Page 44 - The Drivers Guide 2019

The Driver's Guide
MEATH
SKREEN CHURCH,
HILL OF SKRYNE
JN 6 (R125 AND R147) TOWARDS DUNSHAUGHLIN
25 min from exit
The medieval Skreen Church stands loftily on the crest of the 500 foot high Hill of Skryne. It was built in 1341 on the site of an earlier church which had a shrine dedicated to St Columba. The shrine had the word ‘Scrinium’ which also means ‘shrine’ in Latin, hence the name. The ruins are dominated by the 100-foot-tall Tower which can be seen from quite a distance in the surrounding area.
DUNSANY CASTLE
JN 6 (R125) TOWARDS DUNSHAUGHLIN
15 min from exit
Dunsany Castle, between Dunshaughlin and Trim in Meath, lies a short distance south of the Hill of Tara. It began as a Norman fortress in 1180; only four towers remain of the original, which has been altered through the years, with fine additions in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is the ancestral home of the Lords of Dunsany, heads of the Plunkett family, since the 1400’s. The family still live in the Castle, which holds a private collection of paintings, ceramics and furniture.
The family has opened the Dunsany Home Collection Boutique in the Castle, which stocks an important collection of unique tableware, linen and other special housewares and gifts, as well as books by Lord Dunsany (1878-1957).
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
TRIM CASTLE
JN 6 (R125 AND R154) TOWARDS TRIM
16 min from exit
Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland, was constructed over a 30 year period in the 12th century by Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter, the Anglo-Norman rulers of Meath. The fortress includes a three-storey keep and extensive external walls which extend into the centre of the historic town of Trim. The castle was famously used in the making of the film Braveheart.
TRIM VISITOR CENTRE
JN 6 (R125 AND R154) TOWARDS TRIM
15 min from exit
The Trim Visitor Centre is located beside Trim Castle. Visitors can check out ‘The Power and the Glory’ multimedia exhibition, which paints a vivid picture of the historical background of the magnificent medieval ruins of Trim. It also offers a wide range of books, gifts, accommodation and tourist guides as well as quality craftwork from Meath and Ireland. See too the model of Trim Castle and the ‘Braveheart’ film set, which has become part of the modern story of Trim.
THE YELLOW TOWER, ST MARY’S AUGUSTINIAN ABBEY JN 6 (R125 AND R154) TOWARDS TRIM
20 min from exit
Known as the Yellow Tower, the Belfry tower of the Augustinian Abbey of St Mary was rebuilt after a fire in 1368. This was the site of an important pilgrimage in honour of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary until the Reformation. It later served as a watchtower. Also at this site is Trim Castle, built in 1415 over the original abbey, it became an exclusive Protestant school in the 18th century.
42 IRELAND’S ANCIENT EAST