Things to do in Kilmessan

Where Dublin Comes to RelaxPhoenix Park sits resplendently 3 miles west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses 1,750 acres of open space, sports grounds, leisure opportunities, historic buildings, tree-lined avenues and a herd of wild fallow deer. It is where Dublin comes to relax, although you are never short of things to do here.

If you’re here with older children why not head to Tayto Park Farm, where you can get up close to farm animals such as sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys and cows. Alternatively, you could also visit Tayto Park’s woodland safari, where you’ll be able to see some more unusual creatures including wolves, foxes, exotic birds of prey and even some big cats.

In the form of a large circular structure, the inside of Newgrange is filled with stone passageways and large chambers, with the whole building ringed by 97 colossal kerbstones. Today we can only guess at the exact purpose for which it was constructed, but archaeologists believe it must have been a kind of tomb or sacred temple.

In 1991, a terrible fire ravaged the castle, destroying much of the interior and requiring an extensive 10-year restoration project to bring back its former glories. The work was meticulously carried out and much of the original detail and design lovingly reimagined.

The ruins at Trim were once Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle. It was built in the 12th Century over a period of 30 years, under the watchful eyes of Hugh de Lacy and his son Walter, staunch followers of Henry II of England.