{"id":3806,"date":"2014-08-27T23:49:04","date_gmt":"2014-08-28T03:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/carolinatravelgirl\/?p=3806"},"modified":"2014-08-27T23:49:04","modified_gmt":"2014-08-28T03:49:04","slug":"county-meath-ireland-trim-hill-of-tara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/first2board.com\/carolinatravelgirl\/2014\/08\/27\/county-meath-ireland-trim-hill-of-tara\/","title":{"rendered":"Trim and the Hill of Tara – County Meath, Ireland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mystical and Magical -County Meath, Ireland<\/h2>\n

\"Ireland\"<\/a>Ireland definitely has to be one of my most favorite countries to visit. \u00a0With an area\u00a0that is not much bigger than the state of Ohio, Ireland is steeped in history, mythology, \u00a0and folklore. It is a land of music, literature, and passion.\u00a0\u00a0I have a trip planned for October with a friend where we are going to be driving the northern part of the Wild Atlantic Way. I can barely wait!<\/p>\n

\"airbnb<\/a>

airbnb Trim<\/p><\/div>\n

I don’t really have a particular area of Ireland that I would consider a favorite although the West Country comes close. One of the things I love most about this island nation, is that no matter which County you may visit, there are always wonderful things to be discovered. Such was the case when I visited County Meath located just northwest of Dublin. I planned the trip as part of my annual fall getaway and was looking for a place to stay as a base for a few days out. During my search on airbnb<\/strong><\/a>, I found a reasonably priced private room in Trim, County Meath. A quick search of things to see and do in County Meath told me that I would have more than enough occupy my time for three days. My hosts were wonderful and provided me with maps and guide books for researching my days out.<\/p>\n

Trim itself is a small town\u00a0whose name in Irish is\u00a0Baile \u00c1tha Troim<\/i><\/span>, meaning “town at the ford of\u00a0<\/span>elderflowers.” It is located\u00a0on the\u00a0River Boyne which starts in County Kildare and empties into the Irish Sea. \u00a0At an early date, a monastery thought to be founded by St. Patrick was established\u00a0at Trim. It was burned in the 12th century and refounded as St. Mary’s Abbey remaining as such until it was done away with by King Henry VIII.\u00a0These days the town\u00a0is best known for being the home of Trim (or King John’s) Castle which was built by Hugh de Lacey in the 12th century. It is the largest Norman castle in Western Europe\u00a0and was used for the filming of Braveheart<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Trim<\/a>

Trim Castle – County Meath<\/p><\/div>\n

There are a variety of restaurants and pubs in Trim. After dinner\u00a0in an Indian restaurant, I headed to Regan’s Pub (which claims to be Ireland’s second oldest pub\u00a0situated right on the River Boyne. With its low beamed ceilings and brick walls, the atmosphere was cozy and cheerful. I was in for a treat because it happened to be the night the locals brought their instruments to the pub for a\u00a0‘seisi\u00fan’<\/span>\u00a0(session) of traditional Irish music. What better for a first night in Ireland than music,\u00a0Craic, <\/em>and a cold pint of Guinness.<\/p>\n