Located in Dundalk


County Museum
Located in a beautifully restored 18th century warehouse, the award-winning County Museum traces the history of Dundalk and County Louth from the Mesolithic era to the modern day through a variety of interactive displays. With three floors of permanent exhibitions and a changing and extensive programme of temporary displays covering drama, music recitals, storytelling festivals, lecture and film, the museum has something of interest for everyone and is well worth a visit. Kids love the 1966 Heinkel bubble car exhibit!

Cúchulainn Castle
Mount Avenue, Dundalk
This Norman Motte and Castle ruins is traditionally associated with Cúchulainn, who is said to have used it as his base when harrying the forces of Queen Meave as they drove north into Cooley. On a clear day, there are fantastic views of Dundalk Bay from the top of the motte.

Proleek Dolmen
Ballymascanlon, Dundalk
This impressive dolmen with cap stone is said to weigh 40 tonnes and local legend believes that if you can throw a coin and make it land on top of the dolmen, you will be granted a wish so why not try your luck! The dolmen can be accessed from the car-park of the Ballymascanlon House Hotel just outside Dundalk.

Roche Castle
Castleroche, Dundalk
This dramatic 13th century ruined Norman Castle is traditionally associated with Rohesia de Verdun, who is said to have thrown the architect from the castle walls upon its completion in order to prevent the building of a similar fortress elsewhere. The stately majestic ruins of the castle are still in fine preserve crowning a rocky outcrop in the hills just outside Dundalk.

Agnes Burns Cottage & Visitor Centre and Stephenstown Pond
Burns Cottage, just 4 miles from Dundalk, was once the home of Agnes Burns - the sister of Scotland’s National Poet Robert Burns – and her husband William Galt. Agnes dies in 1834 and William died in 1847 and both are buried in Dundalk in St. Nicholas’ Cemetery burial grounds. The centre features a multimedia centre which interprets the lives of Agnes Burns/Galt and her brother Robert and the famous poet’s works and a coffee shop.

Agnes and William built the Stephenstown Pond for the local landlord, Matthew Fortescue and the cottage is adjacent to Stephenstown Pond Amenity Park. Visitors can get pond fishing permits for the carp fishery and there is also a lake, shaded woodland walks, a nature park, children’s play area and picnic area. Open daily, May-Sept, 8.30am-8.30pm and Oct-April, 10am-5pm.

Near Dundalk

Holy Trinity Heritage Centre
Situated in Carlingford, just over 20km from Dundalk, the Holy Trinity Heritage Centre is located in a beautifully restored medieval church and recounts the history of Carlingford from Norman times to modern day. The centre hosts a permanent exhibition and interpretation on the medieval town and also hosts special events throughout the year. Details of upcoming events are available from the website. Open Mon-Fri, 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-4p m.

Battle of the Boyne site
Located in Drogheda, approx 30 km from Dundalk, the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne between King William and James on 1st July 1690 is well worth a visit. The battle involved over 61,000 troops, the largest number ever deployed on an Irish battle site, and at stake were the British throne, French dominance and religious power in Ireland. Open from 1st May – 30th September, 10am-6pm, guided tours are available including ‘Living History’ displays every Sunday.

Beaulieu House, Gardens & Museum
This Dutch style residence dates from 1628 and boasts a beautiful garden designed by Dutch artist Van der Hagan from which there are wonderful views of the Boyne Estuary. Guided tours of the house tracing the family history are available and the house also features four acres of walled gardens and a museum containing a collection of classic race and road cars and memorabilia.
Open 1st May- mid September
Monday-Friday, 11am-5pm
Weekends 1pm-5pm (July and August only)

Knockabbey Castle & Gardens
Knockabbey Castle originates from 1050 and features beautiful Victorian gardens and a medieval water garden. There is a Visitor Centre & Audio Visual Room and the 14th century tower house also has an interpretive centre where visitors can learn about the history of the castle, its people and the gardens. The castle is located in Louth Village, just over 10km from Dundalk.
Open weekends, May-September and Tuesday-Sunday & Bank Holidays, June - August

Monasterboice
Monasterboice Tour Guides
Tel: +353 (0) 41 982 2813
Monasterboice, just over 25 km from Dundalk, features possibly the most outstanding examples of richly decorated high crosses remaining in Ireland today - the famous Muirdeach’s Cross which depicts scenes from the bible. The town is also home to one of the tallest round towers in Ireland. The tower reached a height of 110ft with the original door of the tower 20ft off the ground, however in the last ten centuries it has sunk to 6ft above ground level. Guided tours are available from Monasterboice Tour Guides

Newgrange & Brú na Boinne Visitors Centre
This famous site is less than an hour’s drive from Dundalk. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Newgrange is a passage grave built some 5,000 years ago. One of the oldest man-made structures in the world, it was built in such a way that at dawn on the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, a narrow beam of sunlight for a very short time illuminates the floor of the chamber at the end of the long passageway. The Visitor Centre houses a large interactive exhibition on the Brú na Bóinne area, an audio-visual presentation, a wheelchair accessible replica of the interior of the passage and chamber at Newgrange, a tourist office, gift shop, tea rooms and picnic area.

Old Mellifont Abbey
Old Mellifont Abbey is the first Cistercian Abbey in Ireland, famous for its lavabo. Located in a sequestered valley, four miles north of Drogheda, the building was finished in 1157 and its foundation has been associated with St. Malachy. The Visitor Centre houses an interesting exhibition on the work of masons in the Middle Ages with fine examples of their craft on display.

Oliver Plunkett’s Shrine
St. Peter’s Church, Drogheda, Co Louth
Oliver Plunkett was an Irish Martyr who was tried for treason in 1681. He was hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn, England. His head was rescued by French nuns and brought to Drogheda in 1921 where, since it has rested in Saint Peter’s Church, just 30 km from Dundalk. Oliver Plunkett was beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1975, the first new Irish saint for almost seven hundred years, and the first of the Irish martyrs to be beatified

Patrick Kavanagh Centre
Patrick Kavanagh was one of Ireland’s foremost literary figures and The Patrick Kavanagh Centre in Iniskeen, County Monaghan, approximately 8 km from Dundalk is dedicated to the famous poet. The centre features exhibitions on local history and on Kavanagh, an audio-visual theatre and a research library. Also on view are specially commissioned paintings illustrating Kavanagh’s epic poem ‘The Great Hunger’, a miniature model depicting his classic ‘A Christmas Childhood’, Kavanagh’s death mask and other memorabilia associated with the poet. Visitors can also take a unique tour of Kavanagh Country which takes in many local sites immortalised by Kavanagh with anecdotes, historical facts, wild rumours and the odd poem along the way.

St. Mochta’s House
Louth Village, Co Louth
This 12th Centry preserved stone house is where Mochta, the first Bishop of Louth lived and is just over 10 km from Dundalk.