Things to do in Kilmessan

Where Dublin Comes to RelaxPhoenix Park sits resplendently 3 miles west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses 1,750 acres of open space, sports grounds, leisure opportunities, historic buildings, tree-lined avenues and a herd of wild fallow deer. It is where Dublin comes to relax, although you are never short of things to do here.

For more than 5,000 years, the ancient tomb of Newgrange has stood on the banks of the River Boyne. This huge burial mound was built by Stone Age farmers and is surrounded by a ring of large stones. Step inside the prehistoric structure and learn about the Neolithic society that built it.

If you’re here with older children why not head to Tayto Park Farm, where you can get up close to farm animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys and cows. Alternatively, you could also visit Tayto Park’s woodland safari, where you’ll be able to see some more unusual creatures including wolves, foxes, exotic birds of prey and even some big cats.

In 1991, a terrible fire ravaged the castle, destroying much of the interior and requiring an extensive 10-year restoration project to bring back its former glories. The work was meticulously carried out and much of the original detail and design lovingly reimagined.

Trim Castle, a well-preserved Anglo-Norman fortress, dominates the small town in which is sits. Take a tour of the castle interior to learn what life was like for the Anglo-Norman family that stationed themselves inside the castle amid the hostile local Gaelic Irish population.