Brú na Bóinne

Brú na Bóinne is an Irish archaeological site, one of the most important in the whole of Ireland! Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, the site includes various burial mounds, megaliths, stone circles and other tombs of prehistoric origin on more than 780 hectares! The site is one of the most impressive and richest in all of Europe in terms of prehistory!

History of Brú na Bóinne

An important archaeological complex

Brú na Bóinne is located in the Boyne valley, very close to the river of the same name. The place has various sites dating from the Neolithic period, each one more fascinating than the other.

All these sites are believed to have been built in the Neolithic period, and are concentrated on the north side of the Boyne River. Many traces of prehistoric art have been found there, as well as rock engravings on the great megaliths.

At the end of the prehistoric period, the megalithic constructions of Brú na Bóinne unfortunately fell into oblivion and were gradually overgrown by vegetation, until they went completely unnoticed. However, some of them were looted by the Vikings in the 8th century, and then fell into oblivion.

In 1690, Brú na Bóinne became the scene of one of the bloodiest battles in Irish history: the Battle of the Boyne (1690), which pitted the English Orangemen against the Irish Catholics (and which ended in the failure of the Catholics). A battle that marked Ireland forever.

Visit Brú na Bóinne

An archaeological complex formed around 4 major sites

Brú na Bóinne consists of 4 major sites:

• Newgrange: this is the largest Neolithic tomb in the country. It is an impressive burial mound, 80 meters wide and 13 meters high. It was built in 3,200 B.C. and is one of the most fascinating places on the subject. More than 200,000 tons of stone were used in its construction. At the entrance you can see many period engravings: a real treasure!
• Dowth: a remarkable cairn, which also has impressive dimensions. 90 metres in diameter and 15 metres high!
• Knowth: another cairn, which houses 2 corridors and 2 burial chambers. A unique place, and magnificently preserved!
• Tara: it was once the capital of the Kings of Ireland. It was there, where the leaders of the Kingdom of Ireland sat. Nowadays, the site is remarkable, and traces of ancient buildings can still be seen.

So much more to discover...