ancient ruins
Hill of Tara
The ceremonial seat of the High Kings of Ireland, a set of grassy earthworks with the Lia Fáil standing stone on top.
13 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeIrelandLeinster
Ratoath
Leinster, Ireland · Europe
About Ratoath
Ratoath works well as a base: 10 minutes from Ashbourne, 13km from Hill of Tara.
Ratoath is in Leinster, Ireland, with about 9,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Ashbourne, about 4 km away.
Ratoath (Irish: Ráth Tó, meaning 'Tó's ringfort') is a commuter town in County Meath, Ireland. A branch of the Broad Meadow Water (Broadmeadow River) (Irish: An Gabhair) flows through the town. The R125 and R155 roads meet in the village. At the 2022 census, there were 10,007 people living in Ratoath, making it theRead more
fourth largest urban area in Meath. The town is around 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Dublin city centre.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Ratoath?
Within an hour or so of Ratoath: Hill of Tara (13 km), Dublin Zoo (20 km), Newgrange (21 km), Trim Castle (22 km).
Are there any good drives near Ratoath?
The nearest famous roads are Sally Gap, Wicklow Gap and Dundrod Circuit.
Where is Ratoath?
Ratoath is in Leinster, Ireland, about 4 km from Ashbourne.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 9,043
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Ireland
- Region
- Leinster
- Timezone
- Europe/Dublin
- Coordinates
- 53.5081, -6.4625
Tags
Worth the detour from Ratoath
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Dublin Zoo
Ireland's largest zoo in Phoenix Park, one of the oldest zoos in Europe, home to over 400 animals.
20 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Newgrange
A 5,200-year-old passage tomb in Ireland's Boyne Valley, older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids, famous for its winter solstice illumination of the inner chamber.
21 km · about 25 min drive
castle
Trim Castle
Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle, used as a Braveheart filming location, with a massive 20-sided keep dominating the Boyne Valley.
22 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Knowth
A great passage tomb in the Boyne Valley ringed by kerbstones carrying the largest collection of megalithic art in Europe.
22 km · about 25 min drive
film location
Trim Castle, County Meath (Braveheart's York)
Ireland's largest Anglo-Norman castle doubled for the city of York in Braveheart, with the battles shot on the Curragh plain nearby.
22 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral
Ireland's largest cathedral and national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, once led by Jonathan Swift.
23 km · about 25 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Howth Cliff Walk
A looped cliff path around Howth Head with views to Ireland's Eye and the Wicklow mountains, easily reached from Dublin.
30 km · about 35 min drive
Driving roads near Ratoath
- 30 kmHowth Cliff WalkA looped cliff path around Howth Head with views to Ireland's Eye and the Wicklow mountains, easily reached from Dublin.
- 42 kmSally GapA high crossroads pass over the Wicklow Mountains amid blanket bog, with the famous Military Road running through.
- 46 kmLough Tay (Guinness Lake)A dark lake with a pale sand beach at one end, viewed from the R759 above; used as the Viking village in the series Vikings.
- 52 kmWicklow GapHigh mountain pass on the R756 across the Wicklow Mountains between Hollywood and Glendalough, following the medieval pilgrims' route of St Kevin's Road through wild granite moorland.
- 56 kmThe Spinc, GlendaloughA boardwalk ridge walk high above the Upper Lake at Glendalough, climbing beside the Poulanass waterfall.
- 74 kmVale of AvocaA wooded river valley on the R752 in Wicklow at the meeting of the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers.
Driving in Ireland
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€2.10/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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