Bettystown: Sandy Beach and Links Golf
Accommodation in Bettystown
Bettystown offers two clear focal points for planning your trip: Bettystown Beach and Laytown and Bettystown Links Golf Club. If you’re looking for hotels in Bettystown, you can first consider whether the beach, golf or both will shape your stay. For a beach holiday, take note of seasonal information about the bathing season; the golf course offers a different focus with its links character.
Bettystown Beach: Coast and History
Bettystown Beach is a 5 km-long sandy beach. It stretches north from the River Boyne, on the border between County Meath and County Louth, to the River Nanny at Laytown in the south. The beach is also associated with the discovery of the Tara Brooch: this precious piece of jewellery dates from the 8th century and is now held at the National Museum of Ireland.
The beach has both Blue Flag and Green Coast awards. As awards can change seasonally, check the current status if this information is important for your trip.
Getting Your Bearings at the Beach
Parking is available at the Meath County Council car park beside the Education Campus. Brookside Lane leads from there to Bettystown Beach, a short walk away. Parking regulations can change; confirm the local arrangements before you arrive.
Lifeguards are scheduled to be on duty during the summer bathing season: generally at weekends in June, and during usual daytime hours in July and August. Check the current seasonal schedule before swimming. Meath County Council also lists two beach wheelchairs to help people with physical disabilities or limited mobility access the beach. Check current hire arrangements before your trip.
Route and Golf
The Slà na Sláinte Bettystown/East Meath route passes through Laytown, Bettystown and Mornington. Check the local waymarking before setting off so you can plan your route using the current signs.
Golf is also a distinct focus in Bettystown. Visitors are expressly welcome at Laytown and Bettystown Links Golf Club. The course was first played in the 1880s and is a traditional links course, with undulating fairways, revetted bunkers and fast greens.
Golf clubs, buggies and caddies can be hired at the club. As availability can change, check in advance what hire options are available for your visit. If you’re weighing up beach days against golf, you’ll find two distinct options: the long sandy beach and its coastal setting on the one hand, and the links course with its characteristic fairways and greens on the other.
County Meath as a Distinct Cultural Context
The wider destination of County Meath also offers its own historical context. The BrĂş na BĂłinne World Heritage Site lies in a bend of the River Boyne and includes the passage tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built around 3200 BC. Another group of monuments is Loughcrew Megalithic Cemetery: Neolithic passage tombs dating from around 3000 BC, spread across four gently rolling hilltops. BrĂş na BĂłinne comprises three named passage tombs and lies in a bend of the river; the Loughcrew group of passage tombs is spread across four gently rolling hilltops.
Other historical landmarks in County Meath include the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle. The Hill of Tara was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland and an important centre of political and religious power. Trim Castle is Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle and stands on the south bank of the River Boyne. For safety reasons, access to the keep is by guided tour only. These examples add distinct historical themes from the wider County Meath to Bettystown’s coastal and golfing attractions.
Discover more destinations: Dundalk, Stabannan, Drogheda, Ardee, Tallanstown, Lower Jenkinstown, Dunleer, Collon
For the wider travel overview: County Louth.
