Overview
Navan reads the same forwards and backwards, and the town is similarly unfussy. It’s the county town of County Meath, about 50 km northwest of Dublin, where the River Boyne meets the Blackwater. Be straight about what it is: a working business and shopping town rather than a destination in itself, but a sensible base for the Boyne Valley, with the Hill of Tara, Trim Castle and Newgrange all a short drive out. The medieval three-street plan still shapes the centre, even if most of the buildings above it are Victorian.
History and heritage
Navan was founded around 1185 by the Norman knight Jocelyn de Angulo, on a glacial mound traditionally held to be the burial place of Odhbha. Hugh de Lacy had granted him the barony, and a fortified settlement grew around his fort. The three original streets, Trimgate, Watergate and Ludlow (once Dublingate), survive, though the medieval town walls are almost entirely gone; one stretch still stands on Abbey Road.
A few landmarks anchor the centre:
- Navan Town Hall – built as a bridewell in 1831 and repurposed as municipal offices in 1983, keeping its classical stone façade.
- St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church – completed in 1839 on Fair Green, an Italianate church that remains a prominent local marker.
- Athlumney Castle – a 15th-century tower house with a later Tudor manor, standing where the Blackwater joins the Boyne. Access is usually arranged through the neighbouring guest accommodation.
What to see and do
Navan mixes active recreation with a few cultural stops, enough to fill a half-day.
- Navan Adventure Centre – the family draw, out at Navan Racecourse on the Proudstown Road: football golf, mini golf, archery, off-road go-karts, obstacle courses and inflatable zones.
- Solstice Arts Centre – on Railway Street, with independent cinema, theatre, rotating gallery shows and a café. It also runs a tourist information point, open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 4pm.
- Páirc Tailteann – home of Meath GAA, hosting county football and hurling through the season.
- Navan Racecourse – an established National Hunt and flat course with regular meetings and a relaxed, family atmosphere.
- Navan Shopping Centre – a covered complex with dozens of shops and a multiplex cinema, handy shelter on a wet day.
Outdoor activities and trails
The town’s best walk is the Ramparts Canal and River Boyne Walk, an 8 km linear trail running from Stackallen down to the Navan Ramparts along the river. It’s flat, well-surfaced and good for both walking and cycling. One thing to know: this is not a continuous greenway to Drogheda, despite what you’ll sometimes read. It’s a there-and-back river walk, not a through route to the coast.
Beyond it, the surrounding countryside has a network of marked routes on generally gentle terrain, including the historic Boyne Ramparts and paths around Dalgan Park.
Getting here and practical information
- By road: the M3 motorway from Dublin terminates near Navan. Exit at junction 8 and follow signage to the centre; the drive takes about an hour.
- By bus: Navan is a major Bus Éireann hub, with frequent services to Dublin city centre and the airport, plus local routes to surrounding villages.
- By rail: Navan’s station closed in the mid-20th century. The nearest active rail is M3 Parkway, with onward travel by taxi or bus.
Parking: parking in the centre is pay-and-display, 9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday. The Ramparts and O’Mahony’s car parks charge €2.40 for the day; Kennedy Place is €1.40 an hour, up to three hours. Free parking is scarce and often temporary, so don’t count on the free on-street spaces some guides mention.
Exploring beyond Navan
The town’s real value is as a base for the Boyne Valley’s headline sites:
- Hill of Tara – the ancient inauguration place of the High Kings, with ring forts, standing stones and a visitor centre.
- Newgrange and the wider Brú na Bóinne complex – UNESCO-listed passage tombs over 5,000 years old.
- Trim Castle – Ireland’s largest Anglo-Norman fortification, with well-preserved walls and a great hall.
- Slane Castle – a historic estate known for its distillery tours and major summer concerts.
Shorter hops include the Cistercian ruins at Bective Abbey, the Georgian gardens of Bective House and the Victorian engineering of the Blackwater Aqueduct. The riverside village of Donore makes a quieter alternative.
Dining and local character
The centre and surrounding streets hold a mix of independent cafés, gastropubs and international restaurants, with Watergate and Kennedy Road among the busier stretches. Navan held Purple Flag status, awarded in 2015 for the quality and safety of its night-time economy, and the compact layout means most dining, parking and heritage stops sit within a 15-minute walk of each other.
If you’re using Navan, the smart move is to sleep in the town and spend your days out at Tara, Trim and Brú na Bóinne. It works better as a hub than a headline.