.discoverboynevalley.ie to enhance his depleted exchequer! both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, Just a short distance away and housed a copy of the cross is held in the Victoria and within a large fort that played a crucial Albert Museum in London. part in Drogheda’s history, Millmount

For a range of quality B&Bs, self-catering and hotels to enjoy your overnight in the Boyne Valley, visit www.discoverboynevalley.ie PAGE 4 OF 4