Donore: Brú na Bóinne, Cultural Landscape and Monuments

Donore in County Meath combines a visit to the Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre with a protected cultural landscape, historic monuments and an experience centred on spinning and weaving. When planning your hotel stay, you can therefore focus on different things: the exhibition and guided tours, local architectural history, or activities in Donore and the surrounding area.

Brú na Bóinne: Exhibition and Tours

The Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre is located in Donore. Its interactive exhibition explores the Neolithic culture, landscape and monuments of Brú na Bóinne. A scale model of the chamber at Newgrange provides a three-dimensional example.

The centre is the starting point for guided tours of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Visitors travel to Newgrange and Knowth by shuttle bus; access to both monuments is exclusively through guided tours. Check the latest tour and shuttle information before your visit, as arrangements may change.

Facilities at the Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre offers a tourist information office, gift shop, tea rooms, a large car park and a picnic area. Brambles is a café in the centre. Visitors can get information on site and plan a break or a picnic. Check the latest information about the facilities before travelling.

Monuments and Local History

Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Church is designated as a protected structure in Donore. The presbytery of the Catholic Church of the Nativity of Our Lady in Cruicerath, Donore, retains its original timber sash windows, red-brick detailing and carved limestone plaque. The building brings together different materials and craftsmanship. The remains of an old church also stand in Donore cemetery.

Landscape in the Boyne Valley

Donore lies in a particularly sensitive landscape in the Boyne Valley and within the buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne. The River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Area of Conservation, site code 002299, and the River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Protection Area, site code 004232, are also nearby. These protected areas add to the picture of the landscape, which also features in the Visitor Centre exhibition.

Experiences in Donore and the Surrounding Area

Boyne Valley Wools offers the “Spin a Yarn” experience at The Leck in Donore. Guests meet the animals, watch demonstrations of spinning and weaving, and can make a needle-felted sheep as a souvenir. This bookable experience combines a hands-on activity with an introduction to textile crafts.

Near the village of Donore, Red Mountain Open Farm offers play areas and animals, indoor and outdoor picnic facilities, and a range of activities: a hay maze, a ride on the Blue Barrel Express, tractor-trailer rides, pedal tractors, go-karts and pony-and-trap rides. There are also walks through the countryside. As the activities on offer may change, check the farm’s latest information before your visit.

Getting There by Bus

Bus route 163 serves Donore. Check the latest timetable and route before travelling.

Discover more destinations: An Seanchaisleán, Kells, Balrath, Slane, Rathmolyon, Julianstown, Enfield, Mullaghmore

For the wider travel overview: County Meath.