What to see from Kilmessan: Bective Abbey first
Our list finds nothing inside Kilmessan’s urban area, but 4 places within 5 km of its edge. The mix takes in an abbey or priory, a castle and a museum. Trim Castle lies 8.5 km out, the pick for a day trip.
Top of the list around Kilmessan
Bective Abbey aside, the next best known are a castle, a museum and an art gallery.
Abbey or prioryBective Abbey3 km outside town, to the northwest
CastleDunsany Castle and Demesne3.3 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumHill of Tara3.6 km outside town, to the northeastArt galleryArt galleryTara Open Studio3.9 km outside town, to the northeastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where they are
Head to the northeast for most of the 4 on the list.
The dashed line is Kilmessan’s urban area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · CSO 2022 outline
Grouped by kind
The two biggest groups: castles or historic places (2) and museums or galleries (2).
Green: inside Kilmessan. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
Full list of places
Everything here is within 5 km of its edge, 4 places in all.
Dunsany Castle and Demesne
Castle begun 12th century, in continuous ownership, County Meath, Ireland.
Close and well known first. Churches, protected structures and monuments belong to the History page, not here.
Monuments and historic buildings in Kilmessan → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Kilmessan →
Beyond Kilmessan
The standout of the 12 is Trim Castle, 8.5 km from town.
Castle · Office of Public WorksTrim Castle8.5 km westCastleCastle · Office of Public WorksDublin Castle36 km southeast
Big drawMuseumNational Museum of Ireland37 km southeast · 783K visitors a year
CathedralSt Patrick's Cathedral36 km southeast
Big drawZooDublin Zoo33 km southeast · 1.3M visitors a year (2022)
MuseumNational Library of Ireland37 km southeast
Historic houseLeinster House37 km southeast
CastleSlane Castle18 km north
CathedralChrist Church Cathedral36 km southeast
Art galleryNational Gallery of Ireland37 km southeast
Museum · Office of Public WorksKilmainham Gaol34 km southeast
Garden · Office of Public WorksSaint Stephen's Green37 km southeastPlaces well known beyond Kilmessan (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Office of Public Works or National Parks and Wildlife Service property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Before a day out in Kilmessan
What is there to see near Kilmessan?
No attraction is mapped inside Kilmessan itself. Within 5 km of it are Bective Abbey, Dunsany Castle and Demesne, Hill of Tara and Tara Open Studio.
Does Kilmessan have a museum?
2 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Kilmessan: Hill of Tara and Tara Open Studio.
Is there a Heritage Ireland (OPW) or national park property near Kilmessan?
None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Trim Castle (Office of Public Works), 8.5 km west.
What are the best-known days out near Kilmessan?
Within 40 km: Trim Castle (8.5 km), Dublin Castle (36 km), National Museum of Ireland (37 km), St Patrick's Cathedral (36 km).
How is this list made?
From Fáilte Ireland’s open data on attractions (museums, castles, historic houses, abbeys, gardens, national parks, landscapes, islands, zoos and visitor farms: restaurants, pubs, shops and tour operators are left out), OpenStreetMap (places open to visitors; a ruined castle on farmland needs a sign it can be visited) and Wikidata (what each place is, who looks after it, its Wikipedia articles), merged into one list and placed in the town’s CSO 2022 outline or within 5 km of its edge.
Places to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in each town’s CSO 2022 outline. Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (13)
- Bective Abbey: Klennon77, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dunsany Castle and Demesne: Skarldrums, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Trim Castle: Billy Irwin, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Museum of Ireland: Photograph by Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net )., CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Patrick's Cathedral: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dublin Zoo: Harold Strong, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Library of Ireland: YvonneM, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leinster House: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Slane Castle: Sitomon, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christ Church Cathedral: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Gallery of Ireland: Copyright © 2006 Kaihsu Tai, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kilmainham Gaol: Nol Aders, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Stephen's Green: Dronepicr (edited by King of Hearts ) Edit corrects CA and sharpens image, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).