As legend would have it, one mild May night in the fifth century, St.Patrick lit a bonfire on the hill at Slane in defiance of the ban by the local King (based at Tara down the road) provoking the King into arresting him only for St Patrick to work some of his magic during the night and by dawn go about his business with the King’s blessing.
Today while some more pagan than Christian rites may abound, the Slane magic still works, through the music of the many world renknowned acts that pass through its grounds.
While not quite an annual event, the Slane concerts when they do take place are legendary. From the Rolling Stones in the eighties, through Bob Dylan, U2, REM, Queen, Bowie Springstein and more, a concert is held most years in the grounds of Slane Castle in County Meath, a natural amphitheatre on the banks of the Boyne.
Nearby hotels include the luxurious Johnstown House Hotel