Slane Castle

Overlooking the River Boyne, just a few kilometres upstream from Newgrange and the site of the famous Battle of the Boyne, Slane Castle in its existing form was constructed under the direction of William Burton Conyngham, together with his nephew The 1st Marquess Conyngham. The reconstruction dates back to 1785 and is principally the work of James Gandon, James Wyatt and Francis Johnston. Francis Johnston was also the architect responsible for the gothic gates on the Mill Hill, located to the east of the castle.

One of the most exciting historic buildings on the island

Slane Castle hosts many high profile events, from its famous Summer Concerts with a capacity of 80,000 people, to intimate events inside the Castle. With the backdrop of the River Boyne and the surrounding parkland of the Estate, it is the perfect venue to accommodate a wide range of events in unique surroundings.

Virtual Tours

Pre booked through our website, https://www.slanecastle.ie/tours/virtual-tour/ the price per person is €7.00 for a 30 minute live tour of the groundfloor of the castle. Hosted on Zoom, one of our guides will take guests through 5 rooms of the castle covering Castle/Family history aswell as info on Rock Concerts throughout the years and a Slane Whiskey toast at the end. During the tour we will have a second guide to answer any questions that come through the live chat, we will also record each live tour so we can send a link to any guest who may have had issues with connectivity or sound, so they are able to rewatch the tour afterwards within a set time frame.

Currently our live tours are set to run Wednesday at 1pm and Saturdays at 5pm (GMT).

Listen to some wonderful audio on Slane Castle.

Slane Castle, set in the middle of a 1,500 acre estate in the heart of the Boyne Valley, County Meath. Which lies only twenty-five minutes from Dublin Airport and is the perfect venue to host your wedding, gala dinner, conference and business / training event or corporate function.

Food and drink

The Gandon Room Restaurant offers a dining experience you will not forget. Named after one of the principle Architects of the Castle James Gandon, you will feel you have arrived into a very special place indeed.

Browne’s Bar is an eclectic space which ties in the Castle history and Rock and Roll. Full of fun memorabilia from concerts held over the years the room was actually the home to the Castle house keeper Mary Browne, who for many years ran the household for Conyngham family. When the weather is fine you can take pleasure in the courtyard with picturesque views of the estate.

Discover Slane Irish Whiskey

A tour of Slane Distillery takes visitors through our heritage room, barley room, cooperage, and maturation warehouse before a final stop that provides a view of our pot stills and production areas. The tour concludes in the best way possible with a taste of our signature triple casked blend, Slane Irish Whiskey.

Weddings at Slane Castle

There are a number of compelling reasons for choosing Slane Castle as your wedding venue. Slane Castle operates under a one day exclusive rental policy, which means you and your family can avail of the entire castle for your Wedding Reception and also your Wedding Ceremony. See here for details.

Slane Concerts

Slane has been home to the most famous Irish music concerts since the 1980s. Acts such as Metallica, U2, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Guns ‘N Roses, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, David Bowie, Queen and REM have performed in Slane.

U2, uniquely, have performed three times at the venue – playing support to the renowned Irish band, Thin Lizzy, who headlined Slane with their first show in 1981.

Facts:

In 1991, a fire in the castle caused extensive damage to the building and completely gutted the eastern section facing the River Boyne. The castle reopened in 2001 after the completion of a ten-year restoration programme.

U2 recorded part of their 4th studio album, The Unforgettable Fire, in Slane Castle.