20 Secrets of North Leinster everyone must experience at least once in their lifetime…
1. P. EGAN, Traditional Pub, Moate, Co. Westmeath
Located on the main street of the small village of Moate in Westmeath, Egan’s Bar provides a bold splash of colour. The amazing feel of the pub is equated inside with a traditional Irish pub that will not disappoint!
2. The Pike Man, Ballinamuch, Co. Longford
The Pike Man is a memorial to the rebellion of 1798 which was the most widespread rebellion of all against the English forces.
3. River Shannon from Athlone Town, Co. Westmeath
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 360.5 km. This is an amazing part of the river. Certainly a site to see!
4. Molly Malone, Dublin
“Molly Malone” (also known as “Cockles and Mussels” or “In Dublin’s Fair City”) is a popular song, set in Dublin, Ireland, which has become the unofficial anthem of Dublin City. The Molly Malone statue in Grafton Street was unveiled by then Lord Mayor of Dublin, Alderman Ben Briscoe during the 1988 Dublin Millennium celebrations, declaring 13 June as Molly Malone Day. The statue was presented to the city by Jury’s Hotel Group to mark the Millennium.
5. Newgrange, Co. Meath
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built about 3200 BC, during the Neolithic period, which makes it older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Newgrange is a large circular mound with a stone passageway and chambers inside. The mound has a retaining wall at the front and is ringed by ‘kerbstones’ engraved with artwork. There is no agreement about what the site was used for, but it has been speculated that it had religious significance – it is aligned with the rising sun and its light floods the chamber on the winter solstice. It is the most famous monument within the Neolithic Brú na Bóinne complex, alongside the similar passage tomb mounds of Knowth and Dowth, and as such is a part of the Brú na Bóinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.
6. Trim Castle, Trim, Co. Meath
Trim Castle is a Norman castle on the south bank of the River Boyne in Trim, County Meath, Ireland. Over a period of 30 years, it was built by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter as the caput of the Lordship of Meath. The Castle is noted for the part it played in the filming of the Mel Gibson directed film Braveheart.
7. Proleek Dolmen, Cooley Peninsula, Co. Louth
The megalithic dolmen at Proleek, located in the legendary Cooley Peninsula, is one of the finest examples in Ireland, and is widely photographed and documented. Access to the dolmen is through the grounds of a hotel, and then across a golf course, but it is well worth a visit. Nearby is a wedge tomb, or gallery grave.
8. Wheat, Collon, Co. Louth
Experiencing the amazing wheat in Co. Louth is a reminder of the enormous role agriculture has played in the history of Ireland. The beauty of a wheat field is amazing.
9. Birr Castle, Co. Offaly
Birr Castle is a large castle in the town of Birr in County Offaly, Ireland. It is the home of the seventh Earl of Rosse, and as such the residential areas of the castle are not open to the public, though the grounds and gardens of the demesne are publicly accessible.
10. The Abbey at Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone. Clonmacnoise was founded in 544 by St. Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, Co. Roscommon. Until the 9th century it had close associations with the kings of Connacht. The strategic location of the monastery helped it become a major centre of religion, learning, craftsmanship, and trade by the 9th century and together with Clonard it was the most famous in Ireland, visited by scholars from all over Europe. From the ninth until the eleventh century it was allied with the kings of Meath. Many of the high kings of Tara and Connacht were buried here.
