Slane Castle
About
Slane Castle has been the Conyngham family's home since 1703, and the house you see is the one rebuilt from 1785 under William Burton Conyngham and his nephew, the first Marquess Conyngham, to designs by James Gandon, James Wyatt and Francis Johnston, with parkland laid out by Capability Brown. Johnston also did the Gothic gates on the Mill Hill that you pass coming down to the bridge. Inside is the Gothic Revival ballroom made for George IV's state visit in 1821. The castle is best known for what happens on the slope below it: the natural amphitheatre has held open-air concerts since Thin Lizzy headlined the first one in 1981 with U2 in support, and U2 later lived in the house in 1984 while recording The Unforgettable Fire. In 1991 a fire destroyed a third of the building, and the restoration took a decade. The important thing for a visitor in 2026 is access. The castle and grounds are open by appointment only. Private guided tours run year round by request, an hour long, at a flat €150 for up to six people and €12.50 a head from the seventh, to a maximum of 25, booked at least a week ahead. Public scheduled tours happen during National Heritage Week each August, and the castle runs ticketed events such as afternoon teas with a short tour and a Christmas market.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓Gothic Revival ballroom made for George IV's visit in 1821
- ✓Rebuilt from 1785 by Gandon, Wyatt and Johnston
- ✓The concert amphitheatre below the house, in use since 1981
- ✓Johnston's Gothic gates on the Mill Hill
Tips
- →There is no drop-in visiting. Email tours@slanecastle.ie at least a week ahead for a private tour.
- →Public tours run only in National Heritage Week in August; watch heritageweek.ie for the dates.
- →Since the castle's 2024 change of model, Browne's Bar and the Gandon Restaurant have taken private bookings and event guests only, not walk-ins.
Best Season
More Heritage Activities
The Hill of Slane
The ruins of a 1512 Franciscan friary and college on the hill where legend says St Patrick lit his Easter fire. Free, open, and a short walk or drive north of the village.
Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre, for Newgrange and Knowth
The only way into Newgrange and Knowth: the OPW visitor centre at Donore, with shuttle buses to the monuments on booked guided tours.