The news that 6 attractions on the island of Ireland have made it on to the prestigious travel guide Lonely Planet’s list of top 500 ‘must see’ sites globally is great news for Irish tourism – which is really booming again, and great news too for Co. Meath, with Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth featuring on the list alongside the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, and the Great Barrier Reef.
The World Heritage site of Brú na Bóinne in Meath is placed at 224, and is the highest ranking site in the Republic of Ireland.
On the island of Ireland, the highest entry is the Giant’s Causeway in Antrim at 103. Other sites on the island listed include; the spectacular Cliffs of Moher at 224, with the Titanic Belfast at 424.
Trinity College Dublin, which includes Meath’s iconic Book of Kells is 468th, while Tipperary’s Rock of Cashel squeezes in at number 497.
The description of the Neolithic monuments at Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth as ‘a mind-boggling achievement of prehistoric humankind’ is excellent publicity from the renowned Lonely Planet guide, which is the ‘go to’ publication for global travellers. I know that Meath’s hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, coach operators and tour guides are well equipped to make good use of, and capitalise upon, the growing interest this endorsement will bring.
DAMIEN ENGLISH T.D. 