Since prehistoric times the Hill of Slane has a special place in Irish history. Slane refers to the mythical Fir Bolg Slaine, the first High King of Ireland. Slaine cleared the forests around Bru na Boinne to build the megalith monuments of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth. Legend has it that he was buried on the hill of Slane and an old mound at the back of the hill might well be his tomb.

 

In 433 St Patrick defied the High King Laoghaire and his druids on the Hill of Tara by prematurely igniting a Paschal fire atop the hill of Slane, in eyesight of Tara.

He got away with it and even converted Erc, one of the druids, to Christianity.

 

St Patrick moved on but Erc built a church and school on the Hill of Slane and was eventually buried here. Some stones on the graveyard may mark his final resting place.

The present ruins on the hill hark back to the 16th century. The place features some nice Celtic Crosses and is still in active use as a graveyard.

 

Nearby are the ruins of a Norman castle, built in the 1170s by a Norman knight called Richard Fleming. 

 

We visited this historic site in June 2018.