- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1785 · 18th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Coordinates
- 53.7094°, -6.5613°
History
The Slane estate, confiscated from the old Fleming family after the Williamite wars, passed in the early 18th century to the Conynghams, who still live here. Rebuilding of the present house began in 1785 to designs by James Wyatt, and the work was continued by Francis Johnston, who created the Gothic ballroom. In 1821 King George IV, who was close to Elizabeth Conyngham, the wife of the marquess, visited the castle. In 1981 Henry Mount Charles staged the first rock concert here, starting a tradition of shows by the biggest stars. In 1991 a fire destroyed much of the interior, which took a decade to restore.
What to see
The castle, with its battlemented towers, stands on rising ground above the Boyne amid landscaped parkland. Guided tours take in the state rooms, including the circular ballroom with its Gothic ceiling, and concert memorabilia. A whiskey distillery operates in the former stables, and the meadows sloping down to the river form a natural amphitheatre for tens of thousands of fans.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1758189
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).