Historic buildings and monuments in Co. Meath
County Meath has 4,921 recorded archaeological monuments in the national Sites and Monuments Record; the 8 buildings below are the county's entries in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) rated International or National, out of 1,132 recorded post-1700 structures county-wide.
Monuments to visit
Please note that many of these monuments may be on private land and may not be publicly accessible. When setting out to visit monuments please ensure that you wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Access to monuments without Visitor Services may be across uneven ground which may not be suitable for everyone and, in particular, wheelchair users.
- Bective Abbey overlooking the legendary River Boyne is the oldest Cistercian foundation in Meath and the second oldest in Ireland.
- Though best known as the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, the Hill of Tara has been an important site since the late Stone Age when a passage-tomb was constructed there.
- The great passage tomb cemetery of Knowth, built over 5,000 years ago during the middle of the Neolithic period (around 3200 BC), is one of a number of monuments which, together with the nearby passage tombs of…
- The Loughcrew Cairns, also known as the Hills of the Witch, are a group of Neolithic passage tombs dating to 3000 BC.
- The great passage tomb mound of Newgrange built over 5,000 years ago during the middle of the Neolithic period (around 3200 BC) is one of a number of monuments which, together with the nearby passage tombs of Knowth…
- Standing tall and proud on the summit of Skreen Hill, overlooking the more famous Hill of Tara, is the site of an ancient church associated with St Columba.
- Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, was constructed over a thirty-year period by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter.
NIAH buildings rated International or National
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage entries for Co. Meath, curated to buildings rated International or National.
| Name | Type | Period | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| (unnamed record) | town/city walls | 1790–1800 | National |
| (unnamed record) | unknown | 1170–1280 | National |
| (unnamed record) | graveyard/cemetery | 1400–1500 | National |
| Athlumney Castle | castle/fortified house | 1400–1600 | National |
| Bellinter House | country house | 1740–1760 | National |
| Dunsany Castle | country house | 1770–1790 | National |
| Gormanston College | school | 1810–1830 | National |
| Navan Moat | building | 1170–1190 | National |
Plan a visit around Co. Meath
- Things to do in Ashbourne
- Things to do in Athboy
- Things to do in Bettystown
- Things to do in Clonee
- Things to do in Duleek
- Things to do in Dunboyne
- Things to do in Dunshaughlin
- Things to do in Enfield
- Things to do in Kells
- Things to do in Laytown
- Things to do in Navan
- Things to do in Ratoath
- Things to do in Stamullen
- Things to do in Trim
NIAH Buildings Open Data, captured June 2026; NMS Monuments to Visit, captured June 2026. Both data.gov.ie, CC-BY 4.0 (Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage). See methodology for the curation rule.