Brú Na Bóinne, Co. Meath

Description

SMR No.:Multiple

Monument Type: Multiple

Brú Na Bóinne is about 8km inland from Drogheda and describes an area between the towns of Slane and Drogheda where the River Boyne meanders into a dramatic loop or bend. Brú na Bóinne – the abode of the Boyne – is the name given to one of the world’s most important archaeological landscapes, dominated by the spectacular prehistoric passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth.

In recognition of the international importance of these monuments and the many other archaeological features in the area, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated the Brú Na Bóinne area a World Heritage Site. Sites selected for World Heritage listing are deemed to be of outstanding universal value to humanity and are approved on the basis of their merits as the best possible examples of cultural or natural heritage.

Today at Brú Na Bóinne the remains of about forty mounds which are the oldest surviving traces of human activity in the area can be seen. They remained the focus for activity and tradition long after their formal use as burial places ended.

The passage tombs and associated monuments are in the care of the Office of Public Works.