Enfield: Royal Canal, Fairy Trail and Railway Heritage

Enfield brings together several distinct themes for planning a trip: the Royal Canal and Greenway, the Fairy Trail in the Leisure Park, and the industrial heritage of the Midland Great Western Railway. This gives you more than one perspective when choosing a hotel destination: the waterway and activity route sit alongside a specific attraction and the town’s railway buildings.

The Royal Canal and its Greenway

The Royal Canal opened in 1817 and runs through Enfield and the surrounding areas. The Royal Canal Greenway also passes through Enfield. This makes it possible to consider the historic canal and the route for outdoor activities as two distinct aspects of the town.

The section of the canal that runs through Enfield is part of the proposed Natural Heritage Area “Royal Canal pNHA” (site code 002103). The Meath County Development Plan 2021–2027 describes this designation as proposed. Its conservation objective is to protect plants, animals and habitats of significance across Ireland. In Enfield, the canal thus combines a historical theme with a designated nature conservation interest.

The Royal Canal Greenway is 130 km long and is a flat towpath suitable for walking, running and cycling for people of all ages and experience levels. The Greenway is generally flat and surfaced, has only gentle gradients and offers plenty of places to rest. Its length, surface and the activities mentioned give you several points to consider when deciding whether the Greenway suits your travel interests.

The Enfield Fairy Trail in the Leisure Park

A Leisure Park has been developed along the Royal Canal on the edge of Enfield, directly opposite the railway station. The Enfield Fairy Trail is in the Harbour Area of this park. The trail is fully accessible and features fairy doors, fairy houses, ladybirds and even some thrones. The trail also includes Pooh Corner, an area with nesting boxes, and an activity where you can find out your own fairy name.

The Greenway and Fairy Trail differ mainly in their focus: the Greenway is a long route with several types of activity, while the Fairy Trail centres on specific details such as fairy doors, nesting boxes and the fairy-name activity. This lets you weigh up a route-focused theme against an attraction when choosing a place to stay, without treating the two as the same.

Railway heritage and the memory of the Famine Way

Enfield’s industrial heritage includes the old buildings of the Midland Great Western Railway, including the station, warehouses, old railway signal boxes and towers that are still in use today. As well as being located opposite the Leisure Park, the station therefore has a place in local railway history. This aspect complements the canal and leisure route themes with the town’s architectural history.

The story of remembrance is also linked to the Greenway: it includes a section of the National Famine Way. Monuments in Enfield commemorate this important part of Irish history. For those interested in the route, there is therefore a historical connection alongside the path itself, made visible in Enfield through its monuments.

Historical themes in the wider destination of County Meath

In the wider destination of County Meath, the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage property lies in a bend of the River Boyne. It includes the prehistoric passage tombs of Knowth, Newgrange and Dowth, built around 3200 BC. Loughcrew Megalithic Cemetery is a group of Neolithic passage tombs dating to around 3000 BC and extends across four gently rolling hilltops. The two sites represent different landscapes and distinct archaeological contexts.

Other historical points of interest in County Meath include the Hill of Tara and Trim Castle. The Hill of Tara was the seat of the High King of Ireland and an important centre of political and religious power. Trim Castle is Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman castle. These regional examples broaden the view beyond Enfield’s themes; they are distinct aspects of the wider destination of County Meath.

Discover more destinations: Mullaghmore, Laytown, Pelletstown, Kilbride, Ashbourne, Kilcloon, Balrath, Athboy.

Back to the wider travel guide: County Meath.