Ahhh Meath, the Royalist (he he) county in all the land and undoubtedly the green heart of our little island.
It often gets overlooked when compared to its bigger and brassier neighbour Dublin, but majestic Meath has a lot of qualities that those inside The Pale should be very jealous of.
Amazing local produce, ancient monuments and bucket loads of pure craic, Meath is da best.
Pop these locations on your bucket list fo' sho.
Tayto Park
An amusement park dedicated to the nation's favourite crisp? Yep, Tayto Park is a childhood dream. It's got Europe's largest wooden rollercoaster and a fun zoo area that boasts the first herd of American bison in Ireland.
Take that Funderland.
Newgrange
A 5,000 year old Neolithic monument that's older than both Stonehenge and the Egyptian Pyramids. Seeing the sun flood the chamber during Winter Solstice should be on everyone's bucket list.
Tommy Tiernan
Okay okay, so technically Tommy is from Donegal, but he went to secondary school in Navan as a teenager, which pretty much gives him a Meath heritage. Ireland's fave comedian must have fine tuned his humour when he was studying in the royal county.
Slane Concert
Slane Castle has held Ireland's best rock concerts since 1981, with legends such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Queen, The Rolling Stones and Eminem all performing there.
photo: Andy Spearman
Fairyhouse Racecourse
One of Ireland's best racecourses, Fairyhouse hosts the Grand National each year and is one of the glammest places to be for Ladies Day. There's also a jam-packed local market every Sunday that has everything from vegetables to skincare.
Leopardstown just doesn't have the same buzz.
Balrath Woods
Possibly one of the nicest walks to do in the whole county, Balrath Woods near Duleek is the perfect place to go for a stroll on Stephen's Day. Beautiful beech trees and lots of wildlife, this is the place to go for some peace.
Phoenix park? Not the same.
A Great Steak From The Snailbox
This has to be up there in Ireland's friendliest restaurants. The steak is juicy and tender and ALWAYS hits the spot. They also have over 4,000 baseball caps hanging from the ceiling that you can admire as you dig in to your sirloin.
Bring a cap and you can swap it for a Snailbox swag one.
Xabi Alonso
Probably (actually definitely), GAA's most exotic link, the ex-Liverpool star Xabi Alonso famously played the good Gaelic sport during his time as a Spanish exchange student in Kells in the 90's.
Meath for Xabi 4eva.
Palace Nightclub
This club holds the record of more than likely being where most people in Navan got their first shift. €5 cocktails, strobe lights, sticky dance floor and if you're really, really lucky, there might even be a glamour model guest appearance.
Copper's doesn't have a patch on Palace.
Trim Castle
Look, Meath has a lot of castles, fact. Trim Castle is the oldest Norman castle in Ireland AND the location of that warrior classic 'Braveheart'.
If it's good enough for Mel Gibson, it's good enough for us.
The Chipper Van In Garristown
Feeling a bit peckish on your way home? Drive past the local's favourite chipper in Garristown on your way. If you're really in a hurry you can ring one of the lads' mobiles and pre-place a sneaky chips order.
Beshoff's is nothing compared to this VIP service at the side of the road. (Naysayers might say this is in Dublin but it's close enough on the border for us to claim it as our own).
A Pint In Bennetts
A cold crisp pint in this local snug is literally heaven. Pool tables, darts, and a roaring fire make Bennetts popular for miles around. Don't miss the legendary table quiz on Stephen's Day where everyone shares around their ham and turkey sambos.
Dylan Moran
An absolutely hilarious guy, Dylan is another comedic genius to come from Navan. He brought us Black Books and starred in Shaun Of The Dead, so he's practically a county hero.
Proof that Meath is the home of humour.
Bettystown Beach
It's no Bondi Beach, but Bettystown strand on one of those rare, hot sunny days in Ireland is the place be on the East Coast. The beach is packed with families picnic-ing and there's an exceptional ice-cream van for that beachside treat.
Don't bother trekking up to Donabate if this is on your doorstep.
Hill Of Tara
The ancient megalithic mound was, according to legends that we are taking as fact, the seat for the High Kings of Ireland in Celtic times. People say that spiritual energy can still be felt around the site, making it ideal for eh, rituals of some sort?
Celtic Kings lived here people - waaaaay cooler than anywhere in the big smoke.
George's Patisserie, Slane
This artisan bakery has the most amaaaazing pastries and cakes you could ever imagine. Fresh bread and super-fancy special occasion cakes covered in chocolate whirls - trust us when we say this place does the tastiest treats ever.
Chef George is literally a 'Master Of Culinary Art' - beat that Dublin bakeries.
Odd Place Names
Ireland has some pretty strange place names, but we think Meath wins extra points for having one of the best. Case in point: Muff House, Nobber, Co. Meath.
An address that Dubs can only dream of.
BRÚ Brewery
The Brú boys have been bringing quality craft beers to Meath since 2013. Their beers are a pure delight, with bases in Trim and Newbridge. There's also a gluten-free brew for you unfortunate coeliacs out there.
This Quirky Political Party
Does Dublin have a one-man political party called "Don't Give A Feck"? Yeah, didn't think so. Dear Dave didn't make it very far on his trip towards the Dail, but sure at least he's honest.
Meath politicians are the best craic, just like the rest of the county's proud folk.
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