Coat of arms for County Meath

Knowth, County Meath Knowth is a passage grave, part of Brú na Bóinne in Ireland, north of Dublin. It is older than the pyramids in Egypt

Entrance to megalithic tomb at newgrange

Newgrange

River Boyne, Trim, County Meath overlooking Trim Castle

Irish Brush Dance - Trim Festival County Meath

What could be more Irish than Co. Meath, Ireland's top producer of potatoes? There's a lot more to Meath than just agriculture. Meath's greatest asset is its history – old monasteries, megalithic tombs and ancient kingly palaces dot the entire county, making it virtually impossible for any tourist to miss a trip here.

Meath's most famous spot is the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of the High King of Ireland. This hilltop monument consists of passages, tombs and spiritual stones, and persists as one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Ireland, despite the best efforts of developers who have all but plowed it down to make way for a new motorway.

Beyond Tara, Meath's list of historic sites runs like an Oscar nominee list. Brú na Bóinne is a Neolithic site, home to the Newgrange burial mounds – don't tell the English, but they pre-date Stonehenge by 400-1000 years – as well as the Loughcrew Neolithic sites, the town of Kells (from whence that very famous book in Trinity College came), the Battle of the Boyne (1690) site, the 2500-year-old Telltown earthen mounds, and monastic ruins in Trim and Bective, the latter of which was a shooting site for the film, Braveheart.

Meath has two extremely famous sons: actor Pierce Brosnan (yep, he's Irish!) and comedian Tommy Tiernan, both of whom hail from the county town, Navan.

It's not difficult to get away from the droves of tour buses lining up at Newgrange and Tara (though they are well worth a look, too!). At Slane Castle, you’ll likely find hordes of revelling concert-goers up from Dublin on any given summer weekend to take in a gig. Meanwhile, the spectacular Georgian manor, Hamwood House in Dunboyne, boasts a series of walled gardens and woodland nature trails.