Details Celtic Boyne Valley Tour

DEPARTURE TIME: 8:00AM (Arrive 10mins before)

DEPARTURE LOCATION: Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk Street  – MAP HERE 

ADULT : €40

STUDENT / SENIOR : €35  ( 13yrs-16yrs / 65 yrs + )

CHILD : €20   ( 5yrs-12yrs )

CHILD UNDER 5 : Free

HIGHLIGHTS : This Celtic Boyne Valley day tour includes Loughcrew Passage Tomb  |  Trim Castle  |  Hill of Tara  |  Monasterboice  |  Drogheda

Note: You need to wear hiking shoes and warm clothing as you will be in exposed areas.

 

OVERVIEW

Join us as we journey through Ireland’s ancient East to explore the historical Boyne Valley. Our day tour takes you into one of Ireland’s most ancient regions. Your guide and storyteller introduces you to the most significant sites in Celtic history and takes you right into the heart of County Meath, the ‘Royal County’. Here, the High Kings of Ireland ruled the country and people over the centuries. There are many historical sites such as Neolithic tombs, castles Abbeys and other ruins to explore. Surrounded by the lush green landscape Ireland is best known for, it is an adventure not to be missed.

Our guides will lead you through an exciting and informative day with tales of history, mythology, and royalty. You will be both informed and entertained; our guides are professional, knowledgeable and have a lovely sense of humour.

Discover the History of Drogheda on a walking tour with my street. The guides with my street had in the past fallen on hard times and are now trained as guides and give an excellent and informative walking tour of their streets.

Effortlessly travel from the stone age to modern times, as we explore regal County Meath! We depart at 8:00am with a full and exciting schedule before returning to Dublin by approximately 6:00pm.

This is a tour that takes you into the depths of Celtic history and allows you to explore sites of historical significance and see stunning landscapes.

 

Itinerary – Celtic Boyne Valley Day Tour

Our Celtic Boyne Valley tour departs from the Molly Malone Statue on Suffolk Street in Dublin city centre. Please arrive at least ten minutes prior to our departure time. After you meet your charming guide, we will travel north into the royal county of Meath towards Oldcastle. Travel through picturesque countryside into the land of kings and legends.

9:45am : Loughcrew Passage Tomb

We arrive at the sacred site of Loughcrew with a concentration of around 30 passage tombs.  This is one of the most important prehistoric cemeteries in Ireland.  You’ll walk to the top of the hill where one of the best preserved and most accessible tombs on the site can be seen.  Once the iron gate is opened, you’ll enter the tomb with a flash lamp to find the Celtic designs carved into the rock over 5000 years ago along the walls and ceiling of the tomb. They are still perfectly visible and enchant every visitor who sees them. The remarkable preservation of the designs makes this a special visit and one our visitors always remember.

11:00am : Trim Castle

After a drive through some breathtaking Irish countryside we make our next stop at the imposing Trim Castle.  Here you will enjoy exploring the grounds of this magnificent stronghold that is still standing after 800 years.  It was at this castle that some of the best fight scenes in the film ‘Braveheart’ were shot.  See if you can recognise the filming locations! Trim Castle is the most important and best preserved Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland situated on the edge of Trim town itself.

12:20pm : Hill of Tara

Not far from Trim Castle we will arrive at the Hill Of Tara, the seat of the High Kings  – the most sacred site in ancient Ireland.  It is said that a quarter of Ireland’s landscape can be seen from this point.  Tara gets its name from ‘Teamhair na Ri’ which means ‘Sanctuary of the Kings’ and is the traditional inauguration site of the ancient High Kings of Ireland.  Tara was at the height of its importance around 600BC and was the royal centre of Mide, meaning ‘The Middle Kingdom’ once the 5^th province of Ireland.

We travel through the village of Slane. Today, Slane Castle hosts Ireland’s premier annual music concerts. It can hold 80,000 fans and over the years has hosted concerts by Queen, The Rolling Stones, Guns N’Roses and U2, to name a few.  In fact, U2’s fourth studio album ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ was recorded in the Great Hall at Slane Castle!  As you leave the village, ask your guide to tell you the story of the four sisters!

2:30pm : Monasterboice

Our next stop on the fabulous Celtic Boyne One Day Tour is at the religious site at Monasterboice. The High Cross of Monasterboise is the finest in Ireland and is highly regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of Irish religious art. This religious site was founded by Saint Buite in 520AD. Its name derives from the Irish ‘Mainistir Bhuithe’ meaning ‘the monastery of Buite’. The monastery has the 2nd highest round tower in Ireland. It was burned in 1097, destroying its library and other treasures but still remains intact apart from its head cap.  You will also find the Celtic High Cross of Muiredach from the early ninth century; probably the finest of its type in the world. These are impressive sights which provide opportunities to learn of their history, admire the architecture and of course take photographs.

3:30pm : Drogheda Walking Tour

We have just a short trip to our final stop before we make our way back to Dublin. You will have approximately 90 minutes  in the historical town of Drogheda. When we arrive in the centre of the town your local guide will walk you through this fascinating place, which is steeped in significant Irish history. You will visit St. Peter’s Church, an example of fine gothic architecture. Inside there is a shrine to Saint Oliver Plunkett, complete with what is known as ‘The Relic of St. Oliver’s Head’. It is what it sounds like – the relic on display is his decapitated head.

Drogheda was an important Anglo-Norman settlement and was one of the largest walled towns in medieval Ireland. The fortified walls protected the town twice from attack. Firstly from Edward Bruce in 1317 and again by Phelim O’Neill in 1642.  However, the walls were breached in 1649 by Cromwell who sacked the town, massacring 3500 people inside.

5:15pm : Leave Drogheda

“CELTIC TOUR WITH MAC”
Just took the Celtic tour to the Hill of Tara, Trim Castle, Loughcrew, Monasterboice, and Drogheda. Fabulous! Our driver/guide, Mac, was witty and extremely knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and, specifically, of the ancient history surrounding the neolithic and megalithic structures visited on this tour. This was the second tour I have taken with this company, and I highly recommend both Mac and Irish Day Tours!

“CELTIC BOYNE VALLEY TOUR TO THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS!”
Excellent tour as led by Jennifer and her driver Patrick. Visited Trim Castle, where Braveheart was filmed, the Hill of Tara, Loughcrew, Monasterboice, Drogheda, and even some other sites along the road. Great archaelogically-trained leader in Jennifer made it all that better. Loved every minute and really made my trip to Ireland expand beyond Dublin and into the gorgeous countryside, and prehistoric and medieval history. Highly recommend this tour.

“BOYNE VALLEY TOUR IS AWESOME”
This trip was amazing. It was a full day, but a lot of fun. Right before lunch there’s a 900 ft. hill climb to a 5000 year old tomb! Totally worth the hike and make sure to wear sturdy and comfortable shoes. You’re never on the bus for too long, the seats are comfortable and the guide is knowledgeable. We saw castles, graveyards and churches and this is the side of Ireland I wanted to see. It’s not as touristy as other tours can be, and is great for history junkies like me. Take the tour, you won’t be disappointed!