| Slane Baile Shláine | ||
| Location | ||
| ||
| Irish Grid Reference N959742 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Meath | |
| Population (2002) | 823 | |
Slane (Baile Shláine in Irish) is a village in County Meath, Ireland. The village stands on a steep hillside on the left bank of the River Boyne at the intersection of the N2 (Dublin to Monaghan road) and the N51 (Drogheda to Navan road). In 2002 its population was 823 <ref name="cso">Table 5 Population of Towns ordered by County and size, 1996 and 2002. Central Statistics Office Census 2002 Reports. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.</ref>. The village centre dates from the 18th century. The village and surrounding area contains many historic sites dating back over 5,000 years.
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The village center is a good example of 18th century town planning. At the center of the village stands four near identical Georgian houses. The four houses stand at the intersection of the two main streets in the village. The four houses and four streets form an octagon. This feature is known as The Square. The two main streets in the village feature 18th century gray limestone buildings with slate roofs, oriel windows and stone steps and archways. <ref name="Trench">Trench, C.E.F. (1995). Slane. An Taisce - the National Trust for Ireland. ISBN 0-903693-09-7. </ref>
It is believed that the Hill of Slane was a center of religion and learning for many centuries after St. Patrick. The ruins of a friary church and collage can be seen on the top of the hill. It is known that the friary was restored in 1512. The ruins include a 19 m high early gothic tower. The friary was abandoned in 1723.<ref name="Trench" />
The traditional Christian hymn Be Thou My Vision is set to an early medieval Irish folk song named Slane which is about the Hill of Slane.[citation needed]
On the west side of the hill there are the remains of a twelfth century Norman motte and bailey. This was the seat of the Flemings, barons of Slane. The Flemings moved to a castle on the left bank of the River Boyne. This is the current location of Slane Castle. The Flemings were lords of Slane from the twelfth century until seventeenth century when the Conyngham family replaced them as lords of Slane during the Williamite Confiscations.[citation needed]
Slane Castle stands on the river about 1 km upstream from the center of the village. The castle grounds have been the site of large rock concerts since 1981. There is an ancient well in the grounds of the castle near the river. In Irish mythology, the well blessed by Dian Cecht so that the Tuatha Dé Danann could bathe in it and be healed.[citation needed]
Slane Mill stands on the north bank of the River Boyne beside the N2 bridge. The mill is a five story cut stone building. When the mill was completed in 1766 it was the largest flour mill in Ireland. The water powered mill continued to be a flour mill until the 1870s when roller mills replaced grindstones. The mill was converted to scotch flax.<ref name="Fitzpatrick">Fitzpatrick, David and Fitzpatrick, Maureen. “The Old Mill”, The Old Frequented Ways. Slane Historical and Archaeological Society.</ref> The mill has now being converted into a hotel.
The N2 crosses the River Boyne south of the village. The road descends a steep hill from the village and makes an almost ninety degree turn onto the 14th century bridge.<ref name="Trench" /> This bend has been the scene of at least 20 fatalities in living memory.<ref name="Keogh">Keogh, Elaine. "Councillor angered at lack of progress on Slane bypass", The Irish Times, 2004-07-04. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.</ref> Most of the crashes have involved heavy goods vehicles which are not able to slow down sufficiently to make the sharp bend after picking up speed on the hill. Meath County Council and the National Roads Authority have installed a number of traffic calming measures over the years in an attempt to make the bend onto the bridge safer, however crashes still occur. It was hoped that the opening of the M1 motorway would divert a lot the heavy traffic from the village but there is evidence that many heavy goods vehicles still use the N2 (and thus Slane bridge)in order to avoid paying the toll on the M1 bridge.<ref name="Keogh" /><ref name="HoganKeogh">Hogan, Treacy, Keogh, Elaine. "Speeding trucks pose major safety risk on death bridge", The Irish Independent, 2001-02-29. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.</ref>
There are many other historical sites in the area around Slane. The Brú na Bóinne complex of Neolithic chamber tombs lies on the River Boyne 5 km down river from the village. This includes Newgrange, a passage tomb built c. 3200 BCE.<ref name="OKelly">O'Kelly, Michael J. (1982). Newgrange. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27371-5.</ref>
Across the river from the village stand the ruins of Fennor Castle.<ref name="Ryle">Ryle, John. “Fennor Castle and its Historical Context”, The Old Frequented Ways. Slane Historical and Archaeological Society.</ref>
In the grounds of Slane Castle are the ruins of St. Erc's Hermitage. This consists of a late fifteenth or early sixteenth century chapel and an earlier dwelling. <ref name="Trench" />
The site of the Battle of the Boyne is 10 km down river,East,from Slane.
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